The Right Lighting for Your Eyes

With people spending many of their waking hours in front of a screen, complaints of eye strain have become more prevalent. James Auran, MD, is a professor of ophthalmology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Here’s what Dr. Auran told us about eye strain and how you can prevent it.

Eye strain or eye fatigue is a common complaint, but it’s not easy to measure or quantify. What are some of the signs and symptoms?

The usual complaint is “tired eyes” brought on by visual effort (reading, using a computer, driving), but symptoms can include intermittent blur, dry eyes, and/or headache (including eye ache). 

What are the most common causes of eye strain?

The number one cause of eye strain is refractive error. In other words, having the wrong contact lens or spectacle prescription for a particular situation. Because ‘near’ can be a lot of different working distances (reading text on paper; viewing a laptop, or a phone, or a desktop computer), not having the correct prescription for each working distance often causes strain. Progressive or bifocal spectacle lenses address the issue, but the user must ensure they are reading through the correct part of the lens.

Another frequent cause of eye strain is dry eyes. This condition is most often caused by eyelid inflammation, but it can also be due to insufficient tear production. 

Finally, eye strain can be due to fatigue of the muscle tissue around the eye. Some patients have a natural deficit in turning the eyes in to focus on a near object. This can become symptomatic when a patient encounters an increased workload (for example, lots of reading) or in older age as muscle mass decreases.

What role does the digital age play in eye strain? Computers, monitors, tablets, cell phones, and TVs. What are some things we can do to prevent “digital” eye strain?

There is a tendency to squint and not blink when looking at screens, which can dry out the eye. In fact, there’s a name for it: computer vision syndrome. Frequent breaks can help. Putting in a lubricating eyedrop before starting a session at the computer will ‘top off the tank’, keeping your eyes wetter longer.

In terms of TV viewing, it’s better not to mount the flat screen too high on your wall. Lowering its position narrows the distance between your upper and lower eyelids, reducing tear evaporation.

What about eye strain during other activities, such as preparing food in the kitchen, sitting at the dinner table, writing at a desk, or reading before bed?

Let me make a few suggestions: Start the day with a hot compress applied to the (closed) eyes. At 100 to 105 degrees, the compress will melt the mucous and oil secretions in your eye while stimulating tearing and blood flow to the ocular surface. This will give you a head start for the day.

Avoid fumes that might irritate your eyes, and avoid drafts, such as air conditioning vents. The excessive air flow can overwhelm tear production and lead to dry eyes. And don’t forget to properly illuminate your various activities and tasks. In most cases, the light source should be behind or above you, rather than shining in your eyes.

Could you elaborate on lighting? When selecting an LED for a particular room at home, what factors should people consider?

In general, “warmer” lights, which have more light at the red end of the spectrum, are easier on the eye than “cooler” blue/white lights. Also, adjusting light levels can help optimize comfort by balancing the intensity of a light source with the rest of your environment. For example, you might want a reading light that provides a light intensity close to that emitted by the TV you’re watching.

And this may not need saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: If you have dimmer switches in your home, use them. That small effort could be the difference between comfort and discomfort.