When most people think of eye injuries at work they think of safety goggles, manufacturing and construction environments. In today’s technology focused world, eye injuries and eyestrain in particular are becoming more common in office environments. A common disorder is computer vision syndrome, I know it sounds made up, but more than 60% of computer focused workers suffer from computer vision syndrome. Symptoms include blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches and neck pain.
Stop reading right now, blink a couple times, and look out the window for a few seconds. Now, doesn’t that feel better?
Working on a computer requires your eyes to continually focus, moving back and forth between the monitor and the source materials on your desk. When you add the additional strain caused by screen contrast, flicker and glare and it’s no wonder that even a small break can make our eyes feel so much better.
The best way to combat computer vision syndrome and eyestrain is to follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes give your eyes a 20 second break by focusing on something 20 feet away. By making time to focus on an object more than 20 feet away you are giving your eyes the break that they need and should help lead to happier and healthier vision. For more healthy living tips click here!
