Sitting for hours at your desk is not only tiring, since working too hard can lead to burnout, but it can also wreak havoc on your body. From eye strain to headaches to back pain and more, here’s what happens to your body when you stare at a computer all day—plus, how taking breaks throughout the day can make all the difference.

What Happens to Your Body When You Stare at a Computer All Day

You Could Get “Computer Vision Syndrome”

Staring for too long at a computer screen can lead to short-term, immediate physical effects that can also compromise your work flow. “Those who spend excessive amounts of time on digital devices and computers are subject to the symptoms associated with computer vision syndrome, which include blurred vision, watery eyes, headaches and more,” says Brad Brocwell, O.D., an optometrist and vice president of clinical operations for Now Optics.

Basically, your eyes have to work a lot harder to focus on screens. Sujata Paul, professional services clinical lead at Lenstore and a contact lens optician, adds, “Our eyes and eye muscles are required to work harder than normal when we’re looking at a computer screen, and this is because of glare and reflections, the movements on the screen and the reduced contrast between letters and backgrounds compared to a physically printed page.”

You Could Get Headaches

When you stare at a screen for hours on end, you’re not only straining your eyes, but also you might then trigger pain in other areas of the body as result. As previously discussed, your eyes have to work harder to focus on screens, which can cause eye strain.

Your Eyes Can Get Dry

“One of the most common side effects of staring at a screen for too long is dry eyes. When we’re focusing on our screens, we tend to blink a lot less than normal (usually 3 to 8 times a minute, compared to 10 to 20 times normally),” says Paul. While dry eyes can be uncomfortable or annoying, there are other issues that arise. When we’re not properly lubricating the eyes or blinking away dust or dirt, Paul says, it can lead to chronically dry eyes, tears in contact lenses, scratched corneas and more.

If you wear contact lenses, you’re even more susceptible to dryness, Paul adds, “since the lens inhibits oxygen flow, making it really important to ensure you’re blinking regularly when looking at a screen.”

You Might Get Symptoms of Nearsightedness

Each incidence is not very long-lasting or permanent, as long as you get up and let your eyes recover, but can be damaging if staring at the screen for hours becomes a habit. “Distance vision usually returns after resting the eyes, but consistent visual stress could cause a permanent reduction in distance vision,” Brocwell cautions.

Your Body Could Be Tense or in Pain

Staring at the screen for too long means you’re likely also sitting in your office chair for too long, which can put excess strain on areas like your back, neck and shoulders. “The typical angles and distances we place our screens in relation to our eyes is often a major factor in causing eye strain as well as muscular pain in our necks and backs,” says Paul.

It’s worth putting your laptop or computer monitor on a raised stand to keep your posture upright and prevent you from hunching over. You can even try adjusting it higher to use it as a makeshift standing desk.

Blue Light Emission Can Strain Eyes, Decrease Sleep and Mess with Your Metabolism

Paul says, “Blue light emitted from our screens can cause eye strain and fatigue, which can be worsened when the lighting conditions in the room around us are excessively bright.” Plus, if you find yourself at the computer in the evening, the blue light emission from the screen maymake it more difficult to fall asleep(and even mess with your metabolism).

And any sleep deficit can make it harder to function the next day, plus if you start to lose sleep regularly, you can increase your risk of illness and even gain weight. Plus, your body performs various functions at night while you sleep, such as building and repairing muscles, promoting collagen production to slow the effects of aging, and keeping your immune system strong.

The bottom line: Getting enough quality sleep is incredibly important for your overall health and well-being. “You should try and limit using your devices one to two hours before bedtime, and use the nighttime setting on your smartphone or tablet, which help limit blue light exposure,” Brocwell recommends.

How to Get Relief from Staring at a Computer Screen

If you use a computer every day for work, it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. However, there are a few expert-backed takeaways to help give your body the relief it needs.

Take Regular Breaks

Brocwell says, “Remember to give your eyes a break from continuous screen time and near viewing to avoid digital eye strain. A good way to do so is with the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes look away from your screen and look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.” Even a short break can be very effective at combating dry eye and digital eye strain.

Adjust Your Computer Screen and Lighting

Paul says to position your computer screen at 3 to 5 inches below your eye level, away from direct and indirect glare sources and at a sensible distance, so you’re not straining your eyes or back when staring at the screen or leaning in to view better.

Keep Eye Drops Handy

Try Blue Light Glasses

Certain glasses are better for blocking transmissions from the screen and protecting your eyes. Brocwell says, “Blue light glasses, now known to many since the onset of the pandemic, help protect your eyes from blue light, which computers emit. With blue light glasses, you’re less likely to experience disruption in your sleep cycle.” They can also help decrease eye pain. “Blue light glasses feature lenses that reduce the amount of blue light reaching your eyes, which can help reduce eye strain and potentially prevent long-term damage,” adds Paul.

You can also get tinted or coated lenses on your glasses as an alternative method to blue light glasses to help manage blue light emission and its effects on the eyes and body. Brocwell explains, “Lens tints are far more effective at blocking blue light, but the lenses have a yellow or amber color, whereas lens coatings are clearer and less effective, but their anti-reflective coating helps protect your eyes from blue light.”

Drink Plenty of Water and Eat a Healthy Diet

It’s also important to eat a nutritious diet that helps support eye health. Brocwell says, “Nutrition plays a very important part in eye health, and studies show that certain nutrients can help reduce the risk of certain eye diseases and are used in the treatment of others (such as macular degeneration or dry eye).” Certain nutrients and foods can help boost eye health, such as “foods with lutein, like green leafy vegetables, vitamin C, vitamin E in nuts, and omega-3 fatty acids in salmon,” Brocwell suggests. Try ourSuperfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressingfor a little extra nutrient boost.

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