How to keep your eyes healthy

If you are used to staring at your computer, phone or tablet screen for large parts of your day, here is some good advice on eye care you should follow.

Did you know that you actually blink two-third times less than usual when you are looking at a computer screen?Well, blinking is an essential component to keeping our eyes healthy and when you do less of it, your eyes tend to become strained and tired. This can also lead to several other complications related to the eyes.

According to Dr Umag Mathur, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital,there's a cost associated with all that surfing, reading, texting, e-mailing, blogging, chatting, tweeting and game playing we do these days on our computers, e-notebooks, tablets and smart phones it's called digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome (CVS).

While it may not seem like such a common occurrence, Studies indicate that 50 to 90 percent of computer users suffer from visual symptoms of computer vision syndrome and taking certain steps to alleviate the symptoms so that they do not get worse is the key to keeping your eyes safe.

How do digital screens lead to CVS?

Computer images are created from thousands of tiny dots so there is no distinct image for your eye to actually focus on, in contrast to the high contrast of printed matter. You have to focus and refocus to keep the images sharp and after two hours you end up with eyestrain. Although this won't cause permanent damage, it will leave your eyes feeling strained. All this constant readjustment of your eyes causes you to blink less, and when you do not blink enough, your eyes become dry. You also tend to open your eyes wider, which worsens the dryness. Apart from that, office lighting can create a lot of glare and reflection on the monitor, which can make your eyes very tired. Also, regular glasses are not quite right for computer work. Most people, over forty years age, wear glasses that do not correct the intermediate zone at all (reading glasses correct near vision only, and bifocals correct only near and far). Without appropriate eyeglasses, computer users end up with blurred vision, eyestrain and, often, headaches.

What are the symptoms of the condition?

If you suffer from eyestrain, burning eyes, light sensitivity, blurred vision, headaches, fatigue and pain in the shoulders, neck or back, odds are that you suffer from CVS.

Tips to keep your eyes safe:

• Make a conscious effort to blink more often. Blinking is very important when working at a computer; blinking moistens your eyes to prevent dryness and irritation. So, make sure you blink enough. If you are someone who tends to forget you could try and put a note to remind you to bink on your computer if necessary. Lubricating eye drops are useful in re-wetting the eye surface.

• To reduce your risk of tiring your eyes by constantly focusing on your screen, look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object (at least 20 feet away) for at least 20 seconds. Some eye doctors call this the '20-20-20 rule.' Looking far away relaxes the focusing muscle inside the eye to reduce fatigue

• Keep your computer screen within 20'-24' of your eyes and the top of the computer screen slightly below eye level.

• Upgrade your display. If you have not already done so, replace your old tube-style monitor (called a cathode ray tube or CRT) with a flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD), like those on laptop computers. Old-fashioned CRT screens can cause a noticeable 'flicker' of images, which is a major cause of computer eye strain. Even if this flicker is imperceptible, it still can contribute to eye strain and fatigue during computer work.

• Appropriate eyeglasses are necessary to prevent eyestrain. This is especially important if you wear bifocals or progressive lenses. They may not be adjusted for computer distance. Getting an anti-reflective coating on your lenses can significantly reduce the amount of glare and reflected light that reach your eyes.

• Prevent glare and reflection on your monitor by positioning your computer so that any windows are to the side of the monitor, rather in front or in back.Turn off overhead lights that are too bright or use a desk lamp. The desk lamp should not reflect on the screen or shine in your eyes. Less common sources of glare and reflection are office walls and desks, particularly bright white. Attach a glare filter to reduce the amount of light that can reach your screen.

• Adjusting your computer's display settings can help reduce eye strain and fatigue. Make sure the brightness is the same as the surroundings and adjust the text size and contrast so that it is comfortable to read. Black print on a white background is the best combination for comfort.
  Reducing the amount of blue colours on your screen can also help. Blue light is short-wavelength visible light that is associated with more eye strain than longer-wavelength hues, such as orange and red.

You are likely to experience some symptoms of computer vision syndrome, if you spend more than two hours each day in front of a computer screen. There is no reason to panic. Simple solutions to the problem will allow you to work comfortably and productively at a computer.

Photo source: Getty images

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