Cure and Care-Magazine

3. Protect Your Eyes With Proper
Shades
Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory,
but their most important job is to protect
your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV)
rays. Some of the sun’s effects on the eyes
are:
• Cataracts - a clouding of the eye’s lens
that blurs vision. An estimated 20%
of all cases are caused by extended
UV exposure.
• Macular degeneration - damage to
the retina that destroys central vision.
Macular degeneration is the leading
cause of blindness. When purchasing
sunglasses, look for those that block
out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB
radiation so you can keep your vision
sharp and your eyes healthy. Think of
sunglasses as sunblock for your eyes!
A wide-brimmed hat offers great protection
too!
4. Use Safety Eye Wear
Why risk losing precious eyesight when
wearing safety glasses or protective goggles
can keep your eyes safe for a lifetime
of good vision?
Protective eyewear could prevent up to
90% of all eye injuries. You might want to
learn more about safety glasses and goggles
that suit your lifestyle better.
Safety eyewear must conform to higher
standards of impact resistance than
regular eyewear which optical professionals
sometimes call ‘dress eyewear’.
This higher standard applies to both the
lenses and the frames of safety glasses
and goggles. Safety glasses may have
prescription lenses or non-prescription
(also called ‘plano’) lenses. Regardless of
their size or durability of the frame and
lenses, regular prescription eyewear does
not qualify as safety glasses unless they
meet specific criteria. Your eyes are very
important to you. Use proper safety eyewear
and handle them with care.
5. Look Away From Your Computer
Screen
With so many of us using computers at
work, computer eye strain
has become
a major job related complaint. Studies
reveal that eye strain and other bothersome
visual symptoms occur in 50 to 90
percent of computer workers. Here are a
few easy steps to reduce risk of computer
eye strain:
• Get a comprehensive eye exam. Having
a routine comprehensive eye
exam is the most important thing
you can do to prevent or treat computer
vision problems.
• Use proper lighting. Eye strain is often
caused by excessively bright light
either from outdoor sunlight coming
through a window or from harsh interior
lighting. When you use a computer,
your ambient lighting should
be half as bright as that typically
found in offices.
• Minimize glare. Glare on walls and
finished surfaces as well as reflections
on your computer screen also
can cause computer eye strain. Consider
installing an anti-glare screen
on your monitor and if possible paint
bright white walls a darker colour
with a matte finish.
• Upgrade your display If you have
not already done so, replace your
old cathode ray tube – (CRT) style
monitor with a flat-panel liquid crystal
display (LCD) like those on laptop
computers. LCD screens are easier on
the eyes and usually have an antireflective
surface.
• Old fashioned CRT screens can also
cause a noticeable flicker of images
which is a major cause of computer
eye strain.
• Adjust your computer display settings
Adjust the brightness of the display
so it’s approximately the same as the
brightness of the surrounding workplace.
Adjust the text and contrast
for comfort, especially when reading
or composing long documents. Blue
light is a short wavelength visible
light that is associated with more eye
strain than longer wavelength hues,
such as orange and red. Reducing the
colour temperature of your display
also lowers the amount of blue light
emitted resulting in better long-term
viewing comfort.
• Blink more often. Blinking is very
important when working at a computer
for long hours. Blinking moistens
your eyes to prevent dryness
and irritation. Tears coating the eye
evaporate more rapidly during long
non-blinking phases and this can
cause dry eyes.To reduce your risk of
dry eyes during computer use, try the
exercise: Every 20 minutes, blink 10
times by closing your eyes as if falling
asleep (very slowly).
• Take frequent breaks. To reduce your
risk for computer vision syndrome
and neck, back, and shoulder pain,
take frequent breaks during your
computer work. During your breaks,
stand up, move about, stretch your
arms, legs, back, neck, and shoulders
to reduce tension and muscle fatigue.
6. Visit Your Doctor Regularly
Strained eyes can be a huge worry if neglected.
Scheduling a regular check up to
the ophthalmologist is absolutely necessary.
Too much computer work, watching
television, or any other visual activities
puts a lot of strain on your eyes and gradually
requires an investment in a pair of
prescription glasses. Todays young children
and office workers are found with
improper vision correction and/or weak
vision. A check-up every three months for
those who already have impaired vision
is important. Others should check their
eyes every six months.
Special care should be taken if you have
high-power numbered prescription
glasses. Any computer work should be
done with specific breaks in between and
the distance and glare of the computer
should be in line with what the doctor
tells you.
In conclusion, eye care is very important
starting at a young age and as you grow
older because your eyes grow with you
until puberty and require specific attention
at all times. Following the proper
dietary measures suggested above will
help your eyes.. Remember: your eyes
are very precious.... One of the most important
senses that we have is our sight.
Don’t neglect it by staying away from the
doctor!