Obviously, we live in a digital world and sometimes our eyes have trouble with the onslaught. Dr. Edward Kondrot, an ophthalmologist, tells us that there are many things that we can do to help reduce the stress on our eyes.
How do you know if you have digital eye strain? Headaches, redness, double vision and loss of focus, are all symptoms.
Here are some of Dr. Kondrot’s tips:
Take a break. Take frequent 15 minute breaks and focus your eyes on a distant object across the room. This will give the focusing muscle a chance to relax.
Try palming. This is essentially meditation for the eyes. To do this, you will close your eyes and place the centers of your palms over your eyes. Take deep slow breaths and relax your eye muscles. This is a wonderful way to rejuvenate your eyes during those long computer projects.
Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. Tension in this area will cause a tension in your eyes. An occasional neck and shoulder massage will also work wonders.
Blink frequently. When doing demanding digital work, your blink rate decreases. A conscious effort should be made to blink lightly every 10 to 15 seconds. This will coat the cornea, or front part of the eye, to nourish your eye with oxygen and nutrients — and the coating of tears will also sharpen your vision.
Wear computer glasses. Use a pair of computer glasses and work at the proper distance — 20 to 28 inches, depending on the focal point of the eye. Computer glasses have a different focal point than reading glasses. This will reduce the effort of focusing and putting a strain on your eyes. The extra effort to focus will cause tension in the eye muscles, which in addition to causing eye discomfort can lead to an increase in eye pressure.
Full story: CNN Health.
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