By Dr. Michael Lange
Eye fatigue, also known as eyestrain or medically as Asthenopia, happens when your eyes hurt, feel tired, or irritated after extended, intense use. It is not regarded as a condition in itself but is a typical symptom associated with overworking your eyes beyond their capacity. The common causes of eye fatigue include:
With more people working from home following the guideline restrictions instituted to curb the spread of Covid-19, more people have recorded symptoms of eye strain with increased screen time. In a particular study, about 96% of participants had experienced at least one symptom of eye strain caused by increased usage of digital devices due to working from home. Some of these symptoms include:
If you have been working from home for a while or plan to start, there is a 96% chance you may experience these symptoms if you don’t take adequate precautions.
The most common cause of eye strain is staring at a screen for a prolonged time. While working, you should learn to take breaks often. You should not wait till you start feeling pain in your eyes before taking a break. During your break, you can do other things with your eyes like reading, enjoying the natural scenery, or even closing your eyes. Another helpful recommendation would be to follow the 20-20-20 rule. This rule advises that you should take a twenty-second break looking at something about twenty feet away from you for every twenty minutes of screen work.
If you have to work in the same place for a long time, it is advisable to adjust your room’s lighting or ambiance to an intensity that is comfortable for your eyes. You should also note the direction of your light source when performing a particular task so that the light is not shining directly into your eyes. While adjusting lighting, also remember to reduce exposure to glare. You can add a glare filter to your monitor to absorb excess glare and prevent eye strain.
If you experience dry eyes during work, you might want to invest in over-the-counter supplements, such as Fortifeye Focus, to relieve your symptoms.
Fortifeye Focus was developed for reviving, rejuvenating, refreshing and protecting your eyes. It gives the exact nutrients studies show may help reduce eye fatigue and strain from prolonged near-work and computer work and protects the eye/retina from the harmful blue light emitted by digital screens. This supplement is especially beneficial for anyone that is front of a digital screen many hours during the day or night and is recommended by doctors and patients all over the world.
Avoid eye strain while working by setting up your workstation to reduce stress on your eyes. For example, you can adjust your monitor to be around 20-26 inches away from your eyes and adjust your font to pick out words easily. You can also invest in a document holder next to your screen to reduce how much your eyes need to readjust and prevent head or neck pain from excess motion.
Another way to get rid of eyestrain is to invest in eyewear specifically designed to accommodate working on a computer or phone screen. These could either be anti-fatigue eyeglasses or contact lenses. But, again, your optometrist would be in the correct position to choose the right eyewear for you. Dr Lange and the Lange Eye Institute recommend using a blue filtering lens like Blue Light Defense, Blue Light Shield or Tru Blu while working on a computer or using any digital device.
This new formulation was developed to deliver specific nutrients, clinical studies have shown may help reduce accommodative stress and filter the harmful blue light associated with prolonged work on computers and other digital apps. Fortifeye Focus is recommended for individuals at any age who work on a computer or other digital applications for any extended period of time.
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