Professionals who work mostly on a computer are prone to suffer from irritation and dryness of eyes, that are symptoms of a condition called Computer Eye Syndrome.

It took a global health crisis to let the corporate houses know that working from home has a multitude of benefits. It is less stressful, the organization saves on operational cost, the time wasted in commuting can be put to better use and is even more environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, as every arrangement has a flip side, work from home has also resulted in increasing hours of work. Professionals who work mostly on a computer are prone to suffer from irritation and dryness of eyes, that are symptoms of a condition called Computer Eye Syndrome. It isn’t one specific problem but encompasses a whole range of discomfort, and between 50% and 90%, people who work on the computer for long hours have at least some symptoms.

How computers affect vision

Staring at computers for long hours causes stress to your eye muscles as you focus and refocus all the time, look down on paper or keypad and back to screen all the time.  Constantly moving images sending rapidly varying messages to brain tires up your brain. And to make things worse, the screen adds contrast, flicker and glare. All these lead to conditions like double vision, red eyes, blurred vision and eye irritation.

How to avoid developing Computer Vision Syndrome

• The first thing one should do is reduce the screen time duration. The normal screen time should be maximum 30 to 35 mins at a stretch.
• Rest your eyes for at least 15 minutes before resuming work.
• One can also utilize the 20-20-20 rule where the professionals take 20 seconds to break after 20 mins and look at something that is 20 feet away to relax eye muscles and enhance blood circulation to eyes, back and neck.
• Try adjusting the lighting of the room and your position of the body to the screen. You should not let your device be brighter than your surroundings.
• The device should be placed at the same level as your sight to reduce eye strain.
• Use eye drops to lubricate dry eyes and help maintain moisture on the outer surface of your eyes. Also, try putting a humidifier in near your work desk to bring moisture in your environment.
• Lower the device’s refresh rate to lessen flickering of screen and colour temperature of the screen.
• Give your contact lenses a miss and instead use anti-glare glasses when working on a computer for long hours.

Taking eye examination and visiting eye specialist every year is also advisable for every individual doing long hours of work that is strenuous to eyes.