It is great to be living in the digital age! We can use various gadgets at any time and as long as necessary. They make life easier for us. Yet some of them spoil health, and we do not notice this bad effect until it is quite late.
Since we spend most of our time at the computer or using the phone, this problem concerns everyone. We have collected 11 important facts about vision, after reading which you will want to change something in your life.
Three red eye causes
If you spend a lot of time at the computer, your eyes are in the “risk zone”. The feeling of dry eyes, the feeling of “sand” in the eyes, and redness are the most common problems of almost all office workers. And not only them. Many gamers, professional programmers and other people who have to work at the monitor for a long time complain about red eyes. There are several main reasons why a red-eye effect appears after working at a PC:
1. Monotonous load
The same eye muscles experience tension. When working at a computer, the focal length is aimed only to work at a small distance, so we do not redirect our eyes to focus on far objects and we do not look around. We do not use different groups of eye muscles.
2. Reducing the blink rate
Blinking an average of 20-25 times per minute, we not only moisten the cornea of the eye, but also stabilize the state of the tear film and perform a “brain reboot”, switching from object to object in the intervals between logically completed events in brain activity. When working at a computer, we blink 3-4 times less than usual. The cornea of the eye dries up, and the work of the brain slows down significantly. Telling patients that blinking while working at a PC is very important, ophthalmologists usually give an example by comparing the eyelids with car wipers that perform the function of cleaning, stabilizing, and sharpening vision.
3. Monitor flickering
Although there are modern monitors, the computer screen essentially remains a bright lamp, the light from which is directed into our eyes during the working hours. It is not surprising that after 8 hours of such intensive work, our eyes turn red, ache, and get filled with tears. Tears act as a protective reaction of the eye, moisturizing the anterior structures of the eyeball.
The rules of work at the computer, which you have never heard of (or forgotten)
There are recommended standards of working at a PC:
- The PC screen should be located at a distance of 60-70 cm from the user’s eyes, but no closer than 50 cm, taking into account the size of alphanumeric characters and symbols.
- When working at a PC, the user must take a break for 5-10 minutes after every 60 minutes of continuous work. If the visual load is long and continuous, the amount of breaks increases from a quarter to one-third of the hour after every 120 minutes.
- The monitor must be equipped with anti-reflective coating.
- The monitor should not be illuminated by the light from a bright lamp or the sun rays (think of freelancers on lounge chairs!).
- The eye level should pass through the center of the screen or at 2/3 of its height.
3 more invaluable tips to save eyesight
Some important tips for improving and maintaining eyesight, removing redness from the eyes, and the feeling of dryness or “sand in the eyes”:
Gymnastics for the eyes
Taking a break from the PC, you can do the so-called gymnastics for the eyes, where the main action is to look away into the distance for the eye to relax. The further the look is fixed, the better. You can also squeeze your eyes tightly, open them wide, rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. You can apply warm hands to closed eyes for a few seconds. Thereby, you will relieve visual tension, improve the blood circulation of the eyes, and stabilize the tear film.
Protective glasses
You can use special glasses for the PC – they have a coating that makes the light from the monitor screen more comfortable.
Eyedrops
During continuous work at the PC, it is necessary to use moisturizing drops, which should be prescribed by a specialist.
