People may experience various complaints after working heavily for a long time, especially when working at a computer. For example, most complaints are blurred vision, eye fatigue, headache, dryness, burning sensation in eyes, etc. Vision and eye discomfort make it difficult to perform everyday tasks, work and study. That's why it's necessary to take care of yourself and have a regular eye health check-up at least once a year. It is also worth taking care of your vision preventively.
Why Do The Eyes Get Tired?
We spend many hours every day in front of the computer and doing other persistent tasks such as reading or writing that keep our eyes busy. For the eyes to work at their full potential, the correct mechanism must be observed every day.
Our eyes contain many small muscles with limited ability to perform continuous work. The longer we keep them busy and forget to take regular and adequate rest breaks, the more likely we develop some complaints. Therefore, it is necessary to observe frequent and appropriate rest breaks - 20 minutes for work, then 20 seconds of rest, looking into the distance. Gazing into space relaxes the eyes. After every two hours spent at the computer, it is necessary to rest the eyes and the whole body for about ten minutes.
In addition to regular eye rest, it is advisable to perform simple vision exercises. When performing vision exercises, the head should be kept straight and motionless, and only the eyes should move.
- look right and left (maximum as far as you can)
- look up and dow
- look sideways right up, left down, then left up and right down
Dry Eye Syndrome
The biggest problem is dry eye syndrome. Most often, people who work at a computer complain of visual discomfort. "Dry eye" syndrome - tearing, foreign body sensation in the eyes, transient changes in visual acuity, eye fatigue or redness, etc. - is the most common eye-related problem. One of the most common explanations for the "dry eye" syndrome is the relatively rare blinking of the eyes, straining to look at one point. Any of these problems occur because we are trying hard to see the image or text displayed on the monitor.
People blink twice as often when focusing on near work for a long time. As a result, "dry eye" is formed, which causes blurred vision, eye fatigue, redness, dryness and stinging, and tearing. To avoid this, regular and appropriate rest periods should be observed. Remember to blink more often. Using "artificial tears" for moisturizing will also help and improve eye comfort.
Eye Strain From Computer
The worse image quality, the more we have to strain our eyes, and the faster and more conspicuous health problems arise.
You should avoid:
➔ Low-quality image on monitor screen (dirty, dusty monitor or its filter, insufficiently or excessively contrasted image, too small size of characters, complex letter shape, etc.
➔ Incorrectly chosen distance from eyes to screen, document holder, and keyboard
➔ inappropriate lighting
➔ Incorrectly positioned or unadjusted screen or light fixture that causes glare
➔ Untested vision or incorrectly selected glasses
➔ Improper working time (insufficient rest periods, too long working hours)
➔ Low air humidity in the room
➔ Dusty room
For further information on maintaining eye health, visit this Link.
Environmental Factors
The place of work must be ergonomically and properly arranged. Everything should be placed at a proper distance and height and with sufficient lighting. We should motivate ourselves by following a work schedule that can give our eyes a chance to rest regularly. If corrective means are needed - glasses or contact lenses - they must be used and they must be appropriate.
Blue Light Is Additional Discomfort For Eyes
Digital devices emit blue light, which has a negative effect on our eyes. Too much blue light can cause harm. Both the intensity of technology use and the time we devote to resting our eyes must be in balance. The brightness of digital device screens is generated by blue light. It can cause vision and eye discomfort, especially when it's dark around. For example, the lights in the room are not turned on while working on computer or watching TV.
Therefore, the surrounding lighting must be good when working with digital devices. To improve vision and eye comfort, you can use glasses with blue light filters to reduce the "blue light peak" by about 10%.
Vision Care Routine Should Be Maintained While Working From Home
- It is important to rest your eyes while working at computer. As technology develops, it not only makes our lives easier but also affects our health if we do not take proper care of it. Prolonged work at the computer affects not only our body but one of the most important senses - our vision - suffers to a great extent.
- It is significant to observe the correct posture when regularly working with a computer. If the task is long, it should be divided into several parts, giving the eyes a chance to rest. Short but frequent rest breaks would be powerful, especially if you have intense work at the computer.
- This approach is very simple. Work actively for 20 minutes, then look at any object placed in the room for 20 seconds. It is also desirable to look away from the screen from time to time to blink. If taking short rest breaks after any of the tasks is not enough, you can additionally perform simple vision exercises.
- Eye exercises can be varied - the eyes can be rounded clockwise and counterclockwise. At the end, close firmly and open quickly. While performing these exercises, a slightly painful or unpleasant feeling may also appear in the eye muscles. That indicates the fatigue of the visual muscles. Therefore, when focusing your vision for a long time, you should take regular rest breaks and move your eyes!
- After every two hours spent at the computer, it is recommended to leave it for at least 10 minutes. During rest breaks, you should not reach for a mobile phone, which is also a screen. Similarly, reading newspapers, magazines, or books cause a strain on the eyes.
- Stay at a distance of 50 to 70 cm from the monitor and leave it at eye level. And even though the light is dazzling, we can't do without ambient lighting. Choose well-lit places to work.
- Use eye lubricants as recommended by your ophthalmologist, and blink a lot.
- Those who wear glasses must keep their prescription up to date and use them correctly. Glasses weren't made to stay on the table or inside the drawer.
Final Words
Small care can ensure healthier eyes for much longer, even after long working hours. Harmful habits may cause various eye problems without being noticed.
It is easier and more effective to prevent eye problems than to treat already-developed health disorders. It is recommended to use this principle when working at the computer.
A proper workplace arrangement and proper work schedule often solve long-standing health problems.
Follow us to learn more tips and stay updated with the recent news in the domain.