Eye care charity Fight for Sight launched a survey on December 22, 2020. It wanted to know whether sheltering at home was affecting our eyes. Its main thrust was to find out if people with sight difficulties were still having their check-ups. Three quarters reported their access was diminished. The survey also found increasing eye strain during sheltering, but there are things we can do.
The Problem Is Longer Screen Usage by More People
People working from home may be looking at their monitors continuously for longer, because they have fewer distractions. They may also be increasingly using their devices for entertainment, think down streamed movies.
The tiny muscles inside our eyes contract when we look at a close object intensely. We need to give them a break before we have eye strain. Some eye specialists recommend following this 20:20:20 rule to break the tension.
1… Relax the muscles around your eyes every 20 minutes
2… Gaze at something 20 feet away that’s in clear view
3… Keep this up for twenty seconds without locking your gaze
More Things We Can Do to Avoid Eye Strain While Sheltering
Mayo Clinic lists six more things we can do to avoid eye strain from computer work while sheltering:
1… Blink often, to produce tears that moisten and refresh our eyes:
2… Avoid bright and artificial light, especially from behind
3… Use an adjustable desk lamp, if we need to read or make notes
4… Position your monitor screen an arm’s length away
5… The top of the screen should be at eye height, adjust the chair
6… Adjust contrast, brightness and font size for comfortable reading
Finally, Mayo Clinic mentions taking natural supplements containing bilberry extract, and omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Research is ongoing, may we suggest you check with your doctor before changing your routine.
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Preview Image: Looking at a Computer Monitor
