Eye Fatigue: Your screens are doing you harm!

Today most people who go to offices have to work on their computers for at least 8 hours at a stretch. Studies have shown that as many as 90% of these people complain of some sort of eye fatigue or strain. This can lead to reduced productivity and errors in work. Read on to know what you can do to prevent eyestrain.

Get an Eye Check-Up

First of all, you need to know how your eyes are faring. Staring at a computer screen for hours on end takes a toll on your eyes. Get your eyes assessed before they are seriously damaged. An eye check-up will reveal if there is anything wrong with the fluid pressure inside your eyes and your eyesight. Ideally, you should undergo an eye exam once a year. Tell your doctor about your work-hours, stress related to your work and the lighting in your office. Your doctor may suggest eye drops or prescribe spectacles.

Diffuse the Lights

Offices are usually very brightly illuminated. The powerful wattage coupled with the light emitted by your screen stresses your eyes out. Make sure there is no open window behind you as that intensifies the glare coming off your computer screen. And if there is one, draw the blinds. And, turn a few lights off. You can stick an anti-glare screen cover onto your computer screen that will protect your eyes from blue light. Or you could invest in a pair of anti-blue light glasses to protect your eyes from screens. Sometimes, however, offices are insufficiently lit. That is as harmful as blazing lights. In such cases, buy yourself a table lamp and position it next to your computer.

Adjust your Computer Settings

Adjust your computer’s display settings to ease eye fatigue. Here are a few things you can do-

• Reduce the brightness of your computer screen according to the illumination of the room. The best way to know if the brightness is conducive to eye health is to look at the white margins of a web page. If the light hurts your eyes then it’s time to reduce the brightness. If it's too dull then crank it up a little.
• Magnify the text size and adjust the contrast until you feel that the font and screen are comfortable to your eyes.
• Reduce the colour temperature to limit blue light exposure.

Blink

Don’t stare continuously at the computer screen for too long. Studies say that people who work with computers for prolonged periods of time blink less. Remind yourself to blink often. When you blink, it coats your eyes with a film of water, which acts as a shield against the harsh blue light.  Unless you follow this tip, you could end up with eye fatigue and the dry eye syndrome. In that case, you would have to use lubricating eye drops that your ophthalmologist will prescribe.

Eye Exercises for Computer Users

Once every 20 minutes, look away from the computer and keep your eyes closed for a few minutes to prevent your eyes from tiring out. Then open your eyes and gaze at an object far away from you. This routine will relax the muscles of your eyes. Another variation of this exercise that is very effective in warding off eye fatigue is looking at a distant object for 15 seconds and then staring at an object near you for another 15 seconds. Repeat this at least 10 times.

Breaks

Usually, people get only a lunch break and a couple of beverage breaks. If possible, take tiny breaks from your work in between and take a walk around the office. Not only will this benefit your eyes, but your back, legs, and hips too will thank you for it. Your eyes are delicate. When you are immersed in your work, it’s easy to forget that your eyes need special care. But unless you bestow attention and care upon your eyes, stress will take an irreversible toll on them. [av_promobox button='yes' label='Consult a doctor on MediBuddy' link='https://www.medibuddy.in/?utm_source=blog_cta&utm_medium=blog' link_target='' color='blue' custom_bg='#f00' custom_font='#ffffff' size='large' icon_select='no' icon='ue800' font='entypo-fontello']Schedule an eye examination and ensure that your eyes are doing well! Get in touch with an ophthalmologist through MediBuddy’s.[/av_promobox]