Life Fright

Protecting your eyes is essential in our increasingly digital world, where screen time is often at an all-time high. Here are some useful strategies to help you preserve your vision and reduce eye strain:

1. Adjust Your Display Settings

Both Mac and Windows operating systems now offer features like Night Shift (on Mac) and Night light (on Windows) that can help reduce blue light exposure in the evening. By warming the color temperature of your display after sunset, these settings can ease the strain on your eyes and potentially improve your sleep quality.

I used to get really bad migraines and eye pain until I made the switch to turning down the brightness of my displays to the lowest possible setting. I paired this with also turning on Night Shift/Night light and ever since then my eyes don’t suffer from dryness and the migraines have thankfully remained a thing of the past.

2. Blue-light Filtering Glasses

This one is more controversial since there is no proof that these help protect the eyes. However, personal accounts suggest otherwise which likely is the result of the placebo effect.

3. Wear Sunglasses Outdoors

When spending time outdoors, it’s essential to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection can help safeguard your eyes from potential damage caused by sunlight. Look for sunglasses that fully cover your eyes and reduce glare for the best protection.

4. Eat Beta Carotene Rich Foods

Incorporating beta carotene rich foods into your diet, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens, can have eye health benefits. Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which is crucial for maintaining good vision, improves night vision, and can lower the chances of developing cataracts.

5. Practice Good Eye Hygiene

Good eye hygiene is vital for overall eye health. Remember to take regular breaks from screens to reduce eye fatigue, commonly referred to as the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus on something at least 20 feet away. Additionally, always wash your hands before touching your eyes or handling contact lenses, as this can help prevent infections (e.g. those painful styes).