It is increasingly characteristic of the societies of the developed world that we spend our whole day in the company of our gadgets, after 8-10 hours of computer work, we also sit in front of the screen at home.
How do we protect our vision in the age of monitors?
Contrary to widespread horror stories, today’s monitors are much safer than their first-generation counterparts, but work tied to the screen is still a serious strain on the eyes. With the help of the Czeizel Institute’s ophthalmologist, we can reduce complaints caused by overstrain.
Due to the transformation of jobs and the changed habits of spending free time, we now spend most of our lives in the online world. However, our organization is not prepared for a continuous digital presence, among other things, the health of our eyes can suffer from our dependence on smart devices. It is estimated that one in three people will be nearsighted by 2020, but in addition to permanent vision loss, many people struggle with everyday symptoms such as tired, burning eyes, blurred vision, tearing or itching.
In front of the monitors, we blink less, and because of focusing, we tend to squint often. These changes and the office air conditioner lead to drying out of the tear film covering the surface of the eyes, and the increased use also leads to overstrain of the eye muscles. We start protecting our eyes by optimizing our work equipment. “The computer should be placed exactly in the middle, as far from our eyes as possible, at a distance of 50-110 cm depending on the size of the screen, and the center of the monitor should be lower than the forward viewing radius. Let’s set the brightness to medium, and the size of the font used should be three times what we can still easily read” – suggests dr. Györgyi Munkácsi, ophthalmologist at the Czeizel Institute.
„In the case of sedentary workers, the 10-minute walk every hour is essential anyway, our eyes deserve this break as well. If you can’t stand up, choose the eye exercise: make circular eye movements with your eyes closed, then focus on a specific point in the distance for a few seconds.”
We can use a number of practices to soothe our tired eyes at the end of the day: in addition to chamomile poultices or cucumber wraps, water is the main regenerator of our eyes. By drinking at least two liters of liquid a day, we can do a lot for the health of our visual organs. In the long term, an ample intake of vitamin A is recommended, which can be found, among other things, in fish, eggs, liver, carrots, pumpkins and peppers. If possible, spend as much time as possible outdoors, because natural light conditions – with the exception of strong sunlight – do not strain the eyes.
“For those working in jobs that require a computer, it is extremely important to have an annual eye examination. In this way, the specialist can detect in time not only a small visual impairment barely noticed by the patient, but also other emerging problems” emphasizes dr. Györgyi Munkácsi.
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
