TV Viewing Distance: Effects, Where to Sit, Eye Health (2023)

Why Do Screens Cause Eye Strain?

Eye strain, orasthenopia,is aneyecondition that causes a variety of symptoms, includingfatigue, pain in or around the eyes, blurred vision, and occasionaldouble vision.

Symptoms can occur after watching television at a close distance, reading, doing computer work, or performing any close activities that usethe eyes. Attempting to focus on a close object for an extended period of time causes the ciliary muscle to tighten, producing the symptoms of eye strain.Symptoms include:

• Headache
• Sore, irritated eyes
• Trouble focusing
• Dry or watery eyes

Eye strain can also occurbecause people tend to blink less while watching television or working on tedious projects.

The average person blinks around 18 times a minute, naturally refreshing and lubricating the eye. But some studies have shown that people may only blink half as often (or less) while looking at a television or computer screen. Blinking so seldom often results in dry, tired,itchy, and burning eyes.

Besides sitting too close, watching too much television, especially in the dark, can cause eye strain due to constant focusing on a small, bright object. The dark room causes the irises of the eyes to open wider in order to let in more light, but they fail to close as much as they should to focus on the bright screen.

Prevention

Eye doctors recommend a simple technique for preventing eye strain. If you are staring at a screen for an extended time, shift your focus from near to far. For example, if you usually stay 10 feet from a screen, move at least 20 feet away. You can also take periodic breaks from looking at a screen.

How to Relieve Eye Strain

If you experience the symptoms of eye strain after watching television or looking at your smart device, here are a few things you can do to help alleviate your discomfort.

• Gently massage the eyes
• Apply a warm cloth to the eye area
• Get enough sleep at night to allow your eyes time to recuperate
• Invest in a bigger television to reduce eye strain from focusing
• Do not forget to blink to prevent your eyes from drying out

Dry Eye Syndrome

Besides eye strain, a common eye condition resulting from television or computer screen viewing isdry eye syndrome. With this condition, a person does not have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye.

Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the eye's front surface and for providing clear vision. Staring at a screen for long periods of time can dry out the eyes. Dry eye syndrome is often treated by frequently instilling quality eye drops and other therapies.

Rules for Other Devices

It seems that many kids today tend to watch content or play video games on their iPads and smartphones more than they watch television. Should parents monitor how close their kids hold their screens away from their eyes?

Most eye care professionals agree that tablets, phones, and laptops are harmless to eye health and vision. However, these devices can cause eye strain, much like watching a television. Symptoms can develop due to focusing on a much smaller screen at a very close distance to your eyes.

Make sure that your child holds their screen about arm’s length (18 to 24 inches) away from their eyes. Your child should view the screen at the level of their eyes or slightly below them. Handheld digital devices such as smartphones should be held below eye level.

If your child seems to have difficulty holding their devices at this distance, enlarging the text on the screen may help. Adjusting text size can sometimes make viewing more comfortable. Also, to help prevent eye strain from occurring,encourage your kids to take frequent breaks from the screen to give their eyes a rest from focusing.

Summary

Due to the advancements of modern television screens, watching TV up close will not injure your eyes. However, watching TV from a close distance may lead to eye strain or fatigue. It is generally recommended to be at least five times the distance from the screen as the screen is wide.

A Word From Verywell

If you tend to experience eye strain or eye fatiguefrequently, consider asking your eye doctor for advice. Your eye doctor will conduct a comprehensive eye examination to identify possible underlying causes of eye strainand offer ways to alleviate it.

Also, know that viewing distance preferences can vary from person to person, and symptoms of eye strain or eye fatigue may improve with a few adjustments. You may find that sitting a bit further than usual from your television, getting a more high-quality television, or adjusting the display settings may be easier on your eyes.