Between work, phones and evening streaming, many of us now spend more waking hours looking at screens than not. Sore, dry, tired eyes and end-of-day headaches – sometimes called digital eye strain – are among the most common things patients mention to us. The good news: a few simple habits make a real difference.

1. Follow the 20-20-20 rule

Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet (about 6 metres) away for 20 seconds. It relaxes the focusing muscles that lock up during close work.

2. Blink more

We blink up to half as often when concentrating on a screen, which dries the surface of the eye. Make a habit of consciously blinking fully – and if dryness persists, see our advice on dry eyes.

3. Position your screen properly

Roughly an arm’s length away, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, so you look slightly downward at it.

4. Deal with glare

Position screens side-on to windows rather than facing or backing them, and match screen brightness roughly to the room around it.

5. Size text sensibly

If you find yourself leaning in, make the text bigger. Squinting at small type for hours is a headache recipe.

6. Take real breaks

Screen breaks where you look at another screen do not count. Get up, move, and give your eyes a few minutes of distance vision.

7. Keep your prescription up to date

Much of what gets blamed on screens is really an out-of-date prescription working your eyes harder than it should. If eye strain is a regular visitor, an eye examination is the first sensible step – and we can advise on lenses designed for screen work.

And blue light glasses?

We are often asked. The honest answer: current evidence does not show that blue-light filtering lenses relieve digital eye strain, and screens emit far less blue light than ordinary daylight. The habits above – and the right prescription – will do far more for your comfort than a blue-light coating. As independent optometrists we would rather tell you that than sell you one.

Struggling with tired eyes? Book an eye test or call us on 01443 223 712.