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EYE CARE IN THE OFFICE

Due to working for long or stretch hours, digital eye strain has become rampantly on the increase. Educating oneself however will help with preventing it as it is rather inevitable.

If you work on a monitor on daily basis and do not take proper care of your eyes, you suffer a chance of having this. It  is however avoidable if proper safety and precautionary steps are taken to place.

Here are six ways we’ve outlined to help you know how to prevent and protect your eyes from digital eye strain.

 

DON’T SCRATCH, TAKE IT FOR A RINSE  

Are your eyes itchy and you find them irresistible to scratch?

Consider the fact that scratching the eyes can permanently damage your cornea, and if the itching was caused by allergies, rubbing can release more allergens into the area around your eyes and make the itchy feeling worse, so you continue and continue scratching. It also could increase the chances of having strained and blurry eyes, so instead of going through the rigorous scratching experience, take your eyes for a cool rinse with clean running water.

 

TAKE A BREAK

Have you been on the monitor long enough that your eyes are beginning to strain and become blurry due to the screen’s light? Take a break and turn away from it. Maybe it’s time to take that tea and have that small gist.

Another constant step to take is to follow the 20/20/20 rule: look away from the computer with an interval of 20 minutes at a fixed point 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You could download a free web app, PROTECT YOUR VISION which reminds you after 20 minutes has gone by to give your eyes some rest.

 

 STAY HYDRATED

All through work hours, ensure you have a bottle of water by you to drink at intervals, thirsty or not!

I would advise that each time your PYG web app reminds you to change your gaze, you take a gulp of water; this way, you stay hydrated and healthy without having to keep track of time. To avoid getting one plastic bottle after another, get a reusable bottle, so you just have to get a refill each time you run out of water.

 

ADJUST THE SCREEN DISPLAY OPTIONS

  •   TEXT SIZE AND COLOR

The text size should be three times the smallest size you can read from a normal reading position which is 20 to 30 inches from your monitor.

For color, you should use a dark text color on a white or slightly yellow background. There are however several dark-on-light color combinations you could choose from, ranging from grey, to blue, to brown, etc., but no matter the color combination you choose, ensure you avoid low contrast text/background.

  •   SCREEN BRIGHTNESS

Adjust the brightness of your monitor’s screen to fit the level of the light in your office.

 

EYE CARE

If you wear glasses, consider asking your optician to add an anti-glare coating to your lenses. This would help to eliminate reflection from the front and back of the eyeglass lenses, improve vision, reduce eyestrain and makes your eyeglasses look more attractive.

However, if you use recommended contacts, ensure you get off them and switch to glasses at least two to three times a week.

Using moistening eye drops will also help sustain healthy eyes in the office whether you use eye glasses, contacts or not.

 

 SEE AN OPTICIAN

If the eye strain persists with need beyond self-help precautionary methods, we advise you see an Optician for a proper eye check to recommend appropriate means to deal with it and have your eyes better and ready for work the next day.

 

 

 

HERE’S AN ADDITIONAL TIP:

I hear Carrots are good for eyesight, so I packed a chunk of them to the office this morning; try some! Planning for the day and sorting out stuff to sustain you in the office, don’t forget your Carrots!

 

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See you in our next episode on the HOW TOs OF LIFE!

From all of us at EduFirst, have a great day!

 

Written by: Adenaike Ayomide.

 

 

Posted On: 18 January, 2019