Contact Lenses

Managing Digital Eye Strain to Help Patients AND Grow Your Practice

Photo courtesy of Dr. David Schaeffer, who shares that he takes a proactive approach to talking to patients about digital eye strain and how he can help.

Maximizing the benefit of digital eye strain treatment for patients and practice

By David Schaeffer, OD, FAAO

July 9, 2025

Every day in my practice, I see patients with tired, dry, uncomfortable eyes—and often screens are to blame.

Digital eye strain has become one of the more common complaints I hear from patients, especially in the post-COVID era. Hybrid work, online learning, and hours spent on smartphones, tablets and monitors, have changed how we use our eyes—and frankly, they weren’t designed for this.

The eye’s accommodative system was not meant to be activated all day long. Yet, a survey of full-time employees at U.S. organizations revealed they are getting an incredible 97 hours of screen time a week, and it should come as no surprise that 68% experience symptoms of digital eye strain.¹

Spotting the Signs

My patients often describe a familiar collection of symptoms: eye tiredness at the end of the day, dryness, frontal or behind-the-eye headaches, a pulling sensation around the eyes and fluctuating blurry vision—especially during near work. Together, these signs almost always point toward digital eye strain.

Diagnosing it starts with a comprehensive eye exam, but my most important diagnostic tool is conversation. As part of every patient workup, we ask how many hours a day they spend on digital devices. If the patient also mentions that they experience any of the common symptoms, especially toward the end of the workday, that’s a big clue.

Obtaining a good case history doesn’t end at the conclusion of the workup, so it is important to continue the conversation throughout the whole exam.

I may also run other targeted testing, especially in patients under 40—things like FCC (Fused Cross Cylinder) to evaluate accommodative accuracy, and NRA/PRA to assess how well their eyes handle shifting focus demands. Any imbalance in these areas can highlight underlying binocular or accommodative deficiencies that can exacerbate or predispose patients to digital eye strain.

To explain what’s happening, I use the analogy of lifting a five-pound weight. It’s pretty easy to do a few bicep curls with five pounds. But if I asked you to do it nonstop, for 10 hours with no breaks, your arms are going to feel like they’ll fall off. That’s what we’re asking our eyes to do with near work all day—keep the accommodative system in a constant state of contraction. It’s no wonder so many patients are uncomfortable by the end of the day.

I also make a point to evaluate the ocular surface because there is often overlap between digital eye strain and dry eye disease. Sometimes digital eye strain makes dry eye worse, and sometimes underlying dryness is the real driver of the discomfort.

While all of these considerations are pieces of the puzzle, I still get my most valuable insights about digital eye strain from listening to the patient talk about their lifestyle and symptoms. It really comes down to taking the time to have that discussion.

Addressing Digital Demands

We have more tools than ever before to help patients manage digital eye strain—ranging from simple “visual hygiene” to newer technologies designed specifically for addressing today’s digital demands on the eye. What I recommend depends on the individual patient: their symptoms, their routines and their preferences.

For contact lens wearers, I often reach for MyDay Energys or Biofinity Energys. These lenses are designed with DigitalBoost Technology—a single vision aspheric optical design that provides a +0.3D boost to help reduce accommodative fatigue from prolonged screen time.

Editor’s Note: Other high-performing daily disposable contact lenses that may offset the effects of digital eye fatigue with moisture-retaining or tear-stabilizing technology include DAILIES Total 1, Acuvue Oasis 1-Day and Biotrue ONEday, among other options.

Combined with a material that maintains hydration even during reduced blinking, they’re a great option for patients experiencing tired or dry eyes after long hours on digital devices. If a patient wears spherical lenses, why not offer them a lens with the added benefit of this design?

For glasses wearers, especially presbyopes, I often recommend a separate pair optimized for intermediate/computer use. Even for those wearing progressives, many times their monitor is at eye level, so they are looking through the wrong part of the lens, which forces poor posture or inadequate visual acuity. They really benefit from a separate pair of glasses with a different prescription.

Sometimes, I get a little push-back from a patient saying they don’t want to have to manage multiple pairs of glasses. In those cases, I’ll talk about shoes—how many pairs do you have? You wouldn’t wear the same pair of shoes for every single activity in your life.

You’re not going to the beach in the same shoes as you wear to a nice dinner. And while you could run a mile in your dress shoes, it isn’t going to be pleasant. Having a specific pair of shoes that is most appropriate for an activity is going to be a lot more comfortable. Glasses are no different. Feedback from my patients who have a pair of glasses geared for computer use is overwhelmingly positive.

I also see patients who come in complaining of digital eye strain symptoms—including blurry vision—but they don’t have a prescription. They are young and healthy and there is nothing wrong with their eyes, but they’re still uncomfortable. For these emmetropic patients, I might prescribe them glasses with a low or no prescription with a blue-light filter. I’m seeing people come in with issues that may not have come in if it weren’t for digital device use.

Beyond prescribing contact lenses or glasses, I also coach patients on practical visual hygiene habits. I mention the 20-20-20 rule—every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break looking at something 20 feet away. It’s not realistic to expect them to follow it regularly, but it at least gives them guidance about the benefits of taking breaks from screens.

In my experience, patients today are pretty informed. Many are aware of digital eye strain and ask about blue light filters, but few have heard of contact lenses specifically designed for digital device use. It’s on us to ask the right questions, make personalized recommendations and introduce them to options they didn’t know existed.

Driving Practice Growth Through Proactive Care

In a 2023 survey, 60% of respondents said that they had never talked to an optometrist about how digital device use affects their eyes.² I find this shocking because for us, it’s part of our standard workup of every patient.

From a clinical standpoint, addressing digital eye strain is a no-brainer. But it’s also good for business. When patients leave with something they didn’t know about before—whether it’s a contact lens designed for a digital lifestyle or a second pair of glasses perfect for wearing at their desk—they feel taken care of. And they talk. Word of mouth is still by far the best marketing we’ve got.

This kind of proactive care leads to better outcomes and happier patients, but it also drives profitability. We’re not just renewing prescriptions—we’re solving problems and improving quality of life in ways that matter to our patients, which builds loyalty and brings in referrals.

Some patients know exactly what to ask. Others don’t know what they don’t know. Either way, it’s our job to meet them where they are. And when we do that well? Everybody wins.

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