It is essential to continue looking after your eyes during the lockdown. Many optometry practices and eye clinics have reduced their operating hours and have cut down routine eye examinations. We are using our eyes more than ever, whether during the teleconferences or making home improvements around the house. Paying particular attention to your eyes now will ensure your eyes and vision remains healthy coming out of the lockdown.
Tips to Look After Your Eyes
- Take regular breaks. Our eyes are focused on the screen when we are in a conference call, which our eyes aren’t designed to do. Some people get headaches and the feeling of tired eyes after prolonged hours of screen work. If your job is involved around screens, you might notice now you’re spending even more time on the screens with work meetings shifted to an online platform. You might’ve been coping well with all the screen work previously; however, you might notice your vision isn’t performing as well as it used to be with the additional screen work. Taking regular and routine breaks such as looking away from your screen for 3 – 5 minutes for every hour of work will reduce the chances of you experiencing eye strain and eye fatigue. Something you can incorporate by getting up and making a cup of tea or coffee.
- Stay hydrated. Staring at a screen all way have been shown to reduce the rate at which we blink. By blinking less, the tear film, a layer of moisture to keep our eyes lubricated and irritant-free, starts to evaporate and reduces in its volume. This can cause symptoms of dry eyes, irritated eyes, and occasionally, bright-fluorescent lighting and even the brightness of your screens can be uncomfortable to look at. Staying hydrated can help you avoid symptoms of dry eyes caused by excessive screen work. There are a few excellent ocular lubricants that you can use available here at Capital Eye and your local pharmacy to help you alleviate the symptoms of dry eyes.
- Use eye protection. You must use safety glasses whenever you’re working in the garden or doing any home improvement work. An action so simple as putting on a pair of safety goggles can avoid an unnecessary trip to the hospital or an eye clinic. With reduced capacity at most optometry and eye clinics, you risk not getting the attention it requires.
The Bottom Line
Do not neglect your eyes and vision during the period of lockdown. With reduced clinical capacity at most optometry clinics, it is vital to ensure you do everything to maintain your eye health and vision. At Capital Eye here in Canberra, we have appointments available to our existing patients, with a few spots vacant for emergency appointments. If you have experienced a sudden loss of vision, eye injury or anything new, give us a call, and we are more than happy to discuss your circumstances.