Eye Care Services, Eye Health

Let’s be frank — a lot of students avoid studying until the last minute and then “cram”. In fact, we all remember the all-nighters we pulled before exams. And while cramming for exams can mess up your sleeping schedule, it can also have consequences for your eyesight. It should come as no surprise that spending hours upon hours studying without proper breaks, can have a negative effect on how your eyes feel. Luckily, visual fatigue doesn’t have to affect your grades! So, let’s learn more about eye fatigue and what you can do to relieve it.

What Is Eye Fatigue, and How Does It Work?

If you’ve been spending a lot of time on schoolwork, you might experience a condition called eye fatigue. The symptoms are fairly easy to notice and include things like eye strain, dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and neck and shoulder pain. However, it’s important to mention that some symptoms of eye fatigue might be related to other conditions. In other words, if you experience a sudden change in your vision or have eye pain, you should check with your doctor immediately.

How to Relieve Eye Fatigue?

Even though eye fatigue isn’t always an emergency, it can affect your ability to focus on your exam. If you find yourself in that situation, follow these few easy tips to get back on track in no time:

  • Blink: When using digital devices, your eyes tend to get dry faster. That’s why you need to make a conscious effort to blink and prevent dryness.
  • Move Around: It’s important to take regular breaks when using digital devices in order to give your eyes some rest. You should get up, move around, and stretch for a few minutes before you continue studying.
  • Change Your Position: Sometimes, your computer screen is positioned too high or too low, which puts too much pressure on your eyes. So, make sure that your device screen is 15 to 20 degrees below eye level to avoid damaging your vision.
  • The 20/20/20 Rule: Generally speaking, you’ll have to take 20-second breaks for every 20 minutes of studying to prevent eye fatigue. During that break, you need to focus on an object that is 20 feet away, so your eyes can relax.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it is important to protect your eyes from fatigue, especially if you are spending hours studying. However, if you are constantly dealing with eye fatigue, it’s time to make an appointment with a professional like Dr. Schnipper. Not only will we check your eyesight for permanent vision damage, but we will prescribe glasses or contact lenses if needed.

So, why ignore your eyesight when one simple call is all you need to protect it?