Prevent Blindness, the nation’s oldest eye health and safety nonprofit organization, has declared March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month.  Because one of the many negative effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the increase in digital screen time for many remote workers, Prevent Blindness is raising awareness of digital eye strain and providing tips on ways to decrease the effects of increased screen time.

Symptoms of digital eye strain, also referred to as computer vision syndrome, include tired, burning, or itching eyes, dry eyes, blurred vision, and/or headache. To help reduce the effects, Prevent Blindness recommends:

• Place your screen 20 to 26 inches away from your eyes and a little bit below eye level.
• Use a document holder placed next to your screen. It should be close enough so you don’t have to swing your head back and forth or constantly change your eye focus.
• Change your lighting to lower glare and harsh reflections. Glare filters over your digital screens can also help.
• Get a chair you can adjust.
• Choose screens that can tilt and swivel. A keyboard that you can adjust is also helpful.
• Computer glasses with yellow-tinted lenses that block blue light can help ease digital eye strain by increasing contrast.
• Anti-reflective lenses reduce glare and increase contrast and also block blue light from digital devices.
• Take frequent breaks by using the “20-20-20” rule, as recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association. Every 20 minutes look away from your screen and look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This gives your eyes a chance to reset and replenish themselves.