Prevent digital eyestrain and protect your vision with these simple tips and tools
If you've ever been locked into an hours-long perusal of spreadsheets followed by back-to-back Zoom calls, you may have come away from the day with dry eyes, blurry vision and a bit of redness. Certainly, if your eyes themselves are telling you that they've been overworked, there's reason to take note. However, you may also wonder what's actually different between a day spent staring at a screen and a day spent ditching your devices. Well, it's all about light.
"All 'white light' is actually a combination of the rainbow of light waves, from red to indigo," says Ashley Hayden, MD, retired ophthalmologist and cofounder of GentleDrop. "Blue light is emitted by screens more than the other colors in the spectrum and has been suggested to cause eye damage," she says. However, that doesn't mean the blue light from your computer is actually damaging your vision. This is because the damage noted from blue light was studied as light emitted from the sun — at levels that are much greater than anything produced by screens, says Hayden.
"Blue light is a range of light that contains the highest amount of energy in the visible light spectrum," says Danielle Richardson, OD, a Los Angeles-based VSP network optometrist. "Blue light is a short wavelength, which means it produces higher amounts of energy. It's all around us, from natural sources like the sun to artificial ones like LED lights and digital screens.
"Some level of blue light exposure is normal, but too much, especially from artificial sources like your smartphone, tablet or computer, may contribute to digital eyestrain," Richardson explains. This is because blue light's shorter wavelength focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina. "The eye has to work harder to maintain focus, leading to eyestrain and fatigue," she says. This may lead to computer vision syndrome symptoms, including dry eyes, blurred vision, tired eyes, sore eyes, watery eyes and headaches.
It's important to note, though, that these symptoms are due to the eyestrain required to focus on the screen emitting the blue light, not the blue light itself.
While excessive exposure to blue light from your screens may cause annoying symptoms, it shouldn't actually damage your vision. "Blue light doesn't cause damage, but it may cause discomfort or vision issues," says Richardson.
Indeed, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says there is no evidence of a link between blue light exposure and actual damage to the retina or age-related macular degeneration. Overexposure to blue light from the sun can increase the risk of developing eye disease. However, the amount of blue light coming from your computer is not nearly as strong and should not damage your eyes in the short or long term.
While this is a relief to hear, it's probably not helpful when you experience the feeling of tired eyes or headaches after spending all day on your computer. "When you spend hours focusing on things up close, like your computer screen or smartphone, the muscles in your eyes have to work overtime to keep things clear and focused," notes Richardson. "The longer you work on those near tasks, the more fatigued those eye muscles get, and that can lead to symptoms." If left untreated, those symptoms can occur more often and become more uncomfortable. "While it's not causing permanent damage, taking steps to reduce digital eyestrain can help keep your eyes more comfortable in the long run," she says.
You may have heard that blue light glasses are the solution to digital eyestrain, but that's not really true. Blue light glasses have their place, but they won't keep your eyes from feeling blurry and tired at the end of a long day. "If you are having eye irritation, blurry vision or headache with screens, I recommend a few coping steps that don't involve blue light glasses," Hayden says. She suggests walking away from the computer and spending a few minutes outside in the fresh air.
Richardson laid out several ideas for ways to mitigate and prevent any eye discomfort resulting from too much screen time.
Make sure you have the correct prescription for any vision correction needs. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, it's important that you have a current prescription. "Often, I find that patients are straining their eyes, and the fix is simply an updated prescription, which you can get during an eye exam with your local optometrist," says Richardson. "There are also specialty options like digital lenses and anti-fatigue lenses that can help make screen time more comfortable."
Adjust your screen distance and brightness. Sitting too close or too far from your screen can definitely contribute to feelings of strain and discomfort over the long term. "Keeping your screens at least an arm's length away and turning down the brightness can make a difference on how hard your eyes have to work when focusing on a screen," she says.
Keep your eyes moist and hydrated. "We tend to blink less when our eyes are focused on near work like using computer screens and smartphones," says Richardson. "Less blinking means less lubrication, which can lead to dry and irritated eyes." Make it a point to blink your eyes more frequently, and also consider using eye drops to help keep your eyes moist.
Take frequent breaks. "When possible, take a break to get up, walk around, stretch or simply look out the window to give those eyes a rest," she says. Some people may find it helpful to set alarms on their phones as reminders to step away from the screen.
Get an annual eye exam. "The best thing you can do for your eye health is to schedule an annual eye exam," says Richardson. "Your eye doctor can provide tailored treatment options to reduce symptoms of digital eyestrain and correct an underlying refractive error, but they can also help identify if something more serious is going on with your vision and eye health."
You may have heard that if you spend your days in front of a computer, you should be using blue light glasses to help reduce eyestrain. But if you're hoping blue light glasses will be the panacea for your achy eyes, you're probably going to be disappointed. "We know that blue-light-reducing products may help alleviate the symptoms of digital eyestrain, but other factors — like taking breaks, adjusting your distance from screens, and proper lighting — are just as important. I would say while blue light glasses are a nice tool to have, they're not a magic fix," says Richardson. However, if you're looking to reduce eyestrain and have already made some lifestyle changes, you might want to try a pair to see if they help.
This is especially true if you think your screen time may also be affecting your bedtime routine and keeping you up at night. "Blue lights from screens have been known to disrupt your circadian rhythms," Richardson says. "Scrolling before bed can really damage your sleep cycle and should be avoided." If you aren't able to limit your bedtime doomscroll [slowly raises hand], at least put your phone in night mode to limit blue and UV light exposure, she suggests.
When it comes to symptoms of eyestrain, dryness is one that is easy to alleviate. Keeping the eyes hydrated can go a long way toward making your screen time more comfortable. "Artificial tears are a great tool to keep those eyes hydrated," says Richardson. "Just make sure to select products that are preservative-free, and avoid any generic artificial tears, as there have been a number of mass recalls in the last few years." She suggests consulting with your eye doctor for recommendations of the most reputable brands of eye drops.
"The American Academy of Ophthalmology does not recommend blue light glasses to prevent or treat digital eyestrain due to lack of evidence," says Robert Kinast, MD, vice chair of ophthalmology at the Legacy Devers Eye Institute and CEO and cofounder of GentleDrop. However, he does recommend FL-41 rose-tinted glasses for people with photophobia (severe light sensitivity). "These blue-blocking glasses may also have some benefit for chronic eye pain and migraines," he says.
While it's true that blue light glasses won't literally treat digital eyestrain, they may make staring at screens feel a little better if you're experiencing symptoms. "While blue light glasses can help with glare, they won't solve everything on their own," says Richardson. "I often like to tell my patients that blue light glasses are a part of the puzzle, not the whole picture. They are a great tool that may contribute to preventing and alleviating symptoms of digital eyestrain, but to get the best results, you'll need a solid combination of healthy screen time habits to truly prevent digital eyestrain."
She suggests implementing the lifestyle changes she outlined previously to help reduce uncomfortable symptoms of digital eyestrain. She also says you can look into adding a blue light antireflective coating to your eyeglass lenses if you already wear glasses.
While there is no simple fix for digital eyestrain, a combination of lifestyle and work habit changes can go a long way toward making your days spent in front of your laptop more comfortable. When it comes down to it, keeping it simple and balancing your day could be the best cure of all.
Ashley Hayden, MD, retired ophthalmologist and cofounder of GentleDrop
Robert Kinast, MD, vice chair of ophthalmology at the Legacy Devers Eye Institute and CEO and cofounder of GentleDrop
Danielle Richardson, OD, a Los Angeles-based VSP network optometrist
Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.
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I Thought I Wanted an Upper Blepharoplasty—What I Needed Was a Brow Lift
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My immediate thought was that I needed an upper blepharoplasty, a minor plastic surgery wherein excess skin on your eyelids is removed. It's a favorite among celebrities and influencers—2025 was even dubbed 'the year of the upper bleph' by the Beauty Filter Podcast hosts. Then, I ran into Daniel Gould, MD, Ph.D, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, at a beauty event in Los Angeles and asked him if he thought I was a good candidate for an upper bleph. Within five seconds of looking at my face he explained that what I was seeing as excess skin on my eyelids was actually a symptom of a larger issue: my sagging brows. In fact, he said that a temporal brow lift—where the skin around the brows and upper cheek area is pulled slightly back and up from the temples—would help fix my issues. Interestingly, he said that around 90 percent of the patients he sees in his practice think they need an upper bleph when a brow lift is actually what they end up getting. After a proper in-office consultation with Dr. Gould (where I wasn't cornering him at a party), I decided to take my first plunge into the world of plastic surgery. Keep reading to get a full picture of why I concluded that surgery was my best option, along with a play-by-play of the entire brow lift process from consultation to healing. I've never had plastic surgery before, so I came into my consultation with Dr. Gould pretty hot. I also contacted two other surgeons who I trust to give me some extra insights: Laura Devgan, MD, MPH, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, and Jason Diamond, MD, FACS, a double-board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. I chose Dr. Gould to perform my surgery after spending a lot of time looking at his results via Instagram; his technique is particularly subtle, which is exactly what I wanted. 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This is the hidden thing that we really don't stress enough, that the way you look affects people's emotions around you, and that affects you. And when we brighten you up, people around you are brighter, and it changes your entire perception.' In terms of technique and what's actually happening during a brow lift surgery, it depends on the type of brow lift you're getting. Dr. Devgan broke down the four types of brow lifts: Temporal (Lateral) Brow Lift, which focuses on lifting the outer brow only (this is what I got); Endoscopic Brow Lift, where small incisions behind the hairline with a camera-assisted elevation (Dr. Gould also used this technique for my surgery); Coronal Brow Lift, which involves a longer incision across the scalp, and effective in severe cases or those with high foreheads; and Pretrichial Brow Lift, where incisions are made along the hairline, and is ideal for patients with high foreheads who don't want further vertical elongation. 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'Healthier skin before surgery means you'll get better laser results, less downtime, and a way stronger barrier to protect the healing tissues,' says Dr. Gould. My specific routine focused on incorporating exosomes via the Plated Intense Serum. Dr. Gould explains that Plated is formulated with exosomes derived from human platelets, which boost natural healing factors and support tissue repair. I also used a prescription compounded tretinoin cream that Dr. Gould formulated; I incorporated it every fifth evening since I have sensitive, rosacea-prone skin and didn't want to trigger a flare-up. On other nights I used Dr. Diamond's Metacine Instafacial Collection Trio of serums and moisturizer. Honestly, my skin has never looked better after this two-month regimen. Two weeks before surgery: I wanted to start with a clean slate ahead of my surgery, so I went to my favorite injector, Grace Jensen, FNP-BC at JECT in Los Angeles to dissolve some old under-eye filler that had migrated a bit. 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He also injected my forehead and eye area with a lot of Dysport—way more than I typically get. Dr. Gould explained that he uses a neurotoxin at this stage to help the skin and muscles stay super still while they're healing, which helps everything heal more evenly. I also sat under a medical-grade red light therapy panel for about 20 minutes. From there, I went directly to Oxynergy2 for my first of three 60-minute hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions. 'Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a no-brainer,' says Dr. Gould. 'It increases oxygenation of the tissues, reduces swelling, and accelerates recovery.' During these sessions, which I did for three consecutive days after surgery, I sat in a pressurized chamber (it feels like the pressure you experience in an airplane) with a cannula in my nose that delivered super-concentrated doses of 100 percent oxygen. (For reference, the air we breathe naturally is about 21 percent oxygen.) I'm quite sure these sessions were a big reason why I recovered so fast. Over the next few days, my face swelled pretty dramatically as I was healing from the CO2 laser. This is something I was prepared for since that's the reaction I almost always get from ablative lasers (see: my face after getting HALO), but it's still a bit jarring. For me, it takes about three to four days for the swelling to go down and all the MENDS (the brown, sandpaper-like scabs created by the laser) to flake off. During that time, my skincare routine only consisted of Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar, Aquaphor, a ton of Dr. Loretta Universal Glow Mineral SPF 40, and a wide-brimmed hat. Three-days post-op, I went back to Dr. Gould's office to have the small stitches at the back of my head removed. The incisions along my hairline had dissolvable stitches that would come out on their own, and I didn't need to put any kind of ointment on them. 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She's worked on my body before, so I was excited for her to help get the remaining swelling in my temples, inner eye, and forehead down. 'Surgical instruments can cause micro-damage to tissues and capillaries, which stimulates the immune response, inflammation, and the body's natural recovery mechanisms,' says Silva. 'Post-op lymphatic massage is beneficial as it helps immune cells reach the areas that require recovery, aids in fighting pathogens, and facilitates the removal of inter-tissue fluids from 'pockets' where it can stagnate.' She adds that lymphatic drainage can help prevent fibrosis and scar tissue, reduce edema and swelling, alleviate pain, and improve metabolism and the overall recovery process. 'After surgery, tissues are often inflamed, so my goal is to support the face's natural drainage system, not override it.' I'm a huge proponent of lymphatic drainage massages in general, so I believe this was a key part of my recovery. 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If your surgeon is a 'yes man,' saying they'll do whatever you want—run. It's really important that expectations are kept realistic, which applies to any plastic surgery or cosmetic procedure. If cost isn't a factor for you and you're a candidate for a brow lift, I'd say unequivocally it's worth it. The recovery was miniscule and the results were incredible—six weeks in, and I'm absolutely thrilled with how my brow lift turned out. One of the things that resonated the most when making my decision to get a brow lift was when Dr. Devgan said her patients often describe feeling like their 'real face' is revealed again. I can confirm this is the effect I've been noticing post-surgery—I feel 100 percent like myself, just refreshed. It's like my eyes are finally back to their full glory after a few years in shadow. The results are extremely subtle but make a huge difference both in how I see myself and how others see me. 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