Computer Glasses vs. Standard Progressive Lenses

Experiencing Eye Fatigue with Computer Use?

We all can relate to hours spent each day on our smart phone, tablet and computer. The average adult American spends close to 4 hours a day on an electronic device (excluding television). You start off each day seeing well, your eyes feeling good, but that all changes as the day wears on. By the end of the day, your eyes are now feeling tired, going in and out of focus, maybe feeling dry and needing to blink a lot to focus and even have some degree of a headache around or behind your eyes.

Now, if you are over the age of 40, you may be feeling this strain to an even greater extent due to near focusing changes in the visual system due to the maturing eye. You may even be wearing glasses already that have been prescribed as single vision general use or you may be wearing a multifocal, standard Progressive lens. And you ask yourself, “If I have glasses, why do my eyes still bother me at the end of the day?”

Let me help to answer this question for you. Single vision general use glasses will help you see very well at long distances but may not allow you to be visually comfortable when reading or working on the computer for extended periods of time. Your maturing focusing system may not be flexible enough to maintain clarity and visual comfort through your glasses the way it used to. If you are already wearing Progressive lenses, which are no line multifocal lenses, you still may be experiencing discomfort on the computer. Even though these lenses provide an intermediate or computer zone, it is a very narrow portion of the lens. You may find yourself tilting your neck back to try to find the area in the lens that is in focus. This can lead to eye fatigue, neck strain and a headache by the end of the day.

Now, there are great spectacle lens options for computer users. Talk to your eye doctor about your computer and electronic viewing visual needs, such as if you work on a desktop vs. laptop, how many hours a day spent in front of the monitor, and ergonomic (work station) set up. The doctor will measure your working distance from your eye to the computer monitor and any written text you also may need to view. Your optometrist can then design you a computer or VDT (video display terminal) occupational lens that will provide a much wider zone of vision so you will no longer need to think about trying to find the clear zone in your glasses or tilt your head back to see. This lens may be a single vision lens designed for a specific range of clarity depending upon your work station or an Office lens that has two focal points in the lens where the upper half is for computer distance and the bottom half is for smaller text or reading. They will also recommend a blue light blocking anti-reflective coating that helps reduce glare and eye fatigue from blue light being emitted from the screens.

Say “goodbye” to eyestrain and computer eye fatigue and “hello” to clearer vision throughout your work day with computer glasses that are designed for you!