Back in the Office: 8 Tips to Maintain Healthy Eyes

Eyesight is the most favorite of our 5 senses, according to a survey of over 2000 participants, as 61% said that they would least want to lose their sight as compared to other senses.

Since 80% of information from our surroundings is perceived through eyesight, our eyes are essential to perform most of our activities.

Therefore, it is very important to keep our eyes healthy. Otherwise, you may feel symptoms like eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, or dry eyes. These complaints are particularly common among people who work on computers for an extended time period.

As you head back into work, here are 8 easy tips to maintain healthy eyes while working.

1. Do regular eye exercises

Our eyes are not meant to be focused on a single object for a long time. Otherwise it can lead to symptoms like headache and eyestrain, especially when we work on a computer all day long.

Give one of these eye exercises a try to alleviate your symptoms. You'll feel as if your eyes are getting a massage!

20-20-20 rule

Periodically refocusing your vision on distant objects significantly decreases symptoms like eyestrain, blurring of vision and headaches.

Apply the 20-20-20 rule: Look at some object 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes when working on the computer. Set a reminder on your work calendar to help you remember!

Focus change

This exercise also helps to relieve eye strain and you can easily do this eye exercise while sitting.

• Place your finger a few inches away from your eye

• Focus on your finger

• While keeping your focus on it, slowly move the finger away from your face

• Focus on something farther away, and then back on the outstretched finger

• While holding your focus on it, slowly bring the finger closer to your eye

• Look away and focus on a distant object

• Repeat three times

Figure 8

• Select a point on the floor about 10 feet away from you, and focus on it

• Make an imaginary figure 8 with the help of your eyes

• Keep tracing this imaginary 8 for 30 seconds

• After 30 seconds, change the direction of eye movements

Eye movements

• Close your eyes, slowly move your eyes upward and then downward

• Repeat for 3 times

• Slowly move the eyes to the left and then to the right

• Repeat for 3 times

2. Use blue light filters

There's a lot of chatter about the harmful effects of blue light. But why is it so harmful and what can we do to limit our exposure?

Turns out that blue light, in contrast to other components of white light, can easily pass through the cornea and lens. Upon reaching the retina, it can destroy your retinal cells resulting in premature age-related macular degeneration.

Moreover, blue light from screens can make it difficult to focus your eyesight and causes eye strain and blurred vision.

Therefore, using short-wave filters and other blue light filtering glasses or lenses can prevent the damaging effects of blue light rays and maintain your eye health.

Try it out: Local San Diego sunglasses company Blenders has over 25+ styles of its popular Blue Light Glasses 

3. Evaluate your Work Setup

If you work a lot on the computer, follow these tips and adjust your work set up in order to keep your eyes healthy:

• Don't sit too close.

  Sitting at an arm's length from your computer screen is recommended.

• Your screen should be at your eye level.

• Place the keyboard and mouse at an easily accessible distance so you don't have to lean forward to reach them.

• Adjust screen brightness and try to match it with ambient lighting.

• Avoid harsh lights in the surroundings.

  Use a desk lamp with dim/soft light for your workstation.

4. Exercise regularly

Along with just making you feel better, physical exercise enhances the overall health of your eyes through improving blood flow to the optic nerve and macula of the eye.

Moreover, studies have found that doing exercise regularly can decrease the risks of various eye disorders like glaucoma and macular degeneration.

5. Put on Sunglasses

Wear sunglasses when you go outside for your daily exercise breaks. It will protect your eyes from the harmful effects of the UV radiation present in sunlight.

6. Eat foods that are healthy for your eyes

Diet has a strong impact on your eyesight. For good eye health, your diet should contain foods rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins.

Pack a healthy lunch for your desk filled with these eye-boosting whole foods:

Raw Red Pepper

Red pepper contains high amounts of Vitamin C and  beta-carotene. Vitamin C is good for the blood vessels in the eyes, and also protects against cataracts. As heat destroys vitamin C, it is suggested to eat red pepper in raw form to enjoy the full benefits.

Beta-carotene boosts Vitamin A in the body, and both of these nutrients improve eye health by keeping the surface of the eye and cornea moist.

Citrus Fruits

Eat citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. You will be surprised to know that out of the 13 main vitamins, 6 are present in citrus fruits.

These vitamins provide antioxidant effects and are also protective against cataracts and macular degeneration.

Carrots

Carrots are good for the eyes as they are loaded with beta-carotene and lutein. Beta-carotene plays a central role in vision, and lutein prevents blurring of vision by protecting the eye against age-related degenerative changes in the retina.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Add leafy green vegetables to your diet because they are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and E which shield your eyes against the damaging effects of free radicals. Moreover, these vegetables also contain lutein and zeaxanthin which significantly lower the risks of cataracts and maculopathies.

Eggs

An egg is a complete package for healthy eyes. Its yolk contains vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin.

Moreover, eggs contain zinc that increases the uptake of nutrients from the yolk, and also plays an integral role in maintaining normal eye functioning.

Fish

Eat fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and trout. They are full of omega-3 fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). These essential fatty acids reverse dry eyes and slow down the progression of age-related vision loss.

Other Foods

Other foods that are good for the eyes include lean meat, sunflower seeds, nuts, legumes, sweet potato, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

7. Avoid Smoking

Smoking imparts negative effects on the eyes' health. It has been found associated with vision loss, dry eyes, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

8. Visit your eye doctor

Maybe you've been putting it off because of COVID or you've been busy, now's the perfect time to schedule your eye check-up.

If you've never been to the eye doctor (opthamologist), this is what to expect during your appointment:

• A comprehensive history regarding your eye and general body health

• Visual acuity testing: to assess whether you need glasses or not

• Visual field evaluation (perimetry): to find out if you are facing difficulty seeing anywhere in your overall field of vision

• Color vision testing

• Eye movement testing

• Squint assessment

• A thorough examination of different components of the eye

• Measuring your eye pressure – to rule out glaucoma

Bottom Line

It is very important to maintain healthy eyes, especially, if you use a computer or your phone for long periods of time.

You can easily do so by following some general tips like adjusting your work set up, taking breaks in between your work, doing different eye exercises, using blue light filters and sunglasses, eating healthy foods.

And remember to please consult a doctor if you have constant complaints of eye symptoms or other related concerns.