AOA President Andrea P. Thau shares vital ways to reduce digital eye strain + blue light exposure in today’s digital device-replete world

how much time do you spend on digital devices every day?

A whopping 87% of Americans report using digital devices for more than two hours each day, and an incredible 52% say they use two devices simultaneously, according to the 2017 Blue Light/Digital Eye Strain Report from The Vision Council.

With our exposure to digital devices at an all-time high, Americans are paying a price for those large doses of screen time—and the resulting harmful blue light exposure associated with it. Blue light exposure has been linked to sleep disruptions, symptoms of digital eye strain (DES) such as dry eye and headaches, and even long-term risks.

To learn more about the subject—and how to help patients reduce their own risk factors—we check in with Andrea P. Thau, O.D., president of the American Optometric Association.

eb: What is the biggest long-term risk of extensive digital device use?

Dr. Andrea P. Thau: As technology grows more present in our patients’ lives, blue light exposure, which comes from high-energy visible light that beams off everyday digital devices like smart phones and tablets, becomes a major cause for concern. The high-energy, short-wavelength blue and violet light that comes from digital screens is causing eye strain among other problems, such as sleep disorders and, for certain patients, potential age-related vision problems.

More research is needed on this topic, but we are gradually learning more about the effect of long-term blue light exposure.

eb: Are there any ways we can help our eyes recover from digital exposure?

apt: We can advise our patients to take their eyes on a walk. Getting outside and exposing the eyes to daylight will help synchronize natural circadian rhythms, which will boost their ability to sleep at night and improve mood and alertness when the sun is up.

Also, we can suggest to patients that they take a little time to explore settings on their digital devices. Use a larger font size, increase the screen contrast, and reduce brightness until they find a comfortable balance that is easy on their eyes.

Keep the device screen clean and invest in a glare screen, and alter the distance from the face to force the eyes to focus from different distances.

eb: How can eyecare providers best serve their patients who are affected by DES?

apt: The goal is to find out [from the patient] at what distance the screen is most comfortable to sit and view for prolonged periods—and then determine what prescription will work best for that distance.

Specially prescribed eyeglasses may be necessary to deal with the unique working distance of digital devices and should include anti-reflective coating. Blue-light-blocking coating should be considered as well.

eb: What are the new technologies in eyewear that help reduce DES?

apt: Computer glasses differ from regular eyeglasses or reading glasses in a number of ways to optimize the patient’s eyesight when viewing a computer screen, including special lens coatings to reduce glare and a tint designed to eliminate eye strain. These new, light tints reduce glare caused by harsh overhead lighting and enhance contrast.

Tinted computer lenses also are recommended to block short-wavelength blue light emitted from computer screens that is associated with glare and eye strain.

eb: How does computer eyewear work to alleviate eye strain?

apt: Computer screens usually are positioned 20 to 26 inches from the user’s eyes. This is considered the intermediate zone of vision—closer than driving (distance) vision, but farther away than reading (near) vision.

Trifocals and progressive lenses don’t have a large enough intermediate zone for comfortable computer work. Computer glasses put the optimum lens power for viewing the patient’s computer screen right where it’s needed for a clear, wide field of view without the need for excessive focusing effort or unhealthful postures.

The simplest computer glasses have single-vision lenses with a modified lens power prescribed to give the most comfortable vision at the user’s computer screen. This lens power relaxes the amount of accommodation required to keep objects in focus at the distance of the computer screen and provides the largest field of view.

—Emily Teel + Erinn Morgan