My vision has been blurry, and I’m getting headaches in the front of my head after spending long hours on my laptop. How can I prevent this from happening?
It sounds like you’re experiencing digital eye strain, sometimes called computer vision syndrome. Your eyes are feeling the burden because they have to work harder when taking in information from a screen. The average American spends seven hours a day looking at a screen, including both computer screens and on mobile devices.
If an overdose of screen time is giving you trouble, reevaluate your setup. Make sure you have adequate lighting, taking care to avoid too-bright lightbulbs and desk lamps. Is there a glare coming off your screen? Try to reposition your screen or consider investing in an antiglare screen filter or special prescription glasses for computer use.
Pay attention to your own positioning, too. Ideally, the center of your screen will be 4 or 5 inches below eye level and 20 to 28 inches away from your eyes. Your feet should rest flat on the floor, with chair arms supporting your arms as you type. If you’ve been relying on a chair that’s not adjustable, it’s worth upgrading to one that you can customize.
As important as it is to be properly set up in front of your computer, it’s also crucial to give your eyes time off from it. Eye care professionals tout the “20-20-20” rule, which means that every 20 minutes you should take a 20-second break to stare at something 20 feet away from your screen. If your eyes are dry, focus on blinking more, or use artificial tears to lubricate them.
If none of those solutions help, make an appointment with your eye doctor. An undiagnosed eye condition may be contributing to your symptoms.
