PC Eye Care Guide
There are fewer things more problematic for people who spend all day staring at a computer screen than the effect that said activity has on our poor eyes.
This is a situation which is only going to get worse. So many people work in offices where they have the computer turned on right in front of them all day only to go home and start browsing the Internet the minute they walk through the door.
Anyone who works on a PC should be aware of basic some basic eye care techniques to prevent themselves from developing eye strain and headaches. There are some very simple things that you can do every day to prevent this from happening – and they won’t even cost you any money!
Sound obvious? The fact is that many of us don’t remember to follow this first and most basic rule. You need to give yourself lots of regular breaks throughout the day to give your eyes a chance to rest. Aim for 10 minutes every hour if you can.
Unsurprisingly it seems that the colour green is the most relaxing on the eyes. Observing green coloured objects is therefore a good way to relax your eyes and give them a bit of a rest.
Plants and trees are the best things to have around you to act as a counterweight to all that technology. So make sure that you are surrounded by lots of friendly foliage for optimum eye care.
Focussing on a distant object is a very effective way of giving your eyes a break if you can’t get away from the PC screen. IT also helps your eyes to refocus.
Take 5 minutes to stop what you are doing and stare at an object either across your office or, preferably, through the window outside.
Keep blinking. All the time. This keeps your eyes moist and clean.
Splashing water on closed eyes is a very good way of getting your eyes to relax, cool down and rest before returning to your computer screen.
This is one of the best things you can do to keep your eyes healthy and strain free. Just take a few minutes each day, after lunch and at the end of your working day, to perform these simple steps.
You don’t have to do all of them at the same time, just as many or as few as you feel like or have the time for.
Exercise A
Roll your eyes in a figure of eight pattern slowly and calmly whilst breathing deeply for a total of 10 breaths.
Exercise B
Close your eyes and roll them both clockwise and anti-clockwise for about a minute. This will increase the amount of moisture around your eyes whilst giving the muscles a good workout.
Exercise C
Hold both your index fingers horizontally about eight inches away from your face, a few inches apart, just below eye level. Look straight ahead until you notice a small flesh-like sausage shape appear between your two index fingers, then lower your eyes and look straight at the sausage shape until it disappears. Repeat between 10 – 15 times.
Exercise D
Final one, and certainly the most pleasant, is known as palming. Rub your hands together until they become very warm, then close your eyes and lightly cup them. Keep your eyes closed and immerse yourself in the total blackness in front of you.
This exercise is excellent for relaxing and soothing the eyes – do it whenever possible.
Drinking loads of water not only helps with the ageing process but also stops your eyes from becoming tired and puffy – so why are you still drinking fizzy drinks?!
Keep drinking plenty of water throughout the day to ensure optimum health for your eyes.
Not only will you be thanked by Polar Bears and Inuit peoples for many years to come, but you will also avoid the dry-eyes that can sometimes come with air conditioning. Turn it off and open a window.
Anti-glare glasses are normally used for night driving to reduce the glare caused by oncoming traffic. You can also use these glasses to reduce the glare from computer screens.
Contact wearers should consider getting a pair of zero powered antiglare glasses when working on a computer.
If you’re suffering in front of a screen every day it could be because you are staying up too late. A pretty obvious reason but an all too common factor nevertheless.
Thu, Jan 14, 2010