Whether you are a working professional or a student, the pandemic has played a major role in changing your life. The shift to online studies, or remote working means you are constantly staring into a computer, laptop, and mobile screens for hours.
As individuals, the amount of screen time that we were experiencing thanks to the advent of social media was already a lot. However, remote working has exacerbated the time frame incrementally.
While the health, physical and food-related issues and side-effects of remote working have been discussed, not a lot of attention has been paid to the effects it has on our eyes. Working for ten to twelve hours and combining it with social media time has terrible effects.
In this article, we are going to look at the effects of remote working on your eyes. We are going to speak with leading ophthalmologists to help you understand the topic better.
Has Remote Working Contributed to Eye Strains: 4 Symptoms to watch for
As someone who is committed to working long hours in front of screens, your eyes might be experiencing a lot of strain. How are you going to know that some issues and problems require medical intervention?
According to ophthalmologists, the following are some symptoms you need to watch out for-
- Burning of the eyes and eyelids-
Long exposure to the screen might lead you to experience a burning sensation in the eyes as well as your eyelids. You might feel the urge to use eyedrops of constantly splashing cold water to reduce the burn. It might feel like your eyes are at a higher temperature than your body.
- Dry eyes and itching-
There is a reason why our eyelids drop every couple of seconds. They do that so that moisture content in the eyes is maintained. Staring into screens prevents that from happening. This is what leads to a phenomenon known as dry eyes. This results in a lot of itching.
- Double and Blurred Vision-
When eyes do not get rest, their focus appears to become blunt in nature. This means that the vision that you might have after constant screen use is blurred. If you are someone that is squinting hard to fix focus on objects, it means that your eyes are under major strain.
- Headaches, Lightness of the Head-
The fourth major symptom of eye strain is constant and intermittent headaches. You might feel the need to take an aspirin every once in a while. You might also feel light-headed and not secure about your body’s balance. This happens because of eye strains.
How to Overcome Eye Strains that arise because of Remote Working?
Most of us tend to ignore issues with the eyes. This is a huge mistake. The eyes are one of the most delicate and important parts of the human body. Not caring for them is inviting serious trouble in the coming future. The following are some ways you can protect your eyes during remote working-
- Go for Regular Eye Check-ups- every working professional or student needs to get an eye check up in Singapore from leading ophthalmologists. They can help catch an issue when it arises and help you bring the problem under control.
- Limit Screen Time for Social Media- If you are working hard on the screen, you need to ensure that you are limiting screen time somewhere else. Stop using your phones for social media, or watching that three-hour movie after work concludes.
- Follow the 20-20-20 Rule- Ophthalmologists suggest that professionals need to look at an object at a distance of 20 feet, at 2- minute intervals for a minimum of 20 seconds. Your eyes feel better when you are trying to focus on objects at a distance.
- Reducing Colour, Brightness, and Screen Contrast- You can also change the display settings of your computer screen to limit the impact it has on your eyes. Opt for low brightness, contrast, and color settings. You can also use a filter to help you.
The Bottom Line
If you care for your eyes right now, it will ensure that you do not face serious issues later on. Following the advice mentioned in the article can go a long way towards reversing the dangerous effects of remote working on your eyes. If you have any other questions, you would like us to answer, let us know in the comments below.
