Digital Eye Strain

Are You Suffering From Digital Eye Strain?

Addicted to facebook and Instagram? 

Can't get enough of cute cat videos?  

Work at the computer all day?  

Constantly playing video games?  

Permanently attached to your smart phone?  

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be suffering from digital eye strain!

What is Digital Eye Strain?

According to a Vision Council report, digital eye strain is the physical discomfort felt after two or more hours in front of a digital screen and is associated with the close to mid-range distance of digital screens, including desktop and laptop computers, tablets, e-readers and smartphones.

What are the symptoms of Digital Eye Strain?

Dry eyes, eye strain, brain fatigue and neck pain are all symptoms associated with Digital Eye Strain.

Why does this happen?

Our eyes were never meant to look at millions of glowing pixels all day. Small type and pixelated images force our eyes to work harder in order to focus. 

Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. It comes from the sun, as well as artificial light sources like digital screens and fluorescent lights. This type of light gets absorbed deep in the eye, making it one of the most intense forms of visible light to humans. While blue light can be beneficial in moderation by helping to regulate our body’s internal clock and improving alertness, it can also lead to the development of certain eye conditions and is believed to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

What can be done to help me?

The optical industry has responded to the shift in digital habits by developing lens technology to alleviate vision problems and protect eyes from blue light, glare and other environmental stressors. Many of these "computer glasses" filter up to 20% of blue light and are available in both prescription and non-prescription eyewear. The lenses and filters are customized to reduce blurriness and pixilation, decrease brightness, block blue light, and minimize glare while working in front of a screen.

Ask you eye doctor if you would be a good candidate for any of the new lens materials and filters that help reduce Digital Eye Strain!

New Lens Technologies

What new technologies are available for my eyeglass lenses?

To understand the concept of new technology in eyeglass lenses, you must understand where we started.  Originally, eyeglasses were single vision (reading or distance), lined bifocal (reading at the bottom, distance at the top) and progressive bifocal without a line.  As your prescription increased, so did the thickness of your glasses to a point where you were seriously limited in the size of your eyeglass frames. 

Now, many advances have been made in lens technology.  High-index lenses provide a thinner, lighter lens that will enable the wearer to have more comfort and wear the latest fashion frames, without having to worry as much about the size of the frame.  This is especially advantageous as the size of the frame increases with the fashion trends.

With the introduction of digital lenses, a patient can now have a personalized fit that takes into account how you move your head and your eyes as you read and perform your daily tasks.  The newest lenses eliminate the “swim effect” and achieve stability in motion, which helps a patient more easily adapt to wearing progressive lenses.  It also provides a more expansive vision, increasing the “sweet spot” in your lenses so that your gaze shifts can be quick and automatic.

Special equipment is required to assess the measuring points required to achieve this new level of comfort.  The Smart Mirror at SEE Main Street and the Visio Office at Memphis Family Vision perform up to 20 measurements to give you the most individualized lens possible, for that “wow” effect.

At Memphis Family Vision and SEE Main Street, we strive to offer the most advanced technology available to enable our patients to have the best vision possible.  Our optical dispensaries offer a full range of lenses, from the inexpensive budget lens to the revolutionary, state-of-the-art digital progressive lens.  Ask your doctor which lens will fit your needs the best.