In the digital age, office workers often spend 8 to 10 hours a day staring at computer screens and still look down at smartphones in their free time. The symptom "blurred vision and eye pain" —medically known as eye strain—has become an unavoidable common ailment accompanying office syndrome.
Warning signs of eye strain usually start with dry, irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, temporary blurred vision, and can progress to eye socket pain or headaches. If you are facing these vision problems, Thairath Online has compiled urgent and sustainable remedies to help you try.
1. Use the "20-20-20" rule (a universal technique recommended by ophthalmologists).
This is the simplest method to do while working. After staring at your screen for 20 minutes, look away at something about 20 feet (approximately 6 meters) away for at least 20 seconds. Viewing green trees or distant scenery helps relax the tense eye muscles immediately.
2. Blink more often to reduce dry eyes.
When focusing on a screen, your blink rate drops by up to 50%, causing most office workers to experience dry, irritated eyes. Be mindful and blink frequently. If dryness is severe, you can use artificial tears to keep your eyes moist throughout the day.
3. Apply warm or cold compresses to relax the eye muscles.
4. Adjust screen brightness and reorganize your environment.
How to relieve eye strain? Start by adjusting the brightness of your computer and phone screens so they are neither too bright nor too dark to force you to squint. Position the screen about 20-26 inches away, with the center about 10-15 degrees below eye level to reduce excessive upward eye movement.
Beyond immediate relief, sustainable eye care is vital to protect you from serious eye diseases in the future, such as glaucoma or vitreous degeneration.
Recommended practices | Benefits received | Nutrients and helpful items |
| Supplement with vitamins that support eye health. | Protect retinal cells from damage. | Spinach, pumpkin, carrots, and berries. |
| Wear blue light filtering glasses. | Reduce blue light exposure from computer screens entering the eyes. | High-quality Blue Block lenses. |
| Drink enough water. | Increase moisture in tissues and eyes. | Room temperature clean water, 8 glasses a day. |
Your eyes are essential for a lifetime. Eye strain from screen time can be eased if you pay attention to remedies and seriously adjust your work habits. However, if after following these suggestions your blurred vision, eye pain, or discomfort does not improve, or if you experience flashes of light or floaters, you should see an ophthalmologist for a thorough examination immediately.