In today’s screen-dominated world, Digital Eye Strain (Computer Vision Syndrome) affects nearly everyone. At Austin Optics, we specialize in diagnosing and treating these modern vision challenges
- Eye fatigue & headaches
- Blurred vision & dry eyes
- Neck/shoulder pain
- Comprehensive digital vision exams
- Blue light protection options
- Anti-fatigue lens technology
- Personalized eye comfort strategies
Don’t let screen time strain your vision – we can help!
Staring at computer, tablet, and phone screens has become a part of everyday life—but it’s also one of the most common causes of digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome. If you experience blurry vision, dry eyes, eye strain, headaches, or neck and shoulder discomfort after extended screen time, you’re not alone.
At Austin Optics in Forest Hills, NY, Dr. Beth Pearlmutter offers expert diagnosis and personalized treatment to relieve your symptoms and protect your long-term eye health.
If you spend two or more hours a day on digital devices, watch for these warning signs:
- Blurry or fluctuating vision
- Dry, itchy, or watery eyes
- Eye strain or visual fatigue
- Headaches, especially around the eyes or temples
- Neck and shoulder tension
- Trouble refocusing between screen and distance vision
Even mild symptoms can worsen without proper care—especially if you have underlying vision conditions.
Several factors affect the severity of computer vision syndrome, including:
- Amount of screen time
- Lighting and glare
- Screen angle and posture
- Pre-existing vision issues (e.g., astigmatism, farsightedness, presbyopia)
Even if you already wear glasses or contact lenses, your current prescription may not be optimized for screen use. During your exam, Dr. Pearlmutter will perform:
- Visual acuity testing to assess your current vision
- Refraction testing to identify the best lens prescription for screen use
- Eye coordination and focusing tests to see how well your eyes work together and shift focus
Based on your results, she’ll develop a personalized plan to ease your symptoms.
Whether or not you currently wear corrective lenses, specially designed computer glasses may help. These lenses are tailored to reduce strain and glare from screens and enhance intermediate (arm’s length) vision.
For existing glasses or contact lens wearers, we can update your prescription with a screen-friendly design, including anti-reflective coatings and blue light filters.
Pairing professional care with healthy screen habits can make a big difference. Here are Dr. Pearlmutter’s top tips:
- Keep your monitor 20–28 inches from your eyes
- Position the top of the screen 15–20 degrees below eye level
- Use a document holder to minimize head movement
- Invest in an anti-glare screen to reduce reflections
- Minimize glare by adjusting lighting or moving your screen
- Use natural light when possible
- Avoid harsh overhead lights
- Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- Take a 15-minute break every 2 hours
- Remember to blink often to keep your eyes lubricated
Computer Vision
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. Signs include:
- Blurry vision
- Eye strain and discomfort
- Headaches
- Dry, scratchy eyes
- Neck and/or shoulder pain
Diagnosis and Treatment of Computer Vision Syndrome
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.Our Forest Hills Optometrist will take your symptoms, pre-existing conditions, and potential undiagnosed conditions into account as She performs the following eye tests:
Measures the quality of your current vision.
Tests the potential lens prescriptions that would optimize your vision.
From these measurements, Dr. Pearlmutter 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.
