Whether it is Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) or digital eye strain, The Vision Council agrees that these conditions are increasing.
As the number of digital devices increase, doctors are seeing more patients suffering from eye strain and discomfort after using these devices for more than two hours at a time.
As many as 83% of Americans also use digital devices for more than two hours daily, with nearly 53% using two simultaneously. This is causing more than 60% of people to report the symptoms associated with digital eye strain.
Here is a break down of the symptoms people are reporting.
- 32.6% experience eye strain
- 30.8% experience neck and shoulder pain
- 22.7% experience dry eyes
- 22% experience blurred vision
- 21.4% experience headaches
Furthermore, digital eye strain isn’t just affecting adults. Here’s a breakdown of age groups that view digital devices for more than two hours per day.
- 87.7% ages 18 to 39
- 82.6% ages 40 to 59
- 76.3% ages 60 and up
Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain
If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, you may be suffering from digital eye strain.
- Sore, burning, tired or itching eyes
- Dry or watery eyes
- Blurred or double vision
- Headaches
- Sore neck, back and shoulders
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Difficulty concentrating
- Tired and difficult to keep eyes open
How can you prevent digital eye strain?
BluTech Lenses offers special lenses that help reduce digital eye strain by blocking harmful blue light. Fortunately, these lenses are easy to incorporate into nearly any style of frame, so people do not need to sacrifice their sense of fashion for eye protection.
Many people don’t understand that digital eye strain is a real medical condition. Studies show that nearly 71% of Americans haven’t discussed digital eye strain with their eyecare professionals. Additionally, more than 72% didn’t know that they could wear special blue light blocking glasses to minimize and relieve symptoms.
Here are some additional useful rules to minimize digital eye strain.
- Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away and take a 20-second break.
- Minimize screen glare by reducing overhead lighting.
- Keep your screen at an arm’s distance away.
- Increase the size of the text on digital devices.
