Progressive Glasses and Computers Explained
Progressive lenses work by helping our eyes focus on certain areas. Here’s a brief breakdown of how they work:
- The upper part of the lens is wider and designed to help our eyes focus at a distance on things like a television across the room, road signs, or other far away objects.
- The lower part of the lens is narrower than the top and helps our eyes focus on close objects like books, newspapers and mobile phones.
- The middle part of the lens is a transition area, designed for intermediate distances, but it also happens to be the narrowest part.
Progressive lenses don’t work well for computer screens because the intermediate part of the lens isn’t wide enough to allow you to see the width of your monitor simply by moving your eyes. This forces you to move your head from side to side to see the entire screen.
Moving your face closer to the screen doesn’t help either, because when you do that, you need to tilt your head back so you can look through the bottom part of the lens. This causes neck strain.
Neither is a good solution when you’re working on a computer for the entire day. That’s where computer glasses can help.
What Are Computer Glasses?
Many Optometrists are prescribing computer glasses more frequently than ever to help reduce eye strain and improve the quality of life for people who use progressive lenses.
The average computer screen is between 20 to 26 inches away from you. This distance is a problem for progressive lenses as it is both too close and too far for the wider sections of the lens.
Computer glasses are prescription glasses designed to make focusing on a computer for long periods less difficult and more enjoyable. A pair of prescription computer glasses can reduce both eye and neck strain, making it far easier for you to work at a computer.
If you normally wear single vision lenses, then single vision computer glasses should work well for you. But if you normally wear bifocals or progressive lenses, then computer glasses with progressive lenses will help you even more.
Keep in mind that computer glasses are not a replacement for your existing glasses. You should only use them when working at a computer because they are designed specifically to improve your intermediate vision.
Computer Glasses Can Also Reduce Blue Light
Blue light is another problem that many people struggle with. Our computers and mobile phones emit blue light that can strain our eyes, cause fatigue, and even reduce our ability to get a good night’s sleep.
Your Optometrist can treat the lenses of your computer glasses to filter out up to 50% of the bad blue light that comes from your screens.
We recommend you check with an Optometrist if you’re interested in getting your computer glasses treated. This simple upgrade can greatly improve your quality of life.
How Do I Get a Pair of Computer Glasses?
We recommend you book an eye exam with Dr. Barry Leonard in the San Fernando Valley to determine whether computer glasses are right for you.
An eye exam will ensure that you receive a pair of prescription computer glasses that are a perfect match for your current vision, and that fit you properly. After that, you’ll be better prepared to handle long hours in front of a computer screen.
There’s no reason to suffer if you work at a computer for most of the day. A pair of computer prescription glasses can improve your quality of life and make your daily routine that much more enjoyable.
If you would like to talk to an Optometrist today about computer glasses, contact the office of Dr. Barry Leonard & Associates today by phone 818-405-9788, or make an appointment online.
