How To Put an End to Computer Vision Syndrome?

Long-term eye strain can cause serious damage to the cornea, chronic headaches associated with vision, and even partial loss of vision, ophthalmologists warn. What can you do to prevent the negative effects of computer vision syndrome?

We can no longer imagine working in an office without a computer. It became the backbone of all our actions, but in addition to helping us do the work, it also takes away from our health. Indirectly, sitting at the table and in front of a computer can affect our concentration, posture and pain in certain parts of the body, such as shoulders, arms, back and legs. So, we have added work to the list of factors that determine a sedentary lifestyle.

On the other hand, the computer directly affects the health of our eyes. If at the end of the working day in the office you notice blurred vision, double image, pain in the head, neck or back and you have dry, irritated and bloodshot eyes, you should know that this is called a computer vision syndrome, a scourge of a modern-day office person.

Long-term eye strain can cause serious damage to the cornea, chronic headaches associated with vision, and even a partial loss of vision, ophthalmologists warn. What can you do to prevent the negative effects of computer vision syndrome?

1. Adjust the height of the screen

If your screen is not static, adjust the height so that the center of the screen is slightly below your eye level when you sit upright (slouch is another problem and certainly you have to avoid it and straighten up). In this way, you will minimally strain your eyes.

2. Adjust the brightness of the screen

Too bright screen with a strong reflection can also be a cause of constant tearing and straining of the eyes. Most monitors come with several predetermined brightness modes; select the one that seems most natural for your eyes. Likewise, move the screen if it directly reflects the daylight from the window.

3. Blink

Do not forget that you have to blink frequently to moisten your eyes, which are especially dry inside of an office. You can use eye drops (called artificial tears) or include larger amounts of healthy omega-3 fatty acids into your daily diet to enhance the quality of the lipid layer of the eye and tears.

4. Take a break for lunch

Although the majority of jobs do not have a real break for lunch, if you have that option, embrace it wholeheartedly! Use those 30 minutes to get up from the table and away from the computer. Studies have shown that in this way you will consume fewer calories (because your attention will not be preoccupied with the action on the screen), and it will also be a break from work, which is extremely important to be able to keep stress under control.

5. Rest

In the same way that you need to stretch your body, you should exercise your eye muscles too, and it is best done every 15 to 20 minutes. Look away from the computer (eyes are focused on an object that is right in front of them) and look hard at a distant object, such as through a window or something in the other side of the office (eyes will change the focus to a greater distance). This rule can easily be remembered as the phrase 20-20-20: after every 20 minutes, turn the look away from the screen to the object 20 meters away and look at it for 20 seconds.

Taken from: www.ordinacija.hr