Do you work long hours at office, sitting in front of a computer, typing all the time? Do you experience periods of blurred vision and fatigue in your eyes everyday? Is your frequent dose of caffeine not working? Your computer might be vital to your work life but it also impairs your vision. Long hours staring at a screen result in eye strain, headache and blurred vision, what we can collectively call Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
Now, what do you do to solve this? How do you stop this from impairing your eyes? You go and buy yourself a pair of reading glasses or glare-protection glasses. But is that enough to stop CVS? Well, not quite. What you need is a pair of glasses specifically designed to battle the blue light emitted from computers. These glasses are more advanced versions of the anti-glare glasses. Their lenses are fitted with blue-cut filters which bar the computer blue light from reaching the eyes.
So, if you don’t want your boss to catch you dozing off at work, if you want to increase your efficiency to bag that year-end appraisal, then, you need a pair of computer glasses.
And there’s no better place to get computer glasses than online stores. You can save on your glasses using Lenskart coupons. You might be able to afford even expensive ones using the amazing discounts available at Lenskart.com. There is a vast range of glasses to choose from.
So, let me show you which type of computer glass you should buy to protect your eyes from long working hours.
5 types of computer glasses that best protect your eyes from blue light
- Non-prescription computer glasses
Now, that depends on your eyesight, doesn’t it? If your eyesight’s fine and you don’t own a pair of prescription glasses already, then, you can just get a pair of non-prescription computer glasses with zero power lenses. Non-prescription computer glasses are specifically to prevent your eyes from the screen’s light, they don’t help your vision in any other manner.
You can also order a pair of non-prescription glasses if you are a contact lens user. You can just wear them over your eyes with the contact lens. The contact lens do their job, the computer glasses do theirs, neither come between each other’s functions.
- Monofocal glasses
Monofocal glasses, also known as single-vision glasses with blue-light block, focus your vision specifically on the computer screen. With this option, you can view the whole screen without having to scroll your eyes up and down.
But with monofocal glasses, any other object nearer to or further away from your eyes will appear blurry and out-of-focus.
- Bifocal glasses
Bifocal glasses correct your vision in such a manner that your eyes can distinctly see the screen as well as anything placed closer. Bifocal glasses have an upper segment that is to see the computer screen and a lower segment that is to focus at closer objects.
The disadvantage with bifocal glasses is that the glasses don’t entirely cover the screen. These glasses are basically for working long hours on the computer while stealing short glances at your phone in between.
- Trifocal glasses
As the name suggests, trifocal glasses have three segments- one for seeing the computer, one for seeing objects nearer than the computer, and one for seeing objects further away than the computer.
Compared to bifocal lenses, your screen-viewing area gets smaller. With these glasses, you can truly multi-task. But be careful, these glasses might not let your eyes strain but they will put a strain on your neck, with you having to look up and down to see the whole screen.
- Progressive lenses
Computer glasses with progressive lenses basically erase the lines between the different segments of focus. But the area of focus in each segment might be reduced with these pair of glasses.
- With lens tints
Lens tints are not just for fashion. They can also filter out almost all the blue light that is coming from the computer screen on your eyes. Amber and yellow tints are the most effective ones in blocking blue light. They can absorb upto 94% of the blue light that comes from the screen.
The science behind lens tints is that amber and yellow colours have long wavelengths on the light spectrum that can absorb the short-wavelengthed blue light.
You should get computer glasses with lens tints if you are truly fatigued from the long working hours. These glasses reduce the strain on your eyes and let you sleep peacefully at night.
- With lens coatings
An anti-reflective coating is a great additional layer for your pair of computer glasses. While they don’t block blue light from the screen as effectively as lens tints, they can reduce the glare from the screen. It also reduces the glare that comes off your own lenses, so that your partner can look into your eyes without interruption.
If you feel that the long working hours are manageable and only the glare from your computer screen is an issue, then, get these glasses.
So, these are a few types of computer glasses that you can opt from. Depending on your work environment, the light setting, your working hours, I am sure you will now find the perfect computer glasses for you.
Here’s a slight recap, in case you still can’t make your decision. Prescription or non-prescription glasses, depending on whether your eyes need correction. Monofocal, bifocal or trifocal, depending on how many ranges of focal power do you want. Progressive glasses, in case, a clear, line-free vision of all far or nearby objects. Glasses with lens tints if the blue light from computer screen bothers your eyes big time. Glasses with lens coatings if there’s too much glare coming off the screen.
And remember, a significant part of your computer vision syndrome also has to do with your computer-usage habits. At work, you should have the screen at the optimal angle for your pair of eyes. At home, you shouldn’t use the computer or any other digital device in the dark for long. Make a habit of taking short 1-minute breaks in between your office hours to refresh your eyes with a different view or just a splash of water. Power naps during the lunch break are also a great way to recharge your eyes. You need to be considerate of their limits (that means getting enough hours of sleep). Don’t work them up too hard, especially, as you get older. Your eyes are only as delicate as you. You need to take care of them.