Simple ways to promote eye health and protect vision well into your golden years
The human eye is often taken for granted. It is very critical to having the best quality of life possible. Without eyes, the five basic senses would not be complete. They are the windows to the soul.
Digital eye strain symptoms affect over 67% of adults who regularly use digital devices. Due to ignorance or indifference, many of them do nothing to relieve their discomfort, and hence it has been the most prevalent computer-related repetitive stress injury.
Compared to letters printed with ink on paper, it is much more difficult for eyes to read characters formed by pixels or picture elements. Digital text tends to have less uniform density and sharply defined borders than the printed word and makes the eyes’ focusing muscles strained with fatigue.
Simple Changes at the Workplace
Using computers or other digital electronic devices for extended periods of time may result in the eyes getting sore, tired, burning, itching, watery, dry, blurred, etc. Along with eyestrain comes headache, sore neck, back pain, shoulder pain, increased sensitivity to light and difficulty in focusing.
Eye safety actions at the workplace, are easy to incorporate and invaluable to maintain long-term healthy vision.
Staring at the computer for too long causes eyestrain. Try to position your face as far as you possibly can from the monitor, about 50 to 100 cm. Keep the screen slightly lower than eye level. This keeps your neck in a more natural position and ultimately causes less strain to the eyes. Also, there are electrostatic particles which may be emitted from the computer screen, pushing dust towards your eyes and cause irritation and strain. Regularly wipe the screen with an anti-static solution sprayed onto a cloth.
Adjust your monitor setting for optimal visibility using the brightness and contrast controls, along with colour settings to configure a view, which causes the least amount of strain. When there is not enough contrast between blacks and whites or if there is too much brightness, your eyes will be strained.
- Eat Right to Protect Sight
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables along with dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens is important for keeping eyes healthy. Carrots, rich in beta-carotene, are good for the eyesight. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut give many health benefits. Being obese increases the risk of developing diabetes and glaucoma which can lead to vision loss, so eating healthy is important.
Smoking is neither good for the eyes nor for the rest of the body. It is linked to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness. Tobacco smoke is a known eye irritant and worsens dry eye. Women who smoke during pregnancy transmit dangerous toxins to the unborn child leading to infant eye disorder.
- Visit the Ophthalmologist Regularly
Everyone needs a regular eye exam. External and microscopic examinations before and after dilation is important to spot eye conditions early in life. Specific health issues like glaucoma, macular de-generation, high blood pressure, and diabetes can only be detected early by a regular check-up.
The lens of the human eye is simply made up of mainly water and protein. However, disorders of the eye and vision have broad health cost implications in addition to the potential for causing disability, suffering, and loss of productivity. India loses $37 billion in annual productivity on account of poor eye vision among its people. It is a wiser option to opt for a comprehensive health insurance, which enables you to have free eye check-ups and cover the cost of treatment when diagnosed with an eye problem.
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