Published on July 30th, 2020 | by Guest

Do Anti-Glare Screen Protectors for a Computer Monitor Help Reduce Eye Strain?

Working on computers is at an all-time high now that most workers have no choice but to work from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To compound the issue, remote workers often give in to the temptation of working longer hours than they would have if they were working away from home.

If you spend most of the day and even some hours of the night working on your computer, then digital eye strain is no stranger to you. It causes the user to experience sore, red, and dry eyes, neck pains, headaches, blurred vision, and back pains. Digital eye strain is caused by prolonged use of computers which emit blue light and may also have glares as a result of light bouncing off them.

Using anti-glare screen protectors is one way of reducing the occurrence of digital eye strain symptoms and making your monitor viewer experience a whole lot more comfortable. Blue light filters and glasses do work.

Anti-Glare Screen Protector for Your Monitor

A glare happens when the light in the foreground and in the background have too much of a contrast in your field of vision. The light in the room could either be from the sun or from the bulb and if it’s too bright, your eyes strain to adjust to it and the light from the computer. Apart from that, the light also reflects off the screen and forces you to struggle to see clearly. All this effort is what results in digital eye strain.

Anti-glare screen protectors are designed to eliminate reflections and glares from your screen so you don’t have to keep squinting or tilting your screen this way and that to see clearly. They come in many different forms and you can choose whichever you like best. There is the traditional type that you hang over your computer monitor and the more modern adhesive film that you can just stick onto your screen.

The anti-reflective coatings on the screen protectors will ensure that you will not leave your computer at the end of the day with your eyes and neck muscles feeling sore and tired. You’ll be able to enjoy your evening rest so you can wake up fresh ready to begin another productive workday.

Why Else Should You Get an Anti-Glare Screen Protector?

(Source- freepik.com)

Protection from Blue Light

Blue light from digital devices like computers and smartphones is also another source of digital eye strain. Blue light is a high-energy visible light that penetrates through the cornea to the retina. Although the retina is programmed to be sensitive to blue light to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, it wasn’t meant to receive too much of it. Sitting all day on your computer exposes the retina to too much blue light and it causes damage.

Screen protectors are made to let through the less harmful light with long wavelengths and to block blue light which has shorter wavelengths. The percentage of blue light blocked depends on your preferences. The more blue light blocked, the more colours and image quality is interfered with and vice versa. Blocking too much blue light may distort text and images to a point where you end up straining more. This defeats the purpose of protecting your eyes, which was your goal to begin with. Find the right balance between seeing clearly and blocking sufficient blue light.

Privacy Feature

Screen protectors may offer a privacy screen feature which will be very useful if you work in a field where you deal with confidential information. It only allows the person right in front of the monitor to see what is on it.

Protection from the Elements

Smudges and scratches can be quite unsightly that is why you need a screen protector for your monitor to provide a barrier. Your screen will maintain the smooth, brand-new look to it.

Alternative Methods for Reducing Eye Strain

Blue light Filtering Glasses

Screen protectors are not completely foolproof in protecting you from eye strain from blue light. Some blue light may manage to sneak past the screen and other sources to reach your eyes. Anti-blue light glasses can filter up to 100% blue light from your eyes. Light from the backlight of your computer and also from fluorescent bulbs contains blue light. This is the blue light that escapes the screen protector barrier while Ocushield blue light filter glasses capture it all.

Blink!

When you stare at a screen, the rate of blinking significantly goes down. Consequently, the moisture in your eyes is not replenished so they dry up and hurt. Consciously reminding yourself to blink every so often will reduce the symptoms of digital eye strain.

Look Away

Staring at a computer all day long puts a strain on your eyes. The 20-20-20 rule is very helpful in helping your eyes rest and regain focus. It states that you should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. You can also take a short walk for 10 minutes every hour to relieve your eyes of the pressure of staring too hard.

Use Eye Drops

Dry eyes are one of the main symptoms of digital eye strain. If dry eyes bother you too much, you can buy over-the-counter eye drops to regularly lubricate your eyes.

Blue Light Apps

Most modern computers have the option of filtering out blue light automatically at night or whenever you feel the need to. If you find yourself working at night, put on these filters and reduce the amount of blue light you are exposed to.

You can never go wrong with screen protectors whether to reduce glare or to filter out blue light so get yours today!

Tags: blue light filter, eye protection, pc, screen protector