(KCEN) -- Most of us stare at our computer screens during work
But did you know you could be doing serious damage to your eyes.
Jason Coffee is a software developer.
He hasn't had an eye exam in years, and he doesn't wear glasses.
But he has a problem more and more people complain about.
"I get a lot of eye strain and squinting at the screen. So I have to get up from my desk and walk around quite a bit," Coffee said.
It's affecting the way he does his job so we brought him with us to see Optometrist Dr Spencer Moore.
"People say well I don't have any trouble Saturday or Sunday but Fridays are worse than Mondays. Well you begin to break yourself down as the week goes on," said Dr Moore.
The average American spends 8 hours a day looking at screens and Dr Moore hears the same complaint time and time again.
"People say I have a headache right here that's an eye strain headache."
It's not just older adults.
Kids spend a lot of time staring at screens too. The farther the distance the better.
Close, hand-held games cause the same kind of strain as computers.
So Dr Moore prescribes a lot of glasses targeting close distances.
Some call them computer glasses.
Before you head to the doctor measure the distance between your nose and the screen you use.
Be sure to sit the way you normally do that way the focal distance on your computer glasses will be correct.
Without glasses larger font and bigger screens can help with the strain.
But Jason's following the doctor's orders.
He plans to get computer glasses of his own.
As far as glasses for every day wear, patient and doctor might not see eye to eye.
"Probably just wear em' at work and see how that goes. I'm not real keen on the idea of having to wear glasses full-time," Jason said.
Ready to see clearly for the first time in years.
Dr Spencer says don't let the term bifocal scare you off.
By the time you hit your 40's it's often common to need help with seeing near and far.
