Do Blue-Blocking Lenses Reduce Eye Strain From Screen Time?

It’s no secret that the general public uses devices continuously throughout their days. This can lead to significant eye strain. This can lead to tired and dry eyes after a long day. Digital screens emit blue light, which has negative effects on your eyes. It also can affect your sleep schedule as it disrupts your circadian rhythm, which tells you when it’s time to sleep and be awake. While most of us cannot escape using devices, our team at Ophthalmology Associates of the Valley can offer professional solutions to patients throughout Los Angeles, CA at a comprehensive eye exam that focuses on treating their dry eyes.

Do blue-blocking lenses actually work?

Blue light blocking glasses are lenses that are said to block out or even filter out blue light from screens. They claim to protect your eyes from glare and to reduce retinal damage from long-term exposure to this damaging light. While you may be experiencing eye discomfort after a long time, it isn’t caused entirely by the blue light. Our ophthalmologists do not believe in the validity of blue-blocking lenses reducing eye strain. During a visit to our Los Angeles, CA area office, we can offer professional tips on how to best protect your eyes from eye strain and dry eye syndrome.

What is computer vision syndrome?

Computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain is caused by constantly shifting your focus and moving your eyes across a screen. Some common symptoms of computer vision syndrome include:

Eye strain
Blurry vision
Dry eyes
Tired eyes
Chronic headaches
Neck or shoulder pain

Oftentimes, these symptoms are caused by glare, an improper viewing distance, poor posture, poor lighting, or refractive errors that haven’t been corrected.

How is computer vision syndrome diagnosed?

At Ophthalmology Associates of the Valley, we examine our patients’ eyes at an eye exam to learn about their medical history and to detect any symptoms that may be associated with eye strain. We will take visual acuity measurements that assess the extent to how your vision has been affected. Testing how your eyes focus and move together helps us to detect problems where the eyes cannot work together properly, leading to eye strain.

How to protect your eyes from eye strain

Our doctors recommend our patients follow these helpful tips to reduce eye strain symptoms, including:

Use eye drops throughout the eye to keep the eyes lubricated while looking at a screen.
Practice the 20/20/20 rule where every 20 minutes, you look at something 20 feet away from you for at least 20 seconds.
Sit at least 25 inches away from your screen as sitting too close can lead to eye strain symptoms.

Ultimately, there hasn’t been enough research to determine if blue-blocking lenses do reduce eye strain or not. Your best bet to ensure your eyes stay healthy is to follow good screen habits, like the ones we suggested.

Learn how to treat computer eye strain

At Ophthalmology Associates of the Valley, our vision professionals offer professional advice on how to best relieve eye strain symptoms. We offer comprehensive eye exams that can diagnose and treat computer vision syndrome in our patients throughout Los Angeles, CA. You don’t have to live with digital eye strain. Allow our team to begin helping you today by scheduling an eye exam.