Eye Strain and Its Effects

When it comes to vision, most of us rely heavily on it to function through our everyday lives. We subject our eyes to a lot of things such as: staring at our phones, computers, books, machinery, etc. Although a lot of jobs and activities require this kind of focus, it can cause Eye Strain.

What is eye strain? This is when the eye has been staring at an object, such as a computer screen or book, for too long. This causing many side effects which can include: headaches, burning or dry eyes, after images, double vision, eye fatigue, and light sensitivity. Now, not all these symptoms are always eye strain. Instead, they might indicate something medically serious and need an evaluation. Therefore, it is best to consult a medical professional to go over these symptoms to discover the reason.

When it is eye strain, there are some steps to help alleviate the side effects. If you work at a job that requires you to sit at a desk and working on a computer, the artificial light source from the screen can be harsh. This is either caused by the brightness, contrast, color temperature, and even the text size.
Here is a list of some of the ways you can limit eye strain:

• Brightness: Lower it, and ensure your work/reading space is well lit.
• Color Temperature: Change it to a warm tone, rather than a blue tone.
• Text: Make it bigger if you are leaning in trying to read it because it is too small.
• Take Breaks: Every 20 minutes stop and look away (focus on distant objects, blinking numerous times, look around) and shift your focus elsewhere for at least 20 seconds.

By taking these necessary precautions, you are implementing a preventative measure to the symptoms mentioned above. Although there has been no correlation to permanent damage contributed to computer use, it is best to include these safety measures nonetheless. Also, even if you’re not working at a computer, and instead are reading or working on machinery, you can always practice the last preventative measure and take breaks. This will help keep your eyes rested and limit any issues that could impact your job or your hobbies.

For further information: www.hardhattraining.com