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In modern society, we spend much time using electronic devices, such as mobile phones and computers, to communicate with each other and complete our daily activities. Although we know that we should minimize the time spent on those devices, it is hard to achieve in reality, especially for those who are doing office work, which requires them to stare at the monitor all day. That's when eye strain comes as a result.
Recently, many solutions have come into being to relieve eye strain caused by long screen usage time. For example, blue light filtering glasses and screen protectors are popular methods of reducing eye strain symptoms. The idea is to filter blue light, which is the main cause of eye strain. However, some doctors point out that filtering blue light with lenses or protective stickers may reduce the screen brightness of your monitor, which in turn causes eye strain.
Therefore, the best way to relieve eye strain is to modify your electronic device usage habits by choosing the appropriate electronic accessories and utilizing them effectively. Read on for the five best tips that will help you get rid of eye strain caused by staring at the monitor for long periods and how monitor light bars may reduce your eye strain symptoms for you.
All electronic devices nowadays are equipped with the screen brightness control function and basic brightness settings. Screen brightness is closely related to eye strain. When the brightness difference between the monitor and the environment becomes large, eye strain symptoms may occur and harm your eyes. In response to this concern, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) proposed the classic “1:3:10 Rule” in its published illumination guidelines, mentioning that we should maintain the brightness ratio between the monitor and the environment within 1:3 or 3:1. On the other hand, the brightness ratio between the adjacent working area and the overall environment should be within 1:10 or 10:1.
In other words, we can adjust and balance the screen brightness and the ambient light to ensure that we have the best computer working conditions, which reduces the extent of eye strain. To achieve the goal, we can utilize this effective electronic accessory, the monitor light bar, which brightens up your monitor with extra light to ensure your screen brightness.
In addition to screen brightness, the quality and level of ambient light is also important. In other words, everything on our office desk should have sufficient light on them, with a recommended illumination of 500 lux, which is suggested to be optimal for human eyes. With a monitor light bar, objects on the office desk area can be completely illuminated because of its wider range of light compared with traditional desk lamps. Also, a monitor light bar does not take up extra spaces on your office desk, nor block your sight of the monitor.
Screen reflection and glare cause eye strain and all other damages to our eyes over time. Especially when we need strong and sufficient screen brightness, screen glare creates even more severe eye strain symptoms to our eyes. To avoid screen reflection and glare, you can start from choosing the proper monitor. Matte screens are especially effective in reducing screen reflection than glossy screens. In addition, speaking of desk lamps, make sure to check for those which don't create screen reflection and glare. A monitor light bar will be a good choice due to its special asymmetrical optical design that only illuminates the desk and ensures zero reflective glare off the screen.
Apart from screen brightness and ambient light, the color temperature of the desk lamp or monitor light is also key to relieving your eye strain. The higher the color temperature (that is, the overall color is closer to cold tones), the easier it is for people to concentrate, since the blue spectrum suppresses the secretion of melatonin in the brain that makes people sleepy. On the other hand, lower color temperature (warm tones) helps people relax.
Based on the concept, it is recommended to use a light with a higher color temperature during the day and then switch to light with a lower color temperature at night, which helps maintain optimal secretion of melatonin. The function of adjusting the color temperature is also one of the important features of most monitor light bars, which helps you reduce eye strain and maintain a good working habit.
If the color temperature of your desk lamp cannot be adjusted, researchers suggest that a color temperature of 4000 kelvin provides maximum comfort for our eyes when using monitors and other electronic devices, meaning that if you can only pick one color temperature for your desk lamp or monitor light, 4000 is the number to go with to prevent you from developing eye strain symptoms
Finally, despite having perfect office desk working conditions, the most important thing is to control your usage time on electronic devices. Every 40-50 minutes of usage should be followed by a 10-15 minute break. In addition, after staring at the monitor for a long time, it is vital to use eye drops to moisturize your eyes, which helps to relieve eye strain and dryness. As long as you maintain a good lighting condition at work and develop proper usage habits, you can get rid of eye strain and enjoy a joyful life.
