Q: My sister just got new glasses for computer vision. What are these?
A: We are all spending so much time staring at screens — computers, tablets, and smartphones — that our vision is being affected.
Children are becoming more nearsighted more commonly, and adults are experiencing digital eye strain It seems our eyes are not designed to focus so closely for so long.
To slow this nearsighted progression in pediatrics, and to relieve eye strain in adults, we now prescribe special lenses to reduce the focusing effort required for those tasks These are available both in glasses and contacts.
Like a cousin of progressive bifocal glasses, these lenses do some of the focusing for you. These lenses look like regular single prescription glasses, but actually a range of powers built in to provide smooth clear vision from your smartphone out to about 30 feet. These are not meant for outdoor vision or driving. We often call them “office eyewear” or “computer glasses.” Here in Morgantown we often prescribe these designs for musicians as well!
The truth is that today the vision demands we are placing on our eyes cannot be solved with only one pair of glasses. Fortunately these special near vision lenses are easy to use and provide comfortable clear vision
Talk to your eye doctor if your work or life entails over four hours a day of digital device usage.
Dr. Thomas Stout, OD, FAAO, is an eye physician in private practice at Morgantown Eye Associates. Info: MorgantownEye.com.
