It's probably safe to say that most of the things we do every day are embedded with digital screens and screen time.

Do you only watch one or maybe two episodes of that interesting series before you go to sleep? Do you check your phone after you wake up…to check the time, any new messages, or Instagram…? So you work 8-hour shifts at a laptop screen, only to browse social media afterward?

you are not alone The point here is to focus on our eyes and if they are able to handle digital stress. Often people may think they are fine until symptoms such as dry eyes, red eyes, itchy eyes, or watery eyes begin to appear.

“Looking at screens all day long probably won’t ruin your vision permanently,” says Dr. Rajat Goyal, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Ujala Cygnus Rainbow Hospital, Agra, “but it might lead to an increasingly common condition called computer vision syndrome.”

It is a digital eye strain condition and includes symptoms such as dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. Computer vision syndrome can be reduced by re-evaluating ergonomics in our workplace. Dr. Here are some tips shared by Goyal:

• Choose a desk chair that supports your upper body and encourages you to sit up straight with your neck in a neutral position.
• Increase the brightness on your device when you’re in a bright environment, like in the office or outdoors. Lower the brightness if you’re in a dark room.
• Cleaning your screen regularly also helps eliminate dust and smudges that can make glare worse.
• One should also blink 15-20 times a minute when you aren’t looking at a screen.
• Even wearing blue light glasses when you’re using your computer, tablet, phone, or watching TV could improve symptoms of digital eye strain.

Along with troubling vision symptoms, you may experience tech neck pain – or pain in your head, neck, and shoulders. People with sedentary jobs who are required to work on a computer or laptop often develop tech neck sooner or later.

The number one way to avoid it is to get up and move frequently. Every 15-30 minutes, you should get up and walk around, even if it's just for a minute. This will improve the blood circulation in your body and your neck will be in a different position.

Studies show that sitting for long periods of time is dangerous for your heart and can shorten your life. So, a simple act of getting up from your chair and moving around every now and then is not only good for your neck but also for the rest of your body.

“Screen time is an indispensable part of our lives, and we can mitigate its harmful effects by following some simple practices,” says Dr. Rishi Raj Borah, Country Director – India, Orbis, adding, “The theme for the World Sight Day – #LoveYourEyes – further reinforces the imperativeness of looking after and loving your eyes.”

He says one of the best ways to love your eyes is getting regular eye health check-ups. In general, it is recommended to schedule an eye exam once every year. As for preventing harm from screens, Dr. Rishi shares, “The eyes need to work harder when the screen is placed in proximity to them, therefore, positioning the screen at an arm’s length will also help reduce the strain.”

Explaining a popular trick for eye care, he shares, “The 20/20/20 rule of looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of screen time is also helpful in giving the eyes the much-needed break.”

There are several other eye exercises you can include in your daily routine, to strengthen your eye muscles and improve your overall eye health.

Dr. Shibal Bhartiya, Senior Consultant - Ophthalmology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, shares another popular and effective, and perhaps underrated eye exercise, for which all you need is a pen. This exercise is also especially beneficial following LASIK, in case of visual strain.

Exercise Steps

1. Sit or stand straight and look at a far-off small object, wearing your prescribed glasses if you’ve been prescribed distance correction.
2. Hold out a pen at arm’s length and look at its tip.
3. Slowly bring the tip close to your eyes, keeping the tip at level with your eyes.
4. Hold the tip for about 10 seconds at the point where you feel some strain or heaviness in the eyes. The tip should continue to appear clear and single – should not appear double.
5. Then again take it back to arm’s length and hold it there for 10 seconds.
6. Again slowly bring the tip close to your eyes to the point where you feel some strain.
7. Repeat this 10 times and then again look at the far-off small object. Then again repeat the whole cycle.

Exercise Schedule

• To begin with, do this exercise for 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening at a time when you are relatively fresh.

• Gradually increase the duration of the exercise to 15 minutes over a period of the next 2 weeks.

• Carry it on religiously regularly for 2 months, after which once a day exercise for 5 minutes is sufficient to maintain good convergence of the eyes.

• It is normal to feel slightly more strain, pain in the eyes, and even headache for a few days when you begin convergence exercises. Rest assured that gradually you will recover and your symptoms due to convergence insufficiency will soon be better.