talkhealth Blog

Your sight is one of your most important senses, so it’s a constant source of wonder that so many of us take it for granted. Nowhere is this truer than in the workplace, where we’re at risk of damaging it, or contributing to its bad health through stress, more than we are in any other setting.

Whether you work in an office, shop, pub or factory, they all have risks to your eyesight, even if the main culprit is largely harsh lighting. But while manual and factory workers will be given protective eyewear for much of their work, those who are parked in front of computer screens all day rarely have any such protection and their eyes become stressed as a result. It is essentially up to you to ensure the health of your eyes in such a work situation, so read on for some key tips on how to ensure that.

It might seem obvious to suggest that you should take regular breaks, but in the 21^st century, a break for many people doesn’t even mean moving away from a computer screen – it just means opening another page that’s not related to your work and continuing to cause potential damage to your eyes.

While we stare at computer screens, we blink less. The less you blink, the dryer your eyes become, which leads to their stress and strain and things such as headaches. Really, you need to be looking away from the screen every ten minutes or so. Look across your office or out of the window to ensure you’re not damaging your depth perception. Do some eye rolls and long blinks too. Use eye drops (though not too often) as air conditioning or heating – depending on the time of year – will compete with the PC screen to do their worst. Drink plenty of water and perhaps get a screen filter, too.

This also goes for people who are working on hard copy, squinting at line after line of text or figures. If you’re performing tasks like this and are still feeling the strain despite regular breaks, then check out www.optimax.co.uk, as you could benefit from laser eye surgery.

If this seems drastic, then perhaps look to your diet, too. There are certain foods that are rich in lutein, which helps maintain healthy eyes, so pack your working day diet with avocados, eggs, spinach, and cashew nuts.

Finally, something as simple as making sure your PC screen – if you work with one – is level and about an arm’s-length away from you. Having it too close will strain the eyes and having it too high or low will disorient you, leading to all kinds of discomfort, never mind just eye stress.

On top of all this, make sure you take real breaks, outside of the workplace. After all, your eyes won’t thank you for a life full of non-stop work and no breaks.

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