Computer Vision Treatment Offered By Your Optometrist in Sacramento

Squinting at computer, tablet, or mobile screens for hours at a time is a normal part of our lives in the 21st century. Unfortunately, eye problems associated with this activity are also on the rise. Even if you have never had eye problems before, you may have noticed computer vision syndrome symptoms after two or more hours of screen time because of the damaging effects of blue light. LED backlit screens whether in the form of a flat screen on the wall, a PC, a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone tend to be overly bright and emit excessive amounts of blue light. This blue light causes glare and in turn has a tendency to make people symptomatic while using those devices. Blue light anti-reflective coatings like Duralens BlueProtect by Zeiss and Recharge by Hoya decrease the amount of blue light getting to the eyes by 30-35%. This greatly reduces symptoms and potential health concerns. Those coating also add scratch resistance and make the lenses easier to clean. 

Signs of computer vision syndrome include:

  • Blurry vision
  • Eye strain and discomfort
  • Headaches
  • Dry, scratchy eyes
  • Neck and/or shoulder pain

Even if your symptoms are mild, they can worsen and cause other vision problems if not addressed. Our optometrist, Dr. Holmberg and Dr. Patel, can help.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Computer Vision Syndrome for Sacramento, Natomas, Woodland, Davis, Elk Grove, Roseville, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, and Carmichael

The severity and length of computer vision syndrome symptoms depends on how long you stare at the computer, your posture, lighting, glare, the angle of the monitor, and whether or not you have other diagnosed or undiagnosed vision problems. If you already suffer from astigmatism, farsightedness, presbyopia, aging eyes, and/or diabetic eye problems, your computer vision symptoms may worsen. This can even be the case if you already have prescription contacts or glasses. Many regular eyeglasses and contact lenses are not designed to deflect the problems caused by computer screens.

View Video

Dr. Holmberg and Dr. Patel will take your symptoms, pre-existing conditions, and potential undiagnosed conditions into account as he performs the following eye tests:

  • Visual acuity—Measures the quality of your current vision.
  • Refraction—Tests the potential lens prescriptions that would optimize your vision.
  • Focus and Eye Coordination—Tests how well your eyes work together and how quickly and accurately your eyes are able to focus on objects and varying distances.

From these measurements, Dr. Holmberg and Dr. Patel can design a treatment plan to help relieve your symptoms. For people with otherwise normal eyes and vision, a set of specially-designed glasses used during the time you are working on the computer can be very helpful. For patients already wearing contacts or glasses, new, more computer-friendly prescriptions are available. In addition to these treatment options, there are many things we can suggest to cut down on computer eye strain problems:

  • Computer setup—Adjust your monitor so that it is about 15-20 degrees lower than your eye level when seated between 20-28 inches away from the screen. Reference materials can be placed on a document holder between the monitor and keyboard, or to the side, but positioned for as little head movement as possible. Also invest in an anti-glare screen for your monitor to help reduce glare from surrounding lights. Be sure to sit and work with proper posture.
  • Adjust Lighting—If you can, reposition any lighting (or your computer) to minimize glare and use natural lighting whenever possible.
  • Eye Rest and Blinking Breaks—Every 20 minutes during your work, look away toward a distant point for 20 seconds to refocus your eyes, and give them a 15-minute break after each 2-hour computer session. Also remember to blink more frequently to keep your eyes moist.

With a combination of the proper optometry care and self-care, you can minimize computer eye syndrome and other modern-day vision problems. Contact us at (916) 419-8167 for an appointment today.

Hours of Operaton

Our Regular Schedule

Monday

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Tuesday

9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Thursday

9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Friday

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday

Closed

Sunday

Closed

Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Location

Find us on the map

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you.