Spending long hours on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? Completing lots of assignments or reports being done online? With the huge benefits of using technologies in our daily living, negative effects from excessive use also come with it, especially on our eye health. Not to mention, in a recent report by We Are Social and Hootsuite, our country has the most time spent on the internet and social media worldwide, making this a very important concern to our mental and physical wellbeing.
Nearly 60 million people worldwide suffers from Digital Eye Strain (DES), also referred to as the Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), and this leads to decreased productivity of the computer user. Its symptoms include eye strain, headaches, blurry vision, dry eyes and pain in the neck whether near or when looking into the distance after prolonged computer use.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, people tend to blink less while using computers, leading to dry eyes. Moreover, unlike reading on paper, the screen adds contrast, flicker, and glare. DES has also something to do with viewing screens at less than ideal distances or angles.
In celebration of World Sight Day held on every second Thursday of October, we can promote eye health by combating digital eye strain with these tips. To remember them easily, just use the mnemonic “KART”:
Keep distance and maintain posture: When using a computer, sit about 25 inches or one arm’s length from the screen. Adjust the screen into a position where your eyes gaze slightly downward (about 10-15 degrees below eye level). This allows the neck to relax while you use the computer. Maintain a good posture to reduce strain on the back, neck and shoulders.
Adjust Lighting: To reduce the eye strain due to screens brighter than the light of the room, you can adjust the room lighting and adjust the brightness control on the monitor then increase the contrast of your screen.
Reduce Glare. Start by reducing glare from light sources in the room, such as windows and overhead lights. Use light switches, blinds, curtains or window shades to help reduce glare and reflections. You can also place anti-glare filters like matte screen filter on your screen.
Take regular breaks: Let your eyes take a break by using the 20-20-20 rule which tells us that for every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds. To prevent dry eyes, blink often as this produces tears that moisten and refresh your eyes.
Other things to take note would be the following:
Have a comprehensive eye exam: Have your eyes checked every year especially to see if you have impaired vision as the symptoms may point to other causes. For example, nearsightedness (being able to see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry) can cause headaches when it is uncorrected.
For those wearing contact lenses, do not overwear them, otherwise this could lead to dry eyes and irritation. Removing your contacts will let your eyes breathe by allowing more oxygen to reach your cornea. Also, do not sleep with your contacts on and always clean your contacts regularly.
Eyestrain can hinder us from optimally performing our daily activities when using electronic gadgets, but with these tips we can prevent the discomfort and more importantly be at our best. Just do the “KART”! If these tips don’t work for you, you may have an underlying eye problem, and you should visit an eye doctor.
Story by Sharlene Chan
Comments