The Importance of Scheduling Annual, Eye Exams
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The Importance of Scheduling Annual, Eye Exams

A few years ago, my dear maternal grandmother visited an optometrist. After thoroughly examining my grandmother’s eyes, this medical professional informed her that she had cataracts in both of them. Concerned, my grandmother immediately made an appointment with a surgeon. The two surgeries to remove the cataracts from my grandmother’s eyes were successful. Scheduling annual eye exams is crucial. During these appointments, your optometrist will check for potentially harmful conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. On this blog, I hope you will discover the most important reasons you should visit your eye doctor every year. Enjoy!

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The Importance of Scheduling Annual, Eye Exams

Computer Time? Here's How to Make It Easier on the Eyes

Stella Harvey

These days, spending time behind a computer is more of a necessity than a form of entertainment for most people. When you were younger and computer technology was less pervasive, you probably heard that spending too much time in front of the screen was bad for your eyes. Just because spending time behind the computer is now almost unavoidable doesn't mean that's not still true. Thankfully, there are ways you can make your time behind the computer screen less harmful to your eye health.

Turn the brightness down and the contrast up.

Looking into the bright light of the computer screen can tire out your eyes quickly. So can having to distinguish between colors and outlines that aren't very different from one another. By turning your computer screen's brightness down and its contrast up, you can make the viewing experience less tiring.

Look away every few minutes.

When you have to think about something for a second, get into the habit of looking off into the distance rather than continuing to stare at the screen. This will give you natural little breaks from looking at the screen. You can also try setting your phone alarm to go off every half hour or so. When it rings, pause for a second and read something off-screen or just sit there with your eyes closed to give your eyes a minute's rest.

Invest in computer glasses.

Computer glasses are similar to sunglasses. Computer glasses are designed to block the more irritating, harsh wavelengths of light while still allowing you to see through the lenses. You can purchase these from most eye doctors' offices and online through glasses retailers. If you wear prescription glasses, you can swap your current lenses out for computer lenses. Even if you don't need vision correction, there are non-magnifying computer glasses that you can wear when you're behind the screen.

 Don't get too close.

If possible, invest in a larger monitor rather than a small one. This way, you can sit a little further back from the screen, and the light won't be too intense. You'll also be able to make the font and your icons a little larger and easier to read so your eyes don't experience so much strain.

In addition to following the tips above, be sure to spend as much time away from the computer as possible. When entertaining yourself at home, try engaging in non-electronic activities like hiking and playing board games to give your eyes a break. If you're concerned about your vision or just need a checkup, make an appointment with a medical office like Cripe Stephens & Stickel.


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