The rate of online gaming keeps growing. Today, many adults and kids spend long hours from one screen to another in the name of gaming. Though gaming can be very entertaining and somewhat addictive, is it healthy for our eyes?
Long hours on screen can affect our sight. Therefore it is not healthy for the eye. Regardless of what you do on the screen – reading, movies, games, browsing the internet – you should minimize screen time. Extended screentime could result in eye irritation or eyestrain. More so, the eye constantly changes focus between objects while gaming and causes eyestrain. In this post, I will show how to prevent this and protect your eyes without compromising on gaming. However, before we proceed, let’s have an understanding of what damages the eyes.
What damages the eye?
Constant gaming is one factor that damages the eye. While gaming, you consistently stare at your screen, and this could result in dry eyes, red eyes, itchy eyes, blurred vision, and even a headache. Your gaming screen emits a sharp focus light that the eye is sensitive to, causing itchy eyes or, worse, weak vision.
Your gaming screen also emits a blue light that travels on a short wavelength and releases high energy. When this light enters the eyes, it disturbs the photoreceptors and could lead to several vision issues. When the eye is consistently exposed to this blue light, it could damage the retina severely. More so, it subdues the melatonin released, which may affect one’s sleeping pattern. However, you can adopt several gaming habits to shield yourself from these effects.
How to take care of your eyes while gaming?
If you are a game lover and don’t want to damage your sight by doing what you love most, you must put some precautionary measures in place. There is no particular quick solution to protect your eyes while gaming. Instead, there are several habits you must practice to achieve a healthier sight even while gaming constantly.
Position your monitor at the right viewing distance
The first and most important tip to protecting your eyes without compromising on gaming is to position your gaming monitor at a significant distance from your seat. In other words, don’t be too close to the screen. The farther you are from your screen, the lesser the strain of the blue light on your eyes, reducing eyestrain.
You don’t have to place your monitor meters away to be at a safe distance from the screen. All you have to do is find the right position to place the monitor where you can game without straining and where the focus of the blue light is less on your eye.
Adjust lighting and avoid playing in the dark
Gaming in the dark makes your eyes work harder, and after hours of playing, you begin to feel the strain. Straining your eyes makes them dry and even causes irritation. Therefore, you must avoid gaming in the dark. More so, stay out of sunlight and reflective surfaces. You could also buy an anti-glare glass to reduce the blue light strain on your eyes.
Wear the right glasses
You may ask yourself what the right glasses are. I’ll make it known soon enough. Light consists of several colors. However, blue has the shortest wavelength among them. This makes it the closest light to UV light which we know is dangerous to the eyes.
A pair of quality glasses with anti-glare lenses will reduce the direct focus of blue light on your eyes, also reducing glare and eyestrain. Those eyeglasses are a must-have, especially in case of early screen fatigue symptoms. In addition, it prevents red eyes, tiredness, and headache that occur from long screen time. These glasses are made with blue lenses and can absorb blue light making the screen clearer.
Remember to blink
This may sound dumb, but blinking is an exercise to keep your eyes healthy and prevent many eye defects. Blinking is a reflex action, meaning we don’t need our brain to tell us to blink, but we forget to blink, especially when we’re so consumed by an activity such as gaming.
When we stare for too long and forget to blink, our eyes become dry, and irritation occurs. This could also result in headaches. Ensure you blink often. In addition, place your screen lower than your eye so that your eyelids are halfway down your eyes. You should also try to move your eyes at intervals to keep them moist.
Minimize glare and adjust your computer settings
If you can afford it, it is in your best interest to get the best quality screen. They are designed with advanced technology to minimize lighting and reduce eyestrain. Investing in these screens is a healthy option, especially if you spend long hours gaming. To this end, you can use LED flat-screen monitors or TVs. You can tweak the settings to use the highest resolution. You can also reduce the backlight. In addition, some screens allow you to activate the night light. This is another technology to reduce dry eyes and eyestrain from screens.
The brightness and resolution are not the only options you would be adjusting. Adjust the font to a suitable size, so you don’t have to squint to read notifications, captions, and subtitles. It is also important you reduce glare. This is why you must avoid sitting on opposite reflective surfaces. As we mentioned earlier, a pair of anti-glare glasses reduce glare and eyestrain.
Take a break
This is a very obvious tip for maintaining a healthy sight. However, a difficult one to practice. No matter how interesting your game is, find time to pause it and give your eyes a break from the screen. You don’t have to enslave yourself to your screen. It is recommendable you take a break at intervals. It gives your eyes a chance to rest and readjust.
In addition, you should practice the 20-20-20 rule. It is a simple but effective exercise that gives the eyes a break and allows them to readjust. It involves 20 minutes of screen time and a 20-second break where you look at an object 20 feet away. Practice this every day for a better and healthier vision.
Keep a safe distance from the screen
Ensure you maintain a safe distance from the screen. Like we said earlier, don’t be too close to the screen. You should stay at least 20 to 40 inches away from the screen. You should also optimize your game space to be convenient and healthy. Make sure your monitor is not too low to avoid spraining your neck.
Conclusion
Video games are some of our favorite recreational activities, and we don’t have to quit them because of improper eye care. Hence practicing these tips should be your daily routine while gaming. They will help you reduce the risk of eye damage without interfering with your gaming session.
