You wake up in the morning, check your phone and maybe browse through the latest news feed before you get up. Then you snack on breakfast or hop on the bus while you stare down at your phone. You arrive at work and then plunk down in front of your computer screen for the next few hours and then head home to relax, sift through your social media or binge watch a few Netflix series. Many of us are guilty of over-indulging in screen time these days. But that’s a whole lot of strain that your eyes have to endure!

If you’ve been wondering why screens hurt your eyes, here’s what you need to know about how they affect your eye health and what you can do to improve it.

The Damaging Effect of Blue Light

Blue light is emitted from all of your electronic devices. It may seem barely noticeable, but your eyes are not equipped to handle the amount of exposure to this damaging light. Blue light isn’t easily filtered through the cornea and lens, which means the full impact of the light travels right through to the retina of the eye. This constant exposure and impact to the retina can end up causing headaches, blurred vision and even macular degradation.

Now, let’s take a look at some ways you can help your eyes:

Take Frequent Breaks

Now that you know why excessive screen time is concerning for your eye health, how can you help them? Well, unfortunately, the answer might not be what you want to hear. But the reality is decreasing the amount of time that you spend staring at screens is necessary to give your eyes a break. Like any part of your body, they also need time to rest throughout the day. So try to peel your eyes away from any screens every 20 minutes and try the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, focus your eyes on something that’s approximately 20 feet away and keep doing this for 20 seconds. To help you remember, you can set a reminder on your phone.

Use Adaptive Lenses

Today, you can find lenses that filter out the blue light from your devices and even the sun. Ask your optometrist about Transition Adaptive lenses and filtering blue light the next time you pay them a visit.

Blink More

Believe it or not, blinking can help give your eyes some relief as well. Blinking helps keep your eyes lubricated with natural protein, minerals, and moisture. This helps nourish the cornea and restore nutrients that the eyes need to function properly. So try to blink more frequently.

When you’re wondering why do screens hurt my eyes, remember that damaging blue light each time you’re staring at the screen and try to give them a break more often. If you’re concerned about your eye health, visit one of our Laurier Optical locations for an eye exam today.