Do computer glasses actually work? [closed]

Question

It's very likely that I will be spending most of my life in front of a computer monitor. This is necessary for my profession and the fact that improving technology requires us to look at screens more. My eyesight is near perfect and I never needed any glasses or lenses. However, I notice that all the staring at screens takes a toll on my energy during the day and I want to protect my eyes. I have already altered the brightness/contrast and colour of my monitor. I also installed f.lux software on my computer.

My question is this: I came across computer glasses but opinions are divided and I wonder what is true. As far as I know there are two types: tinted glasses and glasses with a correction (I'm Dutch and I don't know the perfect translation for glasses with a certain "focus" or "correction". Edits more than welcome) I'm not really interested in the tinted version since I covered that with adjusting the settings of my monitor. My interest is in glasses with a low correction that cancels out or reduce staring. Is it safe to assume that glasses like these will reduce the strain on my eyes because they don't have to focus so much anymore?

As I already said, the opinions are a little divided. One website is positive, another isn't. Even the answers to this question say different things. One person recommends special glasses another thinks they're not helpful.

Answer 1

No one likes CVS, and computer glasses are said to increase contrast and decrease glare to alleviate eye stress. If you are sure you will be using the computer in the future for prolonged periods and have considerable discomfort, it will be worth the investment for eye strain relief and ultimately less magnification.

Answer 2

According to eye care providers, computer glasses designed for digital screens which can help alleviate many of the factors which cause eye strain symptoms, although do not completely prevent it.

For example they may help the eye to adjust to intermediate-distance objects such as computer screens. There are some with an antireflective coating which may help with eye strain by softening the glare of harsh indoor and outdoor lighting and improving the contract of digital content. There are also lenses that can absorb harmful blue light (they're infused with melanin or use a blue-light filtering coating.

Here are the type of lens designed for computer screens:

• Single Vision Lenses

  A prescription lens that is optimized for individuals’ computer screen working distance. This is the least flexible lens option as the extent of vision (depth of field) is very limited.

• Progressive Lenses

  A solution for your everyday visual needs that addresses far, intermediate and near vision. These lenses are a good solution for those with limited computer use. Due to a limited intermediate vision width of field, they should not be worn for prolonged computer time.

• Computer Lenses

  A work station solution for those that are on a computer for more than two hours a day. With a wide intermediate and near area, these lenses have limited room-length viewing distance.

And type of treatments and tints:

• Anti-Reflective Coating

  Reduces reflection and glare from indoor and outdoor lighting sources in addition to ghost reflections from light sources that can contribute to visual noise and potential visual distractions.

• HEV Coatings

  Reduces reflection while blocking out potentially harmful HEV light. Some fluorescent light and backlit LED devices produce a lot of light at the blue end of the spectrum.

• Color Filters

  May filter out harmful blue and violet light that is emitted by many digital devices. These filters may also be prescribed to reduce harsh office lighting and balance colors.

To determine whether you need such glasses and they would work in your case, it is best to schedule a comprehensive eye exam to determine whether such prescription is needed.

---

Source: Digiteyezed - The daily impack of digital screens on the eye health of Americans

Answer 3

From my experience with chronic eye strain and subsequent recovery, computer glasses didn't help, because the blue light was not the reason for strain (ref1, ref2). Eye drops and all the other methods suggested by people didn't help either. The strain was caused by lack of rest for the intraocular and extraocular muscles. So there were three things that cured the strain:

1. Getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
2. Closing the eyes after 20 minutes of computer use, and relaxing the neck muscles and face muscles.
3. Getting a well balanced diet of properly cooked food. Food that's not properly cooked or burnt will cause stomach discomfort, leading to sleep loss (and sleep loss is one of the major reasons for fatigue-related strain). Also, get sufficient protein in your diet. Muscles need protein. A well balanced diet is necessary.