Do You Need Computer Glasses?

How many hours are you spending in front of a digital screen? 

Computers and other digital devices are integral to our daily lives, both professionally and privately. In an increasingly digital world, it’s easy to overlook the effect your electronics can have on your body. Worldwide, people spend nearly seven hours of every day in front of a digital device, which can cause eyestrain and fatigue. 

You may have heard of computer glasses and recently considered using them. This guide will take you through using computer glasses and how they can help protect your eyes.

How Do Computer Glasses Work?

Computer glasses, also known as blue-light computer glasses or blue-light glasses, have lenses that filter out harmful light that computers and other digital screens emit. Computer glasses can help reduce the strain blue light causes. These glasses are growing in popularity as more and more people spend significant amounts of time in front of digital screens. For example, if you work remotely, you may spend over eight hours on your computer daily, putting strain on your eyes.

Beyond being handy in the workplace, computer glasses may well be exactly what you need for your favorite hobby or any other activities. They’re ideal for any task you perform at near to intermediate distances, including reading, watching TV, cooking or playing a musical instrument!

If you don’t wear prescription lenses, you can wear computer glasses without a corrective value while working in front of your screen. If you rely on prescription lenses, you can add a blue light filter to your existing prescription. 

Lenses for computer glasses can vary significantly from pair to pair. They may have a color tint to contrast the colors of your screen, anti-reflective coating to reduce glare or magnification to help you see the screen better.

What Is Blue Light?

Blue light is a high-energy visible (HEV) light that your eyes can’t filter as effectively — in other words, more blue light passes through your eye to your retina. While some blue light, like natural blue light from the sun, is beneficial, the unnatural blue light that computer screens emit can lead to health issues. 

What Are the Effects of Blue Light Exposure?

Prolonged exposure to blue light, especially at night, can have some detrimental effects on your health and vision. Spending time in front of digital screens at night or before bed can reduce your body’s melatonin, a hormone it releases at night to make you drowsy. Too much blue light exposure at night could cause trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep and lower alertness the next day. 

Your eyes are especially susceptible to strain from blue light. Using your computer or other digital devices for extended periods can lead to eye discomfort and more serious vision problems over time. Many factors can impact blue light’s effect on your eyes, including: 

• How much time you spend on a computer daily.
• How close you sit to the screen.
• Whether you use eye protection. 

Typically, the more you use digital screens, the higher the likelihood you’ll experience digital eye strain.

Signs of Digital Eye Strain

Digital eye strain refers to the symptoms commonly associated with excessive screen time. The glow from your computer screen and high amounts of blue light entering your eyes are common sources of eye strain, which can include the following symptoms:

• Tired eyes: Your eyes may feel heavy or irritated or you may experience a burning sensation. Forcing your tired eyes to keep looking at a computer screen can increase eye strain and lead to additional symptoms.
• Blurred vision: The more fatigued and strained your eyes become, the more likely you are to experience blurred vision. Blurred vision also occurs from looking at a screen that’s too close and using a screen for too long without adjusting your line of sight. 
• Dry eyes: Research shows that when using a computer, you likely blink less than half the number of times you usually would. Since you’re blinking less often while on your computer, your eyes can dry out much quicker, leading to irritation.
• Headaches: Eye strain can cause headaches and migraines, often reducing productivity and concentration.

Do Computer Glasses Protect Eyes?

Computer screens emit blue light in such high amounts that your eyes likely struggle to filter it all, but computer glasses can help protect your eyes. Computer glasses filter and block out blue light from your screen. With lower levels of blue light entering your eyes when wearing computer glasses, working on the computer can be much more comfortable. 

Computer glasses with anti-reflective (AR) coating can be especially helpful when reducing eye strain. AR coating helps reduce light reflections on your lenses and screens that may contribute to eye strain. 

Other Eye-Care Tips for Computer Use

Limiting computer use and screen time can be challenging, especially if you work from your computer. While computer glasses can help protect your eyes from blue light, there are additional ways to take care of your eyes when using your computer. Here are a few eye-care tips that can help reduce eye strain during computer use:

• Implement the 20/20/20 rule: The 20/20/20 rule is a practice that involves giving your eyes a break from the screen. Every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. This rule can be a great reminder to look away from your screen every so often to refresh your eyes. 
• Lubricate your eyes: Since you blink less often while staring at a computer screen, you can use eye drops to help relubricate your eyes and supplement the lack of blinking. 
• Adjust monitor contrast: When the contrast is low on your computer screen, your eyes naturally have to work harder to read and differentiate colors, which can strain the eyes. To prevent this, increase the contrast on your monitor to make it easier to see.
• Increase font size: Depending on how far away you sit from your screen, you may strain your eyes trying to read smaller text. Increasing the font size on your monitor also helps reduce eye strain.

Shop Blue Light Glasses from Lensabl

Are you looking for the right pair of blue light glasses? At Lensabl, we offer various blue light lenses for wearers with or without prescriptions. We make it easy for you to find custom blue light lenses that match your desired power and thickness, creating a pair of glasses that can help keep your eyes healthy. Like all Lensabl lenses, our computer lenses come standard with all the features and coatings you’re used to, including anti-glare and anti-reflective, at no extra cost. 

We work hard to make sure you get the clarity you deserve at a price you can afford. Take an online vision test to determine your vision needs, or build your blue light glasses online today.