March is eye wellness and awareness month. It’s important to look after and maintain good vision, especially those of you who spends a lot of time in front of a digital screen. Here are some easy steps to help you minimize screen-induced eye strain.
Your eyes are of the most fascinating and complex parts of the body. Vision affects nearly everything you do each day and according to the Vision Council of America, untreated eye problems and vision loss reduce worker productivity by 20%. There is no better time to put your vision first and learn more about your eyes than during Workplace Eye Wellness Awareness Month (March 2016), a global initiative to increase awareness of the daily risks that can affect good vision in the work environment.
Mellins i-Style, (www.mellins.co.za), a leading national chain of optometrists offering arguably the world’s most advanced and individualised eye technology from Zeiss (imported from Germany), shares the following eye care tips at the workplace:
Do you spend long hours in front of a digital screen?
According to Zeiss, more than half of employees spend most of their working day in front of a computer screen. The good news is that research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK, shows that there is no evidence that digital displays cause eye diseases or permanent damage. However, working in front of a digital monitor for hours on end can lead to eye fatigue, mostly due to your eyes constantly adapting to different contrasts and brightness levels up to 30 000 times a day.
Andre Horn, a senior optometrist and managing director at Mellins i-Style, agrees that looking at automated screens for too long can lead to eye strain and headaches. Regular eye examination is a must when working long hours in front of a digital device.
Minimize screen-induced eye strain with these easy steps:
- Check if your lens prescription is up-to-date.
- Sometimes changing your contact lenses to spectacles when working in front of a computer may help to reduce eye strain. If your eyes, with or without contact lenses, become dry, blink more or use eye drops as advised by your optometrist.
- Choose a comfortable and supportive chair that supports an ergonomic sitting posture. This also means adjusting your computer monitor and all other equipment at your work station to reduce strain.
- Take every 20 minutes to rest your eyes and allow them to wander around the room or look out a window. Do this by looking six to seven metres away for approximately 20 seconds. Taking a break with a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk at least every two hours also helps to refresh your eyes.
About Mellins i-Style: Mellin & Partners was founded by Koos Mellin in 1976. It was his dedication to professional eye care and patient satisfaction that laid the foundation for Mellins i-Style. Mellins i-Style strives to be the leaders in the field of optometry by ensuring patients receive advanced eye examinations, informative before and after-care services and optically advanced ZEISS products they can trust. The Mellins-ZEISS Vision Centres use equipment from ZEISS, the world’s most renowned and leading manufacturers in the field of optics. This equipment enables them to offer patients the new ZEISS i.Scription lenses, arguably the best individualised lenses in the world. With more than 50 Vision Centres countrywide, Mellins i-Style is one of the leading optometry groups in South Africa.
For more eye care tips and advice visit www.mellins.co.za
Issued by: Armstrong Communication & PR, On behalf of Mellins i-Style
