6 Tips on Protecting Eyes from a Mobile Screen

Tips on Protecting Eyes from a Mobile Screen

Using a mobile phone has gone from using it every once in a while to call a friend to rarely putting it down. Virtually everything can be done from your smartphone. Just think of the control you can have with that little device. You can do anything from checking your bank balance, ordering groceries, or even seeing who’s at your door. 

It’s incredible what is literally at our fingertips, but what about the harm it could be causing us? Our vision is most likely becoming impaired through too much use of our mobile devices, and we may not even realize it. 

How a Mobile Screen Affects Your Eyes?

When we are staring at the tiny screen on our smartphone, our eyes can quickly become fatigued and even develop irreversible eye damage. It seems unimaginable to think of your everyday life without your phone. Heck, we feel lost without it for just a few minutes when it is accidentally left behind. 

How can you still use your phone as well as learn how to protect your eyes from your mobile screen? Let’s find out.

6 Tips on Protecting Your Eyes from Mobile Screens

Many healthy habits can be easily incorporated into your daily life. Here’s how to protect eyes from mobile screens:

• Don’t forget to blink – often! We tend to blink much less when we’re looking at our phones, tablets, or laptops. This can cause your eyes to become dry and irritated. Make sure that you stop and consciously blink (for more than a second) to rewet your eyes and refocus your vision. Your eyes will thank you!

• Take a break. Although it can seem like an inconvenience to take a break, it’s necessary for your eye health as well as your overall health. Follow the 20/20/20 rule: when it’s been 20 minutes, direct your eyes 20 feet away for 20 seconds or more. Even better, get up and take a 10–15-minute break and walk around or do some other activity. 

• Minimize screen glare.  It’s important to do what you can to minimize the screen glare your eyes are exposed to. If your phone or other electronic device doesn’t come with an anti-glare screen, get one. 

• Wear blue light glasses: Special glasses are available to manage the blue light effects when you are looking at a screen. They’re not expensive and can make a big difference in protecting your eyes from blue light.

• Adjust your screen brightness, contrast, and text size. Just a minor adjustment can give your eyes a much-needed break! 

• Keep the proper distance between you and your screen. Do you ever find yourself holding your phone a little too close? The optimal distance to hold your smartphone is 16 – 18 inches away. Give it a try. You may find you’ve been holding it closer than you think!

When Should You Visit a Doctor?

If you feel like you are experiencing more than the occasional digital eye strain, call us to schedule an appointment for an eye exam and to learn more about healthy vision habits from our specialists. You may be experiencing frequent headaches or eye pain or have questions about how to protect your eyes from the digital world we all encounter. Do something about it today.