Nearly 70% of Americans who are working office jobs spend upward of seven hours looking at screens daily, according to a report by the American Optometric Association and Deloitte Economics Institute. While this is necessary in today’s world of work, it also increases the risk of catching ocular issues, such as computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain. Eye strain can lead to workplace accidents or worsening conditions in later life.
The National Institutes of Health report that digital eye strain is caused by prolonged use of electronic devices and can lead to various ocular issues like dry eyes, blurry and watery vision, and even headaches and neck pain. Although it doesn’t cause permanent damage, digital eye strain can cause great discomfort and affect your work performance and productivity. This makes vision care all the more crucial in the office. If you’re dealing with workplace eye strain, here are five tips for eye care at work.
Wear prescription glasses
It may seem obvious, but millions of US citizens wear glasses – more than 34 million wear over-the-counter reading glasses, whereas 66.3 million regularly use two or more pairs for different issues. A simple way to combat eye strain is to make sure you’re using your prescription glasses no matter what role you’re in. If you’re in an environment where you might damage your glasses, such as a warehouse, it is best to find a cheap, unbranded pair in case you lose or damage them. If you’re customer-facing, you can get the top brands as prescription glasses. From classic designs such as Ray-Ban’s Wayfarer or Aviator eyeglasses to slightly more contemporary brands and models, such as the cat-eye glasses from Audrey, there is something to suit every style. Importantly, they’ll also be fitted with lenses, helping you to see more clearly and reduce the strain on your eyes.
Wear blue light glasses
Another risk factor for eye strain is prolonged exposure to blue light emitted by your office computer. Blue light has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy in the visible light spectrum, which allows it to easily reach the retina and cause ocular problems, according to UC Davis Health. To protect your eyes in the workplace, you can try blue light glasses. These are standard frames that can come with special lenses like the EBDBlue lenses with advanced blue-violet light filters or the EBDBlue smart lenses with light-adjusting technology to help preserve visual comfort at work. This enables you to perform productively throughout the day without worrying about eye issues.
Adjust your monitor settings
You can also adjust your monitor’s display settings so your eyes can feel more comfortable. Do this by setting your brightness to the right level for your preferences – not too bright and not too dim so your eyes can read and see properly. You can also adjust the text size if it’s too small so you won’t have to squint and make your eyes work extra hard when reading texts. Finally, you can also minimize your computer’s blue light by turning on the night light in your display settings. That way, you won’t have to deal with any visual discomfort while you work.
Make your area more conducive to work
Optimizing your work area can do wonders for your eye health. You can make your desk more conducive to better posture and eye positioning by ensuring proper lighting to reduce the contrast between your computer screen and your work environment and thereby prevent eye strain. Try using desk lamps like the Humanscale Nova, which provides a soft, comfortable light that is easy to adjust and dim via its touch-bar control. You can also try the Uplift LED Desk Lamp E7, which is lightweight yet durable, has up to 685 lumens that can be easily adjusted, and can comfortably fit in your desk. Having a well-lit area is key to avoiding visual fatigue since your eyes aren’t exposed to a single source of harsh light.
Use eye dropsÂ
Staring at computer screens for long periods makes it easy to overlook blinking, which can lead to tear evaporation and painful dry eyes. To counter this, you can use artificial tears or eye drops to relieve dryness and provide moisture to your eyes at work. Try the iVIZIA eye drops which make use of ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and povidone that can provide lubricating and moisturizing properties to ensure visual comfort. Getting your eyes moisturized, whether by blinking or through eye drops, enables you to work properly without dealing with visual discomfort.
Prolonged computer use at work can increase your chances of getting digital eye strain. Be sure to follow these eye care tips to help you stay productive and preserve your ocular health.
