Know why staring at screens for too long gives you a headache

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Sitting on your phone or at your computer for long periods of time can do more than make your eyes tired. For some of us, long periods of screen time can bring on headaches.

If we focus on a screen for a long period, then we blink less often, which can cause our eyes to become dry and irritated. At the same time, sustained near work (focusing for a long time on an object close to the eye) can fatigue the eye muscles.

Screen glare, over-brightness, inappropriate lighting and getting too close to the screen can all add to strain on the eye. Watching the screen for too long in one go, adopting a poor sitting posture or keeping the eyes in the same position for long periods can all cause headaches.

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Use the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Every hour or two, get up from your desk, walk around and rest your eyes. Making sure that your workspace is well lit and reducing screen glare also helps.

Persistent or very painful headaches aren’t always due to screen time. If you keep getting headaches or if they get worse or more frequent, or if they’re associated with vision loss, weakness, confusion or vomiting, see your doctor.

Also read: Wear Contact Lenses? Avoid These Common Mistakes

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