March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month. Along with many other eye care providers across the nation, as well as the American Academy of Ophthalmology, PCVI in Eugene is promoting good eye health in the work place.
Safety Eyewear: A Critical Component
One of the most obvious and effective ways to reduce workplace eye injuries is to wear proper safety glasses. It is estimated that 90% of workplace eye injuries could be avoided if safety eyewear is used effectively.
Safety eyewear varies depending upon the type of work being done. The general rule is that anyone passing through a work site use safety eyewear to avoid injuries caused by flying objects, tools, particles and other hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to ensure workers have suitable eye protection.
Avoid Infection Risks
Certain fields of work carry the risk of eye infection. Workers in health care, laboratory, janitorial or animal handling environments need to consider special eye protection to reduce the risk of exposure to both minor and major illnesses via the eye.
Office and Computer Users Are Not Immune
Do you work on a computer, laptop, or other digital device? With more and more workers using technology and gadgets as part of their daily work routine, the risk for eye strain and its effects also continues to rise. Increasing use of digital devices may expose workers to eye strain from long, uninterrupted focus on video screens.
Workers can even suffer from computer vision syndrome. Computer vision syndrome is a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer use. Computer vision syndrome symptoms can range from physical fatigue to eye twitching. If you think you are suffering from symptoms of computer vision syndrome, it is important to see your eye doctor. An eye doctor can recommend the best personalized treatment for you.
However, if you work on electronic devices all day, there are things that you can do to prevent computer vision syndrome. Here are some tips that you can use:
See An Eye Doctor: The first step to preventing computer vision syndrome is seeing your eye doctor for an eye exam. It is a great way to keep tabs on your eye health. Tell your eye doctor if you are a heavy user of electronic devices during your daily routine.
Get to Know the 20/20/20 Rule: If you work on a computer at your desk, take a 20 second break every 20 minutes and shift your vision to something else 20 feet away.
Make Sure to Blink: When you work at a computer or on other electronic devices, you are less likely to blink. However, you need to blink because it keeps your eyes moist and prevents dry eye. So remember to blink when you are working at your computer.
Take Mini Breaks: Most people only take two 15 minute breaks throughout the work day, but if you take shorter more frequent breaks from working on your computer, it will be a lot easier on your eyes. Make sure to get up, stretch, and move around during your breaks so that your eyes get a chance to rest.
Computer Eyewear Is An Option: Your eye doctor may be able to prescribe computer eyewear that can help alleviate eye strain if you are heavy electronics user.
