The average person now spends just short of seven hours a day staring at some sort of screen, either on their computer, smartphone or TV.

Students have grown up in a digital age and probably don’t consider how vulnerable they might be to a condition known as computer vision syndrome. A growing number of patients contemplating the idea of laser eye surgery on the NHS, is testament to the fact that many of us are experiencing eye strain and other problems with our eyesight. You can find out more about NHS options here.

Here is a look at what computer vision syndrome is and how you can take steps to try and prevent it happening to you.

Computer Vision Syndrome explained

You might also hear the syndrome referred to as Digital Eye Strain, but the end result and the symptoms are the same.

These terms are generally used to describe a specific group of eye and vision-related issues that are associated directly with prolonged use of your computer and other devices that have a screen.

Typical symptoms you will experience with Computer Vision Syndrome are eye strain, regular headaches, blurred vision and discomfort from neck and shoulder pain.

In basic terms, viewing a computer or a digital screen, will often involve making your eyes work a bit harder in order to adjust to the glare of the screen and if you have not adopted a good posture or setup to view the data, this will have consequences sooner or later.

You will be vulnerable to Computer Vision Syndrome if you spend two or more continuous hours looking at a screen each day, creating visual demands on your eyes that exceed their normal abilities.

Feeling the strain

There are a number of things that you might be doing every day at your desk, which will aggravate an existing problem and lead to you suffering from eye strain.

The performance of computer screens has greatly improved in recent years, so if you are still using a low-resolution screen, this will be harder on your eyes and lead to an increased risk of eye strain, so consider switching to a high-resolution flat panel version, which should be easier on your eyes and put less strain on them.

Sitting on an ergonomically designed chair to do your work at a screen will also help, as it should improve your posture and put you at a comfortable viewing distance if used correctly.

Lighting and glare

It is not just your computer screen that can aggravate your eyes and lead to strain, as many of us are not working under the correct lighting conditions.

Eye strain can often be caused by excessively bright light that is either coming from sunlight or from harsh interior lighting. You should aim to try and get ambient lighting that is about half the brightness of a typical strip light in an office.

If you already wear glasses, you might want to consider getting an anti-reflective coating, which will minimize glare and reduce the risk of eye strain.

If you are a student spending plenty of time in front of a computer screen, make sure you don’t ignore any warning signs like regular headaches, and get your eyes checked regularly to ensure that you are not suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome.

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Hannah Fox is at medical school and wants to be an ophthalmologist doctor. When she can find a quiet moment she enjoys using her new-found knowledge to write articles about eye health. These appear on health blogs around the web.