While your smartphone is a helpful tool, excessive smartphone use can be harsh on the eyes. Dry eye, tension headaches and eye strain are just a few of the issues that can arise from excessive smartphone use. As your windows to the world, it's important for you to protect your eyes. Since you probably aren't looking to end your smartphone use, familiarizing yourself with some eye protection tips is helpful.

Keep your Distance

When using your smartphone, avoid holding your phone too close to your face. Given the smaller screen and font size found on smartphones, most people will bring their smartphone closer to their eyes for a better view. However, the closer the phone is to your eyes, the greater the risk for damage.

The reason this practice is so damaging is that it causes your eyes to focus more often, causing them to work harder and leading to strain. To avoid injury, hold your smartphone at the same distance you would a book or newspaper.

Dim your Screen

Most smartphones are preset with very bright screens in order to make viewing the content on the phone easier. However, when using your smartphone at night or in a darker setting, it's important for you to dim the brightness of your screen appropriately.

The bright screen in contrast to the darkness of the room will cause your eyes to strain, leading to eye fatigue. Make sure you are dimming the screen to its lowest setting. If you are having a hard time remembering to adjust the brightness, some phones have an auto setting that will automatically adjust the screen brightness for you.

Make Accessibility Adjustments

If you are having a hard time viewing the text on your phone, access the accessibility menu to make changes. Straining to see what is on the screen is not healthy for your eyes. Most smartphones have an accessibility menu that will allow you to change the format of the font to a bold text style.

In addition to adjusting the boldness of the font, you can also adjust the contrast on your phone. Adjusting the contrast can make the font appear crisper. Making either of these adjustments will make it easier for you to see the text, helping you avoid eye strain.

If you are experiencing an issue with your eyes, you should speak with local optometrists. They will be able to examine your eyes and provide you with additional protective tips.

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