Maintaining Eye Health with a Desk Job

Tips for Eye Health Maintainance

Even though many are vigilant about diet, exercise, and regular checkups, eye health is an area that is often overlooked. Office work can be particularly hard on the eyes, so here are some tips on how to keep them healthy, even if you work at a computer all week.

• Shift your focus. Every fifteen minutes or so, look around the room. Focus on something close to you, then on something far away. Moving your eyes around can help prevent eyestrain and headaches.
• Exercise your eyes. Practice exercising your eyes regularly, with eye circles, looking from side to side and diagonally, and extended blinking.
• Remember to blink. This seems like it would be automatic, but in reality, staring at a computer screen can cause you to blink twenty percent less than usual. Blinking is important because it lubricates your eyes.
• Eat healthily. Food rich in vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids helps keep your eyes healthy and strong. Drinking green tea helps your eyes absorb antioxidants. Staying hydrated is very important, so be sure to drink plenty of water.
• Use the right eye drops. Often, strained eyes can become red and scratchy, but drops for red-eye can actually dry out tired eyes. Artificial tears are a better option for dry eyes.
• Set up your workstation for eye success. Make sure your computer screen is at eye level because looking up or down can promote eyestrain. Good lighting is essential, as well.

You only have one set of eyes, so it is important not to take your vision for granted. Just because you must be at a desk all day does not mean you have to abuse your eyes. Once you get into the habit thinking about how your actions affect your eyes, you will find it second nature to practice healthy behaviors.