With more of us spending long hours in front of screens—whether for work or leisure—many people are turning to computer glasses to help with conditions that cause eye discomfort, including dry eyes. These glasses are specially designed to reduce glare and block blue light from digital devices, which can contribute to strain.
Computer glasses are not designed to help dry eyes, but they can be beneficial for those who stare at screens for long periods. They come with coatings that minimize glare and block blue light, which often leads to eye strain. By improving visual comfort and reducing eye strain, you may find that these glasses can help you avoid some of the symptoms of eye strain that are shared with dry eyes.
What Exactly Are Computer Glasses?
Computer glasses, also known digital screen protection glasses, are designed to improve comfort during extended screen time. These glasses come with lenses that reduce glare, and help focus the light more quickly.
How Do Computer Glasses Work?
Computer glasses have anti-reflective coatings that minimize glare, allowing for clearer, more comfortable viewing. These coatings are made from multiple layers of materials that can also block up to 50% of blue light emitted by screens. For some people, filtering out blue light helps reduce eye fatigue and the headaches that often come with long hours of screen use.
Some computer glasses also come with a yellow or amber tint. This tint can enhance the contrast and sharpness of your screen. It’s especially useful for people who spend a lot of time on digital devices, as it can make viewing a screen easier on your eyes and can help you avoid eye fatigue from prolonged screen use.
Computer glasses often have a small prescription for focusing. The lenses relax the muscles and the eyes can then see near more quickly and easily. They can be worn over contact lenses or with no contact lenses.
What Are the Benefits of Computer Glasses?
The benefits of computer glasses can vary from person to person, but in some cases, they can include:
- Reduced digital eye strain: By filtering out some blue light and reducing glare and focusing more quickly, computer glasses may alleviate the discomfort and fatigue that can come from hours of screen use.
- Improving sleep quality: Blue light suppresses melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep. If you use screens often during the evening, computer glasses with a blue filter may help your body produce melatonin more naturally.
Who Should Wear Computer Glasses?
Anyone who spends extended periods in front of screens may benefit from wearing computer glasses. Whether you’re a student, office worker, or gamer, these glasses could provide relief from eye strain. If you experience symptoms like tired eyes or headaches after screen time, computer glasses could make a noticeable difference in your comfort.
Choosing the Right Pair of Computer Glasses
If you’re thinking about getting a pair of computer glasses, there are a few factors to consider:
- Blue light filtering: Look for glasses that block some blue light.
- Tint: Some computer glasses have a slight yellow or amber tint. While this tint can enhance your visual comfort, it can also change the colour of what you see. Keep that in mind if distinct colours are an important part of your screen use.
- Prescription options: If you already wear prescription glasses, you may want to consider computer glasses that include your prescription. If you don’t have a distance prescription, glasses with a small prescription to help relax the eye muscles, and focus more quickly and easily, can be very useful.
- Fit: Make sure the glasses fit comfortably. Ill-fitting glasses can cause their own discomfort and may be counterproductive to enhancing your comfort while you use screens.
What Else Can You Do to Reduce Eye Strain?
Computer glasses can be a great tool, but they’re just one part of the solution. Here are a few other tips to reduce eye strain while using digital devices:
- Take regular breaks: Follow the 20-20-20 rule while using screens. Every 20 minutes, take a break to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Adjust your screen settings: Increase the font size, adjust the brightness and lower your screen about 20-30 degrees below eye level.
- Improve your workspace lighting: Make sure your workspace is well-lit to avoid glare and reflections on your screen.
- Blink more frequently: We tend to blink less while staring at screens. Make a conscious effort to blink regularly to keep your eyes moisturized.
- Use good posture: Maintaining proper posture can reduce not just eye strain but also neck and back discomfort.
Protect Your Eyes with Downtown Vision Care
Whether you spend your day working in front of a computer or enjoy gaming for hours, investing in the right eyewear could help reduce strain. However, if an underlying condition or another factor is causing discomfort, it may be equally important to address that issue as well.
At Downtown Vision Care, we offer a range of eyewear and treatments that can help support your comfort, so you can focus on your screen time. Our team of experienced optometrists can help you find the right solution for staying productive or staying in the game. Don’t let digital eye strain affect your productivity and well-being—contact us to schedule an appointment.
