Matthew Fellner
For the 1st time in my life, I made an appointment to see an Optometrist. I am 49 years old, and while many people may find that odd, I have never had any issues with my eyes or vision. However, recently I started noticing more frequent headaches, jaw tightness, and neck tension. I investigated what could be the likely causes, and I have come to the conclusion that a likely culprit is Digital Eye Strain. I am lucky as an acupuncturist that I am not required to spend an inordinate amount of time staring at my computer or phone all day long. There is a fair amount of screen time doing medical notes. And when I am teaching, I often have online classes and a substantial amount of grading and prep work that requires screen time. Add to that a little bit of game playing, or internet surfing, and it seemed to be enough to cause some discomfort and strain. For a majority of people in the world today, a substantial portion of their time is spent staring at a screen. Not surprisingly, the diagnosis of Digital Eye Strain is a relatively recent phenomenon. It is also referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
According to the Vision Council, upwards of 65% of Americans report symptoms related to overuse of electronic devices. (https://thevisioncouncil.org/blog/vision-council-shines-light-protecting-sight-and-health-multi-screen-era). Naturally these symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision, and eye strain. But there are symptoms that may not be as obvious. Nearly 35% of people with CVS also report neck/shoulder pain, and nearly 30% report frequent headaches. This is likely due to poor posture while using the devices. Cedar-Sinai.org has a few helpful tips for limiting eye strain while using your devices, and I will add a few that I think they are missing(https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/c/computer-vision-syndrome.html#:~:text=Digital%20eye%20strain%20is%20a%20group%20of%20related%20eye%20and,problems%20help%20to%20cause%20it.):
- Rest your eyes at least 15 minutes after each 2 hours of computer or digital device use.
- Every 20 minutes, look into the distance at least 20 feet away from the computer or digital device. Do this for at least 20 seconds.
- Enlarge the text on your computer screen or digital device.
- Reduce glare from the light sources in your environment.
- Think about using a screen glare filter.
- Place your screen so that the center of it is about 4 to 5 inches below eye level (about 15 to 20 degrees from the horizontal).
- Place your screen about 20 to 28 inches from your eye.( About arm’s length.)
- Remember to blink often.
- Fix your chair height so your feet can rest comfortably on the floor. Don’t slump over the computer screen
In addition to the above suggestions, I recommend to my patients a few simple eye exercises that are easy to do and very beneficial.
1. When your hands are warm, especially after exercise, cover your eyes gently with your palms. Massage the area around the eyeball gently with small circles of movement. Then gently tap all around the eye socket, temples, cheek, and forehead. Can be done in 5 minutes
2. Take 5-10 minutes to practice wide angle vision. This is the opposite of the tunnel vision required to use devices. It expands upon the second suggestion from above. Gaze in front of you without looking at anything specific. (This really works best if you are outside and have a natural environment), then extend your arms out to the side slowly opening up the arms. Try to see how far you can open the arms without losing site of the hands/fingers. You should be able to see even past 180 degrees.
3. Of course #3 is get acupuncture. Acupuncture improves circulation to the eyes, reduces stress, and relaxes the muscles in the neck and shoulders. It can relieve jaw tension and headaches. Plus, maybe most importantly, it gives you about an hour in a relaxing environment, free from phones and computers. Most acupuncturists also incorporate other hands-on techniques to further reduce tension and pain. This may include cupping, tuina massage, or guasha.
