Educate yourself on ways to protect vision on the job
The dangers of blue light, digital devices and vision, and eye injury prevention are all topics we can brush up on in order to promote eye health at work. This month is the perfect time to do it!
Just like we advise protection for your eyes against the sun, we recommend the same for your eyes and blue light.
Early research shows that too much exposure to blue light could lead to:
Digital eye strain - Fatigue, dry eyes, bad lighting, or how one sits in front of the computer can cause eyestrain. Symptoms of eyestrain include sore or irritated eyes and difficulty focusing.
Retina damage - Studies suggest that continued exposure to blue light over time could lead to damaged retinal cells. This can cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration or cataract.
The largest source of blue light is sunlight. However, there is also concern over the long-term effects of screen exposure (from television screens, computer monitors, smartphones, and tablet screens) because of the close proximity of the screens and the length of time spent looking at them, such as during the workday combined with leisure time.
According to a recent report from The Vision Council, 87% of survey respondents use digital devices more than two hours per day and over 52% regularly use two digital devices simultaneously.
Do what you can to reduce exposure to harmful digital UV and High-Energy Visible (HEV) blue light emitted from such devices at work. Wearing a lens treated with a blue-light filter coating can help reduce symptoms of eyestrain by half during prolonged computer exposure.
Another (and maybe the easiest) way to address digital eye strain is to blink more. That might sound overly simple, but blinking helps to keep eyes lubricated. Try following the “20-20-20 Rule” — every 20 minutes, stare at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This exercise engages your distance vision and helps the eye to “reset.”
To help prevent an eye injury at work, Prevent Blindness recommends:
- Know the eye safety dangers at work-complete an eye hazard assessment
- Eliminate hazards before starting work. Use machine guarding, work screens, or other engineering controls)
- Use proper eye protection such as non-prescription and prescription safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding helmets, or full-face respirators.
And of course, see your EYEcenter doctor for recommendations to help protect your eyes at work or play. Click here to schedule an appointment today.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
