Suffering From
Screen Strain?
Are your eyes getting tired or sore after using digital devices? This could be a sign of digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome.
Digital eye strain can make existing vision problems more pronounced, such as dry eye. However, it can also cause problems for people with otherwise healthy vision. At Thompson Rivers Family Optometry, we have the skills and custom eyewear solutions to help you reduce these adverse effects.
If you’re struggling with digital eye strain, book an appointment with us to help relieve your discomfort.
How Do I Know if I Have
Digital Eye Strain?
To know you have digital eye strain for sure, you’ll need to have an eye doctor diagnose you. However, you may notice certain symptoms related to digital eye strain after using devices, including:
- Ongoing or recurring headaches
- Blurry vision after looking at digital screens
- Irritated or dry eyes
- Eyes that feel tired even after resting
Why Does Digital Eye Strain Occur?
Many of us stare at computer screens and smartphones for hours every day. However, using our eyes this way can tire out the small muscles that help our eyes focus at near distances. When these muscles get tired, they can feel stiff and sore—just like any other muscle in our body.
Additionally, digital devices emit a specific type of High Energy Visible light (HEV) called blue light. Blue light scatters in the eye more than other kinds of visible light, which means the eyes have to work harder to focus correctly and become exhausted more quickly. Blue light may also affect your circadian rhythms, making it harder to sleep after using screens.
Other conditions, such as dry eye, binocular vision dysfunction, and uncorrected vision errors (like nearsightedness), can increase the strain and discomfort felt when using digital devices. Speaking with an eye care professional helps you to determine if you have an underlying condition contributing to your eye strain that needs to be addressed.
Dealing with Digital
Eye Strain
The following strategies may help you reduce the effects of digital eye strain:
- Use the 20-20-20 rule to “reset” your eyes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Changing your focus allows your eye muscles to relax, potentially reducing fatigue.
- Review your office setup. Employing proper ergonomics in the workplace can help you reduce eye strain and related tension on your neck and shoulders. Keep your screen at eye level, around 40 to 74 cm away from you, with your keyboard placed to prevent reaching.
- Specialty eyeglasses designed to block out blue light may help. Our team can tell you more about using appropriate computer eyewear.
Don’t let your devices put your eyes in distress. Contact us today and let us help you live a life unhindered by digital eye strain.
Finding
Our Clinic
We’re located in the Northills Shopping Centre off Tranquille Road. Find our office between the CIBC and the Interior Health clinic on the north side of the mall. For your convenience, our entrance is directly accessible from the parking lot—no mall entry required.
Visit
Our Location
Our eye clinic is conveniently located at the Northills Shopping Centre, next to the CIBC.
Where to Park?
The mall offers spacious parking and accessible parking spaces.
Hours of Operation
*Closed between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM every day for lunch
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Acknowledgement
We’re grateful to live and work on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory, within the unceded ancestral lands of the Secwepemcúĺecw. We acknowledge and respect the history, language, and culture of the Secwépemc people who have lived here since time immemorial. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation.
About Us
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Thompson Rivers Family Optometry
- 250-376-1985
- 250-376-1309
- office@trfo.ca