Spending a day with your eyes glued to your computer, laptop or tablet can cause considerable discomfort later on in the evening: blurry vision, dry eyes and even headaches. Most of the time – or, at least, on those nights when you don’t rush home to binge-watch Netflix – these activity-related annoyances pass.
In fact, you might consider eye strain the cost of doing business in this small-screen-dependent sector. However, the problem with eye strain, according to Jeff Goodhew, optometrist with Abbey Eye Care in Oakville, Ont., is that it can have a negative impact on your business.
Notes Goodhew: “You’re not going to be as productive if your eyes are bothering you.”
Eye strain, which tends to affect those over 40 years of age (when the lens of the eye starts losing its ability to focus easily), is generally caused by the eye essentially locking into a certain distance for vision (by focusing on this range for a long time) and getting “stuck” there. If this goes on for too long, Goodhew says, the muscle/lens combination in the eye has a tough time relaxing.
“It’s almost like a muscle spasm,” adds Goodhew, who co-chairs the national public education committee for the Canadian Association of Optometrists. Some patients, he says, even complain that their eyes are still blurry during their entire commute home after work.
Whatever discomfort we may feel when we spend a day staring at a computer screen is compounded by the fact that we tend to blink far less under these circumstances – only five times each minute, compared with the average of 12 times a minute.
We also have to deal with the risk of eye damage from the sun year-round. UV light can speed up the development of cataracts and macular degeneration, according to Keith Gordon, vice president of research with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in Toronto.
Here are some ways to help prevent eye problems from interfering with your business activities:
– Follow the 20/20/20 rule Every 20 minutes, computer users should look 20 feet away from their screens for at least 20 seconds, says Goodhew. This refocuses the eye, essentially giving it the chance to rest. Goodhew recommends taking a quick walk around your office or outside to let your eyes relax. The key is getting your eyes to shift their range of focus.
– Start measuring
When you visit your eye doctor – which you should do at least every two years (those over age 65 should go annually) – it’s a good idea to share as much detail about your work situation as possible. Figure out how many hours you typically spend in front of a screen and measure how far away it tends to be from your eyes. If you use a laptop or tablet regularly, says Goodhew, your eyeglasses’ prescription is likely to be different than for someone who uses only a desktop computer monitor.
– Aim low
Set up your workstation so that you’re looking slightly downward at your computer monitor. Or sit so that you look slightly down at your laptop rather than straight at it. Your top eyelids will drop slightly over your eyes, preventing them from drying out too quickly.
If you suffer regularly from dry eyes, Goodhew says, be sure to mention that to your optometrist – there are many eye drops that could help.
– Be cool
Always wear sunglasses when you’re outside, even when it’s cloudy, Gordon advises. There’s no need to shell out $200 for a pair, either. Gordon tested 30 pairs of sunglasses, at various price points, to see how effective they were at filtering out UVA and UVB light.
Only a couple of extremely cheap pairs – less than $5 each – did not have the protection promised on the label. Spending $20, he says, should get you a decent pair.
The more expensive glasses might have a clearer lens or fit more comfortably, but they won’t necessarily be any better at protecting your eyes from the sun.
– Go big or go home
When wearing sunglasses, bigger lenses are best. The larger lenses will protect more of your eye, including the delicate skin around your eyes, better than smaller lenses will. A wraparound style curving snugly around your temples is best, Gordon says, because this permits very little of the sun’s rays to reach your eyes.
– Get your nutrition
Sound nutrition is just as critical for eye health as for any other aspect of physical health. But, if you are worried that you’re not getting the right balance of vitamins and minerals, there are eye-specific supplements available without a doctor’s prescription.
According to Gordon, these supplemental combinations – known as AREDS (named for the age-related eye disease study that revealed their efficacy) – help to delay macular degeneration. However, he adds, a good diet will usually cover all the bases when it comes to eye health.
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