How to protect your eyes while working at the computer

How to protect your eyes while working at the computer

How to protect your eyes while working at the computer

How to maintain eyesight when working at a computer for a long time?

There are many myths about the negative impact of computers on human health. So far it has been proven only in relation to vision, but this is already a lot. According to various estimates, visual perception provides up to 90% of all information about the world. How to keep your eyes healthy by spending a lot of time at the computer?

Causes of visual impairment

Restless eye syndrome (asthenopia) is a diagnosis that appeared long before the advent of computers and was associated with daily long reading. Now, when you mostly have to read not from paper, but from electronic media, the load on the eyes is growing due to backlighting, flickering of monitors, incorrect color rendering, changes in brightness, glare. Asthenopia manifests itself in the form of several symptoms:

Weakening of the eye muscles. The visual apparatus is initially designed in such a way as to focus mostly on distant objects and track what is happening around. A modern person stares at the screen of a computer, TV or smartphone for hours, so the eye muscles do not receive the proper load.

Eye fatigue. It is impossible to endlessly look at the highlighted texts and pictures: in the end, the eyes stop focusing, the image begins to blur.

Stitching and burning in the eyes . The frequency of blinking when working at the monitor is reduced, so the eyeball is not sufficiently wetted, which leads to pain. The eyes may start to water and redden.

In addition to asthenopia, one should be aware of the harmful effects of light on the retina (photodamage), which accumulates over the years and leads to serious ophthalmic diseases.

How to protect your eyes from the computer 

Since asthenopia has vivid symptoms and drastically reduces performance, there are already a number of means to combat it:

Correct organization of the workplace. The distance from the eyes to the computer monitor should be at least 60-70 cm.

Barrier methods. Anti-glare films and screen coatings reduce eye strain.

Using eye drops. Dry eyes from a computer can be reduced by using special medications (after consulting an ophthalmologist).

Alternation of work and rest. The subjective sensation of eye fatigue appears after 3 hours of work at the monitor. But in fact, eyes start getting tired much earlier: after one or two. Therefore, it is necessary to look away from the monitor for 10-15 minutes and look at distant objects about once an hour.

Exercise for the eyes. When working on a computer, it is useful to perform a set of simple exercises at least once a day: turn your eyes, look at an object in the distance, close your eyes and lightly press your fingers on the upper eyelids.

Photodamage isn't as obvious as computer fatigue, but it's easier to prevent than cure. To do this, you should pay attention to your diet.

Vitamins for the eyes when working at the computer 

Every person has a system for protecting the retina from photodamage; it was formed in the course of evolution. Its main component is the coloring substances contained in greens, vegetables, fruits and berries - carotenoids: anthocyanins, zeaxanthin and lutein.

Anthocyanins are blue plant pigments that determine the color of blueberries, blackberries, black currants. They have a strengthening effect on the eye vessels. Lutein and zeaxanthin are pigments found in red fish, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits, and leafy greens. They tend to accumulate in the eye tissues, protecting the retina and lens from free radicals generated by light.

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