Eye strain is a common medical syndrome that has occurred in over half of office workers. To a greater extent, it is associated with the influence on our sight by such gadgets as computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
Besides, ventilation systems, air conditioning, lighting, and other elements, play a crucial role in it. For a long time, our eyes have to focus on a close located point of the screen, which causes drying out of the eyeball tunic, tension of muscles and brain cells.
Also, according to statistics, when using a smartphone or other gadget, we blink about three times less often than necessary, and, as a result of this, the protective film on the surface of the eye quickly fades away.
What to do if eyes get tired quickly and how to keep them clear in the most unfavorable conditions?
The main symptoms of eye problems are:
- Redness and irritation;
- Difficulty with focusing;
- Painful sensations;
- Dryness and increased tearing;
- Constant heaviness in the eyes;
- High level of photosensitivity.
In most cases, a person diagnoses one or two signs at the same time, less often – three or four. What to do with eye strain? Especially for you, we have collected the recommendations of the best ophthalmologists on this issue in one article.
See your doctor.
Any medical problem is best dealt with in the early stages of its inception. The main condition for maintaining vision is timely consultation with a specialist.
The doctor will perform an examination of the patient, prescribe tests or labs, make the correct diagnosis, and prescribe a course of treatment.
Before visiting an ophthalmologist, we recommend you note – how much time you spend in front of a computer screen or a smartphone per day and inform the doctor about this data. This information will help in making the correct diagnosis.
Keep your distance.
One of the main problems with using gadgets and computers is the wrong distance from the screen to the eyes.
According to the research carried out, it should be at least 40 centimeters for computers, and at least 30 centimeters for smartphones and tablets. If you are not comfortable perceiving text at this distance, increase the size of the letters.
Size matters.
The size of letters on the website, on social networks, or in text editors should be at least three units larger than the minimum. If only a little part of the info display on the screen, your well-being, and longevity of your eyes are still more important than anything else.
Take breaks.
Take short but regular breaks to rest your eyes when working with electronic screens. Numerous studies show that most employees in the offices of large companies do not take a rest more than 30-40 minutes in total during the working day.
Experts recommend taking a five-minute break every hour or one fifteen-minute break every two hours. At this time, it is not necessary to walk or do physical exercises. It is enough to refocus and relax your gaze, concentrate on objects that are located 5-6 meters from you.
Regulate the brightness.
Another factor in the formation of eye fatigue is the contrast of brightness. The brighter the screen of your phone and the darker the surrounding space, the more stress the eyes are exposed.
We recommend lowering the brightness of the screen, and at least lighting the background lighting in the room at night. Besides, it is recommended to adjust the refresh rate of the screen to remove the flickering effect. You can do this in the Settings of your smartphone or laptop.
Exercises.
Eye exercises are a simple, effective, and efficient way to maintain clarity of vision for a long time. They can be done both at work and at home. It does not take much time and require a minimum of effort.
You will find a complete list of exercises with recommendations in specialized articles, but we will give two of them as examples. In the first, it is necessary to go away from the screen every twenty minutes and focus your gaze for twenty seconds on some distant object.
For example, while in the office, you can look at plants on a windowsill or at a photograph on the wall. The health-improving effect of the exercise lies in the fact that different types of muscles are used when looking at a close-up screen and an object at a distance.
During the second exercise, a pen or pencil is held in your hand. The hand is withdrawn to the maximum distance from the face, the gaze is concentrated on the tip and the hand moves up and down, left and right to the maximum distance. It is necessary to follow the tip of the pencil without turning your head, only with your eyes.
Blink, blink, and blink once again!
Despite the simplicity of this rule, it plays a crucial role in the health of the eyesight, especially nowadays. Blinking is a normal and natural method of restoring vision that does not require special skills, time, and effort.
The problem is that medical research indicates that the average mobile phone user who receives information from the screen blinks about three times less often than usual. In combination with other factors, this leads to drying of the surface of the eyes.
A tear not only moisturizes the cells but also supplies them with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. Besides, the blinking process acts as a toggle switch for brain cells. It allows them to relax for a while and reboot for more productive work.
This deficiency can be corrected by using the so-called “artificial tear.” It is special eye drops, which are close to natural tears in the chemical composition and nature of the action.
If you are uncomfortable with putting the drops in your eyes regularly, use an application that will automatically remind you to blink. It will run in the background on your smartphone. It does not require additional effort or resources, and it is easy and convenient to use.
Under the theme: Eye fatigue: 5 ways to avoid it