Do you work in an office? Learn about necessary eye prophylaxis

Office work, seemingly pleasant and physically undemanding, poses a serious challenge to our eyes. Staring at the computer screen on an everyday basis, lasting from a few hours up to even a dozen hours, lack of breaks, staying in air-conditioned rooms and constant exposure to artificial light are the worst enemies of our eyes. Such a lifestyle contributes to an ever increasing percentage of people complaining of various eye conditions and vision defects. How can we avoid eye problems when we do typical office work?

Take regular breaks

The more frequent the breaks, the better. A good solution, which works really well in this case, is a 20/20/20 rule according to which you should have breaks every 20 minutes while working in front of the monitor. The break should last 20 seconds and is based on staring at one point, located approximately 6 metres away from us (which is an equivalent of 20 feet, hence the name). Another method is to take at least a 5-minute break per every hour spent working in front of a computer monitor.

Maintain an optimal distance from the monitor

The distance between your eyes and the monitor in front of which you work should be from 40 to 75 cm, 40 cm being an absolute minimum. A suitable distance will guarantee less tired eyes at the end of your working day. It is also advisable to make sure that the monitor does not reflect light, since light reflections result in additional eye fatigue.

Remember about suitable lighting at your workplace

Lighting is of great importance, for it creates comfortable working conditions for your eyes. Remember to make sure the room where you work is less lit than the desk itself. The monitor should be situated in such a position that it does not reflect neither natural nor artificial light, preferably perpendicularly to the window, at least 1 metre away from it. Decrease screen brightness and increase the contrast between white and black, and you will avoid the necessity to strain your eyes while looking at the screen.

Blink your eyes frequently

Long work in front of a computer leads to a significant decrease in blinking frequency, which in turn is a cause of insufficient eye moisturising and thus eye irritation. Therefore, do not forget to blink, so that you always have naturally moisturised eyes and prevent them from fatigue.

Use moisturising eye drops

If you feel that your eyes are dry, get yourself moisturising eye drops, i.e. artificial tears, and apply them into your eyes according to recommendations.

Remember, that your eyes are you window to the world. They are worth being taken proper care of and prevented from eye diseases. And if you already suffer from some vision defects, how about getting rid of them permanently – possibly through laser vision correction? Make an appointment for a qualifying examination now.

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