© Fotograf: doucefleur
Digital eye strain
Smartphones, PCs, tablets, TV and game consoles can cause quite a lot of stress for our eyes in everyday life. But we only notice this when it’s too late, and our eyes start to itch and burn. Then it is high time to do something against digital eye strain.
What is digital eye strain?
The digital era does not pass our eyes without leaving a trace. They are confronted by display screens everywhere – in our private lives and at work. Constant exposure to digital media puts excessive strain on the eyes and causes them to dry out. This is what medical experts call digital eye strain. It is widespread in the population and already affects children and adolescents who spend a lot of time in front of the television or with their tablets.
Currently, the average screen usage is between five to seven hours a day. Smartphone and tablet use alone already accounts for two-thirds of total media time these days. So, because we stare at screens all day long, we blink less and our eyes are not sufficiently lubricated with tear fluid. In addition, we often sit in offices that are centrally heated in the winter and cooled by air conditioning in the summer. The dry air can dry out our eyes, too. The tear film ruptures prematurely and evaporates. This leaves the eye unprotected, making it susceptible to irritants and pathogens.
Furthermore, we wear glasses and contact lenses to be able to read from the screen better. But contact lenses also stress the eyes and make them susceptible to inflammations. Another stress factor exclusively affects women: Taking hormonal contraceptives can also cause eye dryness.
Yakobchuk Olena - stock.adobe.com
Infographic Digital eye stress
How does digital eye strain manifest itself?
A typical effect of digital eye stress is dry eyes, also called sicca syndrome. Dry eyes are characterised by symptoms such as
- itchy eyes
- burning eyes
- reddend eyes
- watery eyes
- tired eyes
- a foreign body
The problem: The symptoms usually develop in the second half of our lives. Even if no or only mild eye complaints were experienced in younger years, the constant strain of using digital media can have a massive impact on eye health as we get older. From the age of about 55 to 60 years, permanent and regular treatment with lubricating eye drops is often the only way to make the symptoms bearable. Women have the additional problem that their oestrogen levels decline with the onset of menopause, additionally causing dry eyes.
What can I do against digital eye stress?
Prevention helps more than direct treatment. If dry eyes already occur permanently, the only therapy available is eye drops to lubricate the eyes. Therefore, you should already start thinking about your eye health now and limit the time you spend in front of a screen or using your smartphone or tablet. In any event, you should give your eyes a break more often so that they can recover from the strain.
Furthermore, preventive eye care in the form of lubricating and/or nourishing eye drops is also recommended. They stabilise the tear film and keep the eyes lubricated. Make sure you always wet the surface of your eyes well to keep pathogens away from them and prevent irritation from foreign bodies such as dust particles.
How you can also relax your eyes:
- A walk in the fresh eye is not only good for your whole body but also good for your eyes. This is because oxygen
- helps stressed eyes to regenerate.
- Take a short break at work every hour and close your eyes for a few minutes or look out of the window into the
- distance.
- Air the rooms regularly, because fresh oxygen in the rooms is good for your eyes.
Remember: Late complications to your eyes due to digital eye stress can hardly be remedied. Therefore, start relaxing your eyes now and support them during the stresses of everyday life.