We can’t escape the digital age that we live in, from smartphones to laptops, our eyes are constantly fixed on these digital displays which often leads to digital eye strain a condition marked by symptoms like headaches, blurred vision, and even dry eyes. While many factors contribute to these symptoms, there is one simple yet overlooked aspect which is the cleanliness of our screens. Dust, smudges, and even fingerprints not only obscure our view but also cause our eyes to work harder, trying to focus through the impurities. It additionally just adds further straining of the eyes which already occurs with prolonged screen use.
In this post, we’ll discuss how keeping your screen pristine can significantly reduce digital eye strain, aid in your viewing experience, and therefore promote better eye health. We’ll also provide practical tips for maintaining a cleaner screen and give a bonus on lifestyle adjustments that can assist in protecting your eyes in the digital world.
Understanding Digital Eye Strain
Digital eye train otherwise known as computer vision syndrome has been affecting millions of people who tend to spend countless hours in front of their screens. The range of common symptoms includes:
- Headaches: Often felt after prolonged screen usage and can range from mild to debilitating
- Blurred Vision: Difficulty focusing, which can come and go but often worsens with continuous screen exposure
- Dry Eyes: Such focus on your screen causes a lack of blinking which leads to drier eyes and consequently they feel itch and irritated
How Screen Cleanliness Affects Eye Health
Maintaining your device’s screen isn’t just about cleaning your screen for aesthetic purposes. It also plays a crucial role in preserving eye health, but how? Here is how a dirty and messy screen display can negatively impact your vision and contribute to digital eye strain:
Reduced Clarity and Increased Effort
Fingerprints, dust, and smudges on your screen scatter light which consequently reduces the sharpness and clarity of your display. Your eyes have to work harder and therefore strain more to perceive images and text through the haze which causes eye fatigue.
Glare and Contrast
Clean screens nowadays are effective at minimizing glare, which is caused by the external light reflecting off the screen surface. A dirty screen enhances these reflections which makes it more difficult for the eyes to adjust, and focus, therefore increasing strain. Furthermore, smudges and dirt can reduce the contrast between the text and the background, forcing the eyes to work harder hence why we tend to squint at our screens.
Long-Term Visibility Issues
As discussed dirty screens basically just add an extra layer of contributing to eye strain. So not cleaning our screens is just like adding fuel to the fire to long-term visibility issues. Therefore to prevent these cumulative effects and help maintain optimal eye health we require regular cleaning of our screens which we’ll get into next.
Practical Tips for Keeping Your Screen Clean
- When cleaning your screen ensure you know what type of screen your device has as some screens have different properties such as LCD or non-LCD screens which will prompt you to use specific cleaning solutions based on this.
- Turn your device off.
- Use a microfiber cloth apply an appropriate amount of cleaning solution to the cloth and gently wipe your device in a circular motion. It’s recommended to start from the center and move outwards.
- Regularly clean at least once a week or more depending on how frequently you are using your device and also factoring your environment i.e. it being dusty for example.
Use the Hyscreen Kit
Not sure if you’re using the appropriate cleaning material or solution for your screen and afraid you might damage it? The Hyscreen Kit screen cleaner contains natural plant-based non-harsh chemicals so no ammonia or alcohol and it contains non-abrasive fabric to wipe down your device’s screen without the fear of scratches. Furthermore, it’s streak-free and comes with a free complimentary polishing cloth. The compactness and convenience of this kit will aid in your regular screen cleaning routine at any time with ease.
Bonus of Lifestyle Adjustments to Reduce Eye Strain
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule which means that for every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds
- Optimize your workspace lighting by matching the room and screen brightness to minimize glare
- Keep the screen at optimal distance and height
- Blink more often
- Adjust display settings for enhancing text size and contrast for easier reading
- Ensure your eyewear is properly prescribed and is up-to-date. You may consider lenses that reduce glare.
