A digital world overflowing with screens means a world that is constantly struggling with digital eye strain.

Around 60% to 70% of Americans report suffering from headaches, neck pain, and sore or tired eyes while using a digital device. While that statistic is disturbing, it shouldn’t completely come as a surprise, states Dr. Paul Olsovsky, OD.

The average person in the U.S. says they spend a little over 7 hours a day looking at some type of screen at work and at home. Children spend even more time in front of a screen every day — 7 ½ hours for school and entertainment. A whopping 80% of adults say they use digital devices each day for at least 2 hours when not at work.

Thanks to increasingly available digital entertainment and tools — as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — eye strain hasn’t just become the norm. It has become an epidemic.

Digital Eye Strain Explained

Also known as computer vision syndrome, digital eye strain occurs with the prolonged viewing of blue light such as those found on a phone or computer.

Looking at such screens is detrimental to the health of our eyes – blue light has been proven to cause retina issues, and can lead to diseases such as macular degeneration, an irreversible condition that causes the loss of central vision over time, leading to blindness.

Glare and low contrast also contribute to eyestrain. There is also a high amount of eye movement required to focus on a digital screen. People are typically very close to a digital screen when viewing, so there is no proper distance placed in order to reduce the likelihood of symptoms.

Poor lighting also doesn’t help the symptoms – looking at a device in low light can cause exacerbated symptoms. Even longstanding vision issues that have been uncorrected are often worsened by blue light.

Common Symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms reported include dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, sore, aching eyes, forehead pain, and consistent shoulder and neck pain. Some even report a “toothache” like sensation in the temples.

People may begin to experience more problems if they have uncorrected vision issues, such as astigmatism or farsightedness. Some of these symptoms are temporary while others become long-lasting. Even after reducing the use of a digital device, vision may be reduced in different ways, such as having more consistent blurred vision.

Our visual pathways begin to decline in effectiveness as we age, and digital eye strain may trigger such issues earlier than usual. For example, blue light may worsen a condition like presbyopia, and farsightedness that usually starts in middle or old age caused by the eyes’ lens losing elasticity.

An optometrist will typically diagnose digital eye strain after outlining behavioral factors, a patient’s response to certain symptom-focused questions, and following an eye exam and vision test.

Treating the Condition

When caught early, a lot of the power to reduce digital eye strain is in the hands of the patient. Medical professionals often recommend following the 20-20-20 rule, urging people to take 20-second breaks from screens and look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes if possible.

One treatment approach is prescribing blue-light glasses that are suited for computer or cellphone use, reducing the severity of the effects of blue light. Some optometrists may even attempt to prescribe prism lenses to help reduce eye fatigue and headaches associated with this condition.

Other remedies have been shown to reduce eyestrain or prevent it from occurring in the first place including adjusting the lighting for reading, using artificial tears to relieve red eye, blinking more often, and setting an alarm to reduce screen time use.