Welcome to September. The year is gradually winding down and we hope you are making progress towards achieving your 2025 goals. This month we are focusing on how to protect your eyes in this fast-paced digital world. From watching viral videos such as the making of record-breaking largest pot of Jollof, to creating content, doing school assignments, attending zoom/slack meetings or managing work tasks, the use of screens has become almost unavoidable.
When you use computer screen for a long time, you do not blink as often as you should and you stare intensely at the screen. Over time, this can lead to symptoms such as tearing, foreign body/sandy/burning sensation, headache, eye ache, redness, tired eyes, discomfort/ eye irritation, neck pain and even twitching of the lids. All these are referred to as computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain.
You do not have to stop using your devices to stop these symptoms. You can protect your eyes while using them with a few simple habits such as:
- Practicing the 20-20-20 rule. After every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something 20 feet far for 20 seconds. This helps to relax the eye muscles and prevent strain.
- Using blue light filters or anti reflective lenses to protect your eyes from blue light.
- Adjusting the brightness of your screen and increase font size, if necessary, to avoid strain.
- Blinking consciously: By doing this, you are lubricating your eyes and reducing dryness.
- Setting up a workspace that supports good posture: Keep your screen at arm’s length and just below your eye level, to avoid neck strain.
- Using ocular lubricants or artificial tears to lubricate your eyes and provide relief.
- Avoiding the use of digital devices in the dark to avoid eye strain and fatigue.
Having underlying vision problems such as uncorrected refractive error can aggravate these symptoms. If you notice any of these symptoms or you are due for an eye examination, the best time to schedule an appointment for an eye exam is now.
Our dedicated team of eye care professionals at Viewpoint is ready to monitor your eye health and recommend solutions to keep your eyes protected while you work. Let’s give your eyes the care they deserve. Visit our social media pages for more helpful eye care tips and information.
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