Boost Your Energy In 5 Simple Steps
Is your eye health suffering because of too much time in front of the computer?
As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, many more of us have been working from home and spending prolonged periods in front of the computer or phone or tablet (and/or TV!).
Did you know that when you stare at a screen for too long, you often blink less than normal. This can be one of the contributing factors to experiencing “dry eyes”.
Other symptoms of extended computer time are headaches, tired or watery eyes and/or blurry vision. Wearing the wrong glasses can also makes these symptoms worse.
So what can you do about it?
Here are 5 tips from Sydney CBD optometrist, Cathy Curtis from You and Eye Optical.
5 Ways To Help Improve Your Eye Health
- Set your monitor up correctly. Ideally the top of the screen should be just below eye level. It should also be at the right distance so that you can read the screen without having to lean forwards
- Take regular eye breaks – follow the 20/20/20 rule. Take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet (6 metres) away, every 20 minutes
- Be mindful of where you place your computer. Try not to have too much light or reflections on your screen. Try not to place it in front of a window, as this means that you will have lots of glare coming in from behind the monitor
- Consider wearing specially made glasses which accommodate for both screen and document reading. Having ‘occupational lenses’ can help maximise glasses usage it caters for a variety of uses, rather than just specifically reading at one point
- If you wear glasses or contacts, make sure that they are focussed correctly for use at your computer. For example – it’s important to know how far away you sit from your computer so that when you go in for your eye test, the lenses will be fitted properly for that working distance.
There may be other reasons that you might have trouble focussing on your screen. It may be due to an underlying eye disease or conditions such as eye muscle imbalances or cataracts.
How do you know if you have good eye health? Having regular check ups (every 12 – 18 months) is a good idea to keep on top of things.
If you have not had your eyes checked in a while, then why not book an appointment today? A standard eye examination is often bulk-billed via Medicare which means that there are no “out of pocket” costs.
Please keep in mind also that your children might need their eyes tested too! This is because they often may not realise that their symptoms are not normal and can also be shy about saying anything or having to wear glasses.
To make an appointment with Cathy from You and Eye, please call (02) 9233 6299.
Article by Melanie Yeoh
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