Is Digital Eye Strain Reversible?

Nowadays, digital eye strain has become as commonplace as the common cold, what with how digital devices have taken over our lives. Computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones all make our eyes work so much harder than the days of text on paper. And while there are things you can do to relieve digital eye strain, certain underlying vision problems may make this more difficult for some than others.

Read on as a vision therapy optometrist Washington, DC discusses how this condition develops, signs to watch for, and one effective solution that treats the underlying cause of digital eye strain.

Overlooked Vision Problems?

While the terms vision and eyesight are often used interchangeably, vision is about so much more than how clearly you see. Vision includes a range of tasks, some of which include:

Eye teaming
Eye focusing
Binocular vision

If your eyes have difficulty carrying out one or more of these tasks, headaches can result. In turn, your eyes’ ability to perform these tasks impacts your:

Ability to think clearly
Balance
Coordination
Memory

Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain

Headaches
Problems concentration
Tired, sore, itching, or burning eyes
Light sensitivity
Blurry vision
Sore neck, shoulders, or back
Difficulty keeping your eyes open

The Digital Screen Effect

When compared to reading text on a page, digital screens have unique characteristics that make your eyes work harder. For one thing, letters and numbers appear less sharply defined when cast on a digital screen. There’s also less contrast between the figures and and the background, along with the potential for glare and reflections. The distance from the screen and your viewing angle can also place added strain on the eyes.

And if your eyes can’t perform certain vision tasks like they should, your brain has to work that much harder to not only create images but also make sense out of them. These problems become even more pronounced when doing close-up tasks like reading. Under these conditions, digital eye strain can get much worse for people who experience certain types of vision problems.

How Vision Therapy Can Help

For people with vision problems, the issues that cause headaches and eye strain can be reversed by vision therapy. Vision therapy specifically focuses on helping your two eyes work together as a team like they should, while also strengthening communication lines between your eyes and your brain. By correcting these issues, the underlying problem that causes digital eye strain can be reversed.

If you have more questions or wish to schedule a consultation, feel free to call our vision therapy optometry Washington, DC office today.