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How To Give Your Eyes a Break Even if You Work on a Computer All Day

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You’ve heard it before, one of the most parroted pieces of advice when it comes to preventative eye care: “Your eyes would be better if you just spent more time away from the computer screen!” This statement, of course, isn’t wrong, but it ignores the fact that a large percentage of the population spends eight or more hours a day in front of a computer at work, with nowhere for their poor overworked eyes to run or hide.

Fortunately, all hope is not lost! At Crescent Eye Care, we know eyes, and we know there are ways to minimize the negative effects of constant screen exposure. The next time you’re at work, consider doing some of these things:

  • Look up every once in a while to let your eyes relax. A brief change of scenery every 20 minutes or so is a good rule of thumb.
  • Decrease your monitor’s brightness. A really bright display looks nice but contributes its fair share to eye strain.
  • Reduce the blue light on your display. Did you know that most smartphones these days come with “blue light filters?” This is because blue light is much more oppressive to your eyes than warmer hues, such as red or orange. Like your smartphone, you can turn down the temperature of your monitor’s light to make things more bearable.
  • Mind your distance. You may not be able to escape your screen, but you can choose how far to sit from it. The ideal setup is to sit 20-24 inches from your monitor.
  • Blink more. Did you know that the average person blinks less when they’re using a screen? Blinking is important for eye health because it moisturizes your eyes. The best part is that it’s easy! We don’t even need to tell you how to do it.

And finally…get an eye exam! If your eyes already have problems, you’re likely making them worse by straining them on a screen all day. At Crescent Eye Care, we want to help. For affordable eye care in Charleston, contact us today to schedule an appointment!