Do you remember telecommuting was still exciting, enjoying the possibility of waking up later and putting on your pajamas? Okay, I’ve found that there are some downsides to turning your room into an office. I think most of us are now experiencing the inevitable border blur during working hours and not working hours.
There is also the fact that most of us don’t actually have enough furniture at home, opening the way to back pain or neck strain. Sorry to get you into a disastrous situation, but you may have to deal with another. Working from home can actually adversely affect your eyesight.
Yeah, think about your regular routine lately. Some of us spend all day in our room or at home, moving between our bed and desk, depending on the time of day. According to Quek Swee Ting, a registered optometrist working at ZEISS Vision Care Singapore, this consent has two things that could adversely affect our vision.
Increased Hours of Use
Being away from the office means everything needs to be done digitally. Conversations with colleagues are via WhatsApp, while meetings are via Zoom. When I’m not sitting in front of my computer, I probably scroll through mail on my phone.
The brilliance of the technology, of course, improves usability, but always looking at the screen is a very difficult task in our eyes. Looking closely at the screen (or actually something) hurts your eyes, and after a while, tense eyes can cause headaches, blurred vision, eye pain, or dry eye. Another thing to consider about the increase in screen time is the glare emitted from the screen and this is also called blue light.
What Exactly Is Blue Light?
“Blue light is part of the visible spectrum, and you can see it almost anywhere, so the biggest light source is coming from the sun,” Quek said. “Prolonged exposure to high-intensity ultraviolet and blue light can damage the retina.” The retina behind the eye is responsible for processing the images we see.
Fortunately, clinical studies have shown that the screen does not emit a bluish enough light to cause significant eye damage, but can worsen eye strain, causing visual discomfort. But all blue light is not bad for us, the eye specialist added. “There is also a bluish part that helps regulate our circadian sleep patterns.”
Reducing Reading Distance
Another factor that can make telecommuting visually difficult has to do with the “cooped-up-in-your-home” bit of the new normal. We still had the opportunity to enjoy the Singapore scene by increasing their gaze while we travel daily to work. But today, as Quek said, “It’s rare that we’re looking more than a room away.”
“(This gives us) little chance to relax the muscles of the eye,” she said. That means you can’t get out of the same kind of eye fatigue we had when we left home for work. Imagine you were taking a walk to buy food during your lunch break or a long day looking out the window of the bus going home.
Tips for Eyes Health
Computer glasses help reduce the glare of your digital screen. However, it does not entirely reduce the eye strain you feel when you overuse the eye focus system. Here are some simple tips that can be implemented immediately for free.
The first, probably I’ve heard before, is so easy and easy that it’s worth repeating. It’s a good idea to take a visual break on the
“on a regular basis,” Quek said. “A general rule of thumb is the rule of 202020 where every 20 minutes, look up from your cell phone and look 20 feet (or 6 meters) away for 20 seconds.”
Another tip recommended is to blink your eyes and remind you. “We often fall into the digital world and forget to blink our eyes, leading to dry eye.” If xerophthalmia persists, we will receive ophthalmic lubricants and artificial tears.
As important as, but less likely to be associated with eye health is the role of sleep. It is important to reduce digital eye strain. And that means limiting screen time, especially before going to bed.
As mentioned earlier, blue light helps regulate biological rhythms. When exposed to it, our body secretes less of the sleep hormone melatonin. A vision expert explained, “Our body will wake up more and wake up longer, pretending to be out of bed.”
For those who wear computer glasses in Singapore, it is important to book a regular vision test with optometry to ensure that the prescription is up to date and appropriate (ie at least once a year). Uncorrected vision problems such as astigmatism and presbyopia can be a factor in inducing digital and eye strain. Poorly calibrated eyeglasses can cause eye strain more if they cannot be clearly focused.