Eclipse 2017: Preventing Eye Strain and Protecting Your Eyes to Read Longer!

Were you able to safely view the eclipse that occurred this past Monday? Here are some tips for preventing eye strain and protecting your eyes so you can read longer.
Eye Strain Symptoms
First, let’s examine some symptoms of eye strain. It’s important to note that when your eyes feel strained, take a break from whatever you are reading. Taking a break and allowing your eyes to recover causes the following symptoms of eye strain to subside:- Blurry vision or seeing double
- Watering or dry eyes
- Soreness, fatigue, burning, or itching sensations
- Headaches or migraines
- Increased photophobia (sensitivity to light)
- Trouble refocusing eyes
Ways to Prevent Eye Strain
Now that you have allowed your eyes to recover, here are some ways to avoid straining your eyes again too soon:- Turn on plenty of light for when you want to read. Keep your light source behind you to direct the light onto the page. Essentially, this effect is what happens during an eclipse. Imagine that the light source is the sun, you are the moon, and the page is the Earth.
- When reading at a desk, use a lamp with a shade. The shade will keep the light from shining directly into your eyes.
- If you have existing vision problems, try using a brighter light.
- If you find that the words on the page are too small, read a large-print version instead.
- Blinking and taking eye drops can also remoisten your eyes.