Are computer glasses safe for people with normal eyesight?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a college student, and I spend about 12 to 14 hours a day using a laptop and mobile phone for studies and work. In the last couple of weeks, I have observed excessive watering from my eyes, especially after continuous use of screens. Though there is no pain in my eyes, I tend to feel eye strain, dryness, and fatigue.

I have been thinking of getting computer glasses that either block blue light or anti-reflective or anti-glare lenses.

Is it safe to use such glasses if my eyesight is otherwise fine?
Could there be any negative impacts of such glasses?
Would they help me reduce my eye strain and watering problems, or should I go for a complete eye check-up before purchasing these glasses?

Please help.

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for your question.

It is unfortunate to learn about the discomfort in your eyes since you have to study for many hours. According to the described symptoms, you most probably suffer from digital eye strain (computer vision syndrome). Staring at screens for a long time decreases your blink frequency and causes dry eyes, excessive tears, fatigue, and even temporary blurriness.

Anti-reflective (anti-glare) coated computer glasses are safe to wear even if you have perfect vision, and there are no side effects of using such glasses. Similarly, blue-light blocking lenses are safe to wear, but based on current research findings, they are unable to alleviate digital eye strain symptoms.

I suggest conducting a comprehensive eye exam prior to buying the computer glasses since it would help diagnose some refractive error, dry eye disease, or other eye disorder.

In the interim, there are certain things you can do to improve your screen practices that will help a lot. Implement the 20-20-20 rule, which involves staring at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes, consciously blinking often, dimming the screen according to ambient light levels, maintaining a comfortable distance from the screen as well as positioning the screen below eye level, and perhaps applying preservative-free artificial tears in case of dry eyes.

Given your past experiences, it seems like having an anti-reflective coating on your lenses would be most helpful for extended computer usage, especially if the eye exam reveals that you do not need vision correction.

I am thankful for your message.

I hope that you will get timely medical help.

Thank you.