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The artificial tears don't have to be preservative-free. Gardiner recommends using artificial tears several times throughout the day. Treatmentįortunately, eyestrain and dry eyes are easily treated. Some research has even suggested that eyestrain may result from difficulty focusing on the text and images on computer screens in particular, since they're made of pixels that create blurry edges. You can exhaust your eyes' ability to focus," says Dr. "Any time you strain to see something, maybe because you need reading glasses and have resisted getting them, you can get a headache. Eyestrain can also result from focusing up close on a screen without the proper eyeglass prescription. "Bright light sources can feel uncomfortable, especially if you have cataracts," Dr. Gardiner says one possible cause of this is the brightness or glare that comes from the electronic screen. The other main problem from staring at a screen too long is eyestrain. If you don't blink enough, your eyes dry out, causing blurry vision and discomfort. But you need to blink to re-establish the tear film on the eyes - a thin layer of liquid that protects the surface of the eye. The blink rate goes from 15 times a minute to five or seven times per minute," explains Dr.
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"When you look at a screen, you're so involved that you forget to blink.
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One is dry eyes, caused by a lack of blinking. About the causesĬomputer vision syndrome results from staring at a screen for long periods of time. Matthew Gardiner, an ophthalmologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. "It's most prevalent with computers, and typically occurs when looking at a screen at arm's length or closer," says Dr. Here's another reason to curb screen time: a problem called computer vision syndrome - an umbrella term for conditions that result from looking at a computer or smartphone screen. For example, more hours sitting at a computer or smartphone means fewer hours of being physically active, and looking at a computer screen at night can stimulate the brain and make it difficult to fall asleep. There are many reasons to restrict the amount of time you spend in front of an electronic screen. Looking at a screen too long may lead to computer vision syndrome.
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