Are you working from home as a result of the global health crisis? If so, it is very likely that you are in front of a screen for long hours. That can cause vision problems, if not treated in time, could worsen, causing serious discomfort.
What Are The Most Common Ailments, And How To Take Care Of Vision?
Headaches, eye fatigue, dryness, and blurred vision are considered some of the consequences of misusing the computer.
It is a fact that reading text from screen is more tiring on eyes than reading it from a printed text. People blink less, which is why workers remotely who utilize these devices for long periods are more likely to feel discomfort.
Vision problems include:
➢ Incorrect posture
➢ View in computer at the wrong distance and angle.
➢ Base eye problems that have not been treated.
➢ Too intense light causes glare.
➢ Poor lighting.
Work can't be avoided, but you can do a lot to reduce the risk of eye problems and the consequences of computer misuse.
Do you experience eye discomfort? Click HERE to learn more.
Tips And Recommendations To Prevent Eye Strain And Vision Problems
Now we understand how electronic devices affect our vision, it is time to consider how we can protect our eyes during the prolonged use of screens.
Work Environment With Adequate And Sufficient Lighting:
● Inadequate and insufficient lighting in the environment where work tasks are performed can affect visual quality and comfort with consequent eye fatigue.
● Ideally, during daylight hours, you should work with natural light sources.
● The light must be incident from the side to avoid reflections.
● The light source should never be in front of or behind the monitor.
● If the ambient side lighting is excessive, it should be adapted with curtains.
Blink Frequently:
Blinking has a lubricating function on the surface of the eyes.
Normally we blink 20 times per minute. On the other hand, when we are in front of the monitor, we do it only 5 times.
If the lubrication is not enough, a sensation of dry eyes or grit can occur.
This last situation can find a solution through frequent blinking. If it does not improve with the incorporation of this practice, you can use software solutions that will help you.
Use The 20-20-20 Strategy
Every 20 minutes, you must take a break and look towards an area 20 feet away -about 6 meters- for at least 20 seconds. In this way, you change the focus of vision, blink more, and rest your eyes.
This rule can be combined with the Pomodoro method and thus not only take care of your eyesight but also increase your productivity.
The 20-20-20 rule is advantageous when you concentrate on work or leisure activities. Remember that rule when reading, watching movies, embroidering, or consuming content on social networks.
Lubricate Your Eyes:
It would not hurt to apply a few drops to keep your eyes lubricated. Specialists recommend that it is necessary to lubricate eyes preventively with artificial tears when you are at computer for a long time.
Just as we apply creams to hydrate the skin, especially after exposure to the sun or chemical products, our eyes also appreciate this attention. It will also help prevent redness and blurred vision from occurring.
Adjust Screen:
Another tip is to adjust the screen: both the brightness and its location on our desks or home offices.
The recommended distance between teleworker and monitor is about 50 and 70 cm.
The upper edge of the monitor will have to be at the level of our eyes, thus forcing us to focus with a slight drop (approximately 15°) from looking down, keeping the eyelids in a more neutral position. This visual positioning is recommended to avoid asthenopia (eye strain). In addition, with the eyelids in this position, the evaporation of the tear film would be less.
In order to not affect melatonin production during night, set your devices in night mode, but it is best to avoid them before sleeping.
In addition, you can enlarge the font on the screens so as not to strain your eyes much and read the texts more efficiently.
Learn how far you should be from monitors and screens by checking this LINK.
You should take into account choosing your desk and chair —hopefully ergonomic— that helps you maintain a good posture.
Sleep Well:
Sleeping well seems to be the main principle of taking care of vision. The reason is that when we do so, we rest the ocular surface, where the elements that are involved in good vision are located: cornea, conjunctiva, and tear film.
On the other hand, you relax the muscles of the eyes, which you use with few interruptions during work days. Furthermore, although the retina continues to work while you sleep, it does so to a lesser extent.
In fact, facing sleep deprivation, the eyes are the first part that begins to have problems. After 3 to 5 days of sleeplessness, you may experience blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), or partial vision.
Get More Physical Activity Outdoor:
For anxiety, to maintain weight, to connect with nature, and to take care of our eyes: we have to exercise!
In the case of sight, exercising by watching Youtube videos does not count. The ideal is to go out, even for a walk.
Walking for at least 30 minutes in our neighborhood brings multiple benefits that are scientifically proven (it helps to maintain a healthy weight and lose fat, reduces stress, prevents diseases such as diabetes and cancer, strengthens muscles and bones), and helps us keep away from screens, at least for a while.
Final Words
Learning how to take care of your eyes is a valuable contribution to lifestyle of any teleworker, who not only spends hours on their cell phones and other devices to entertain themselves but also to generate income.
Our team of experts can help you avoid eye strain and vision problems. FOLLOW US to learn more tips.
If you have eye problems, it is always best to consult an ophthalmologist and have a check-up.
Unfortunately, people wait a long time to see a specialist. If you are going through an eye ailment, do not hesitate to go to an ophthalmologist who identifies your problem and takes the necessary measures to treat it.