Eye Strain and Dry Eyes are now a significant issue with teenagers. Anyone that has a teenager knows all too well that they live on their FaceBook whether they are on their computer (supposedly doing their homework) or on their phone. They all have phones don't they!
See the following short video that describes this ever increasing problem.
Eye Strain we have discussed in detail in previous posts. In fact it is so important that we have a website called:
Eye Strain can have a number of causes and only a comprehensive examination can reveal what are the contributors to the perception of eye strain.
From next week The Eye Practice will be the first optometrist outlet to trial a new product called Gunnar Technology Eyewear.
This very innovative product can be purchased with or without a customised prescription in glasses. Even though there might be great value with no prescription, the value of these glasses will excel when it is made up with your own prescription.
Stay tuned for more on this topic soon! We will trial in house first and if we are convinced that it has a role to play in relieving the Eye Strain epidemic we will start to prescribe it soon.
Eye Strain = Productivity Down
No Eye Strain = Productivity Up
Really, it's that simple.
But some people think that taking extra breaks means taking time away from important work, and, therefore, stick to their computers like glue. Unfortunately, this is counterproductive – the exact opposite is the truth.
Recent Studies Prove Eye Strain and Productivity at Work are Related
A recent study from the United States, published by their National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), showed that, in addition to their traditional two fifteen-minute breaks in an eight-hour workday, workers who took four extra five-minute breaks during their work time (and stepped away from their computers) had reduced eye strain. These additional breaks did not interfere with productivity, either – they were able to increase their productivity so that work output was maintained appropriately. Therefore, even with an added 20 minutes of break time, these workers performed better than those who did not take such breaks (and subsequently suffered from eye strain and Computer Vision Syndrome).
The breaks that you take to reduce eye strain can not only save your vision, but they can increase your productivity. Give it a thought – if your eyes are tired, you have an eye strain headache, and you generally feel unwell, you're going to work more slowly, with increased errors, and just not do a very bang-up job. However, if you take short breaks, get up, stretch, look at things off in the distance, then when you return to your tasks, you'll be feeling good.
If you feel good, you work better, make fewer mistakes, and even work more quickly.
Keep in mind that frequent breaks are only part of the solution to minimizing eye strain and increasing productivity at work. As we've discussed in previous posts, there are many things that can be done to reduce the impact of eye strain and your work productivity. Eye exercises, adjusting your computer's brightness and refresh rate, and adjusting your posture when working at the computer are all ways to reduce eye strain and Computer Vision Syndrome.
In addition to these methods, remember, there are also specialized glasses that can be worn to help your eyes read your computer screen more comfortably, minimize glare, reduce blue light, and hold more moisture to your eyes while you work.
If your eyes even have a small prescription, having this made and used routinely can help immensely in the work place. It normally will not be a problem if you are reading or doing computer work for a small time like half an hour, but when we are concentrating all day, we just run out of energy to keep going.
These things should all be used together in order to increase your eye comfort, curb or eliminate eye strain, and increase your ability to work well. Call us on 9290 1899 for help with your eye strain problems.
The Role of Glasses in Eye Strain
Luckily, there are some ways that your glasses can help with eye strain headaches – if you come in and get the right prescription.Some people opt to get their glasses coated with an anti-reflective coating, which helps minimize glare on your lenses. For some of our younger patients, this coating is enough to reduce eyestrain, as long as they continue to do things like frequent eye breaks, exercises, and other preventive measures to ease their eyes.
For those of us who are not so young or not disciplined enough, or have other circumstances that prevent us from taking frequent breaks from our close-up work, there are specialized computer glasses.With eye strain, the use of glasses – that is, customized glasses that work for the up-close and specific work done with computers – can minimize eye strain, eliminate headaches, and help relieve the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is the major cause of eye strain that we see in our office these days...and the use of glasses can help.
There are number of myths:
1. I had better not get glasses as the will make my eyes lazy and then make my eyes worse - WRONG.
2. I had better get glasses as by getting eye strain it will make my eyes worse - WRONG.
Eye strain is related to myopia but it doesn't make your eyes weak. The link between myopia and near work is a big story and deserves it's own post.
What's so special about computer glasses?
Computer glasses are made to reduce blue light from our monitors. They are yellow tinted and reduce the effect of blue light that contributes to eye strain. Furthermore, computer glasses enhance the “intermediate” viewing area – which is usually 60 to 61cm from worker to screen – so that viewing is more comfortable, and the eyes can relax. Additionally, computer glasses are also curved around the eye, which tends to hold more moisture to the eye – and is corrective for computer related dry eye. While that's not necessarily eye strain...it sure does make sitting at your computer more comfortable (particularly if you wear contact lenses).But before you go running about to get a pair of these glasses, make sure you have a comprehensive eye exam completed, to make sure that the problem really is eye strain due to computer use. There are a variety of reasons for eye strain and eye strain headaches, and if CVS isn't one of them, then glasses will not likely help. The next problem is that the best glasses that have been designed are called Gunnar - they have yet to come to Australia. You still can get yellow lenses but the Gunnar have a number of superior qualities. We will discuss these in a future post.
Eye Strain is part and parcel of our computer driven society today.
There is compiling evidence that eye strain and myopia are related – in that prolonged, repetitive eye strain can not only cause myopia, but make it worse.
Understanding Myopia
Myopia is often referred to as “nearsightedness or short-sightedness.” It means that your eye has too much optical power for its length. That means you can see perfectly well when things are up close, but when you look at things that are far away, they are blurry.
Understanding the Eye Strain Connection
There are many layers of anecdotal evidence that show a connection with eye strain and the progression of myopia. Look at people who work with computers for extended periods of time, or who are crafts people who sew a lot, or voracious readers who always have a book or e-book in hand. More often than not, you see they are wearing some kind of corrective lenses – and, when asked, they'll tell you they are nearsighted.
The connection is seeming to become clear to many of us – the eye strain caused from up close work links directly to the progression of nearsightedness. But this is no longer staying in the realm of anecdotal evidence – more and more experts are beginning to understand that eye strain can not only make myopia worse, but it can be a contributing factor.
The Running Metaphor
A long ways back, a doctor of optometry compared eyestrain and the progression of myopia to walking.
Using your eyes is like using your legs – when you use either one of these parts, it is like exercising. Looking at something far away is like a walk in a garden. It's easy and doesn't stress out your body.
Looking at something closer, like a television, is more like walking quickly. You can do it with very few side effects and hardships on your body. But looking at things up close, like computer screens, is like taking a jog or a run – you can only do it for so long before it wears out your body. Even a marathon runner has to stop and rest sometime.
Your eyes are the same way. Straining them through up-close work wears them out, and makes it harder to focus on distant objects. Keep pushing your eyes to exercise with too much work up close, and myopia will start to blossom.
One of the symptoms we look for when making a diagnosis of myopia is whether or not you've been experiencing eyestrain. We also ask if you've been working with computers and doing other up close activities. Eye discomfort, squinting, and blurred vision when looking into the distance are all signs of myopia. It is therefore not difficult to see a connection between eye strain and the development and progression of myopia, is it?
If you're having any of the symptoms of myopia, and you often have eye strain or headaches, give us a call on 9290 1899, and we'll be happy to help you find the problem and a solution.
Possible solutions include:
Only a careful eye examination can reveal what the best and most efficient treatment options will be.
Eye Strain or Asthenopia have been discussed in earlier posts. We also mentioned our website that's dedicated to eye strain – with reasons why it has become such an epidemic in today's society, and what you can do about it.
Eye strain and Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) are true mates, especially in today's technologically advanced environment. Spending long hours in front of a computer (staring, without blinking), and then spending time on gadgets (Smartphones, iPads, etc.), doesn't give your eyes much of a break.
You may have CVS if you work with computers all day, and show the following symptoms:• Neck, back, and shoulder tension and/or pain
Because we rely on our computers, it seems that Computer Vision Syndrome is here to stay, and give us eye strain. There are several things you can do to reduce the eye strain that is related to CVS, however.
Here are some easy exercises that can help minimize your eye strain and ease the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome.Exercise One: Sleepy Blinking
About every 20 minutes you spend on the computer, take a moment to look away from the computer, and blink as if you were fighting sleep. In other words, blink very slowly (as if you were nodding off). Repeat this ten times. Dry eye can be a problem with CVS, not necessarily eye strain – but any chance you can get to look away from your computer can help.
Exercise Two: Distance Training
Remember, your eyes are a muscle that gets fatigued if they have to stare at a computer screen up close all the time. In 20 minute intervals, look away from your computer and at an object that is at least 20 feet away. Gaze at it (and don't forget to blink) for a minimum of 20 seconds.Exercise Two Alternative: Distance Training
If you prefer, you can give mini drills to your eyes – about every 20 minutes, look away at a distant object for 15 seconds, then at an object up close for 15 seconds, then back to the faraway object for 15 seconds. Repeat this for a total of ten times.
The object of these exercises is to reduce eye strain by making the focusing muscle in your eye relax.
To be effective you really need to be diligent. Many patients have told us that they feel that they are goofing off by taking so many breaks. The reality is that you are recharging your batteries by having these breaks. This in turn by the end of the day can make you up to 30% more productive! Does that sound like you are goofing off?
Other things you can do to reduce the eye strain associated with Computer Vision Syndrome:For more information, visit our dedicated website and download our Eye Strain E-Book.
Eye Strain symptoms require careful evaluation before any treatment plan is instigated. We have made a big deal about excessive computer work and reading as a primary source of Eye Strain (also known as Asthenopia). Even though this is true and in some cases there is no underlying eye problem that can measured. Eye Strain often occurs even though the patient has a perfect eye examination. It is just overuse of the eyes similar to repetitive strain injuries of limbs. In fact there is a condition called ocular tendonitis, which not well documented in the medical literature, which also is a form of eye strain - this will be discussed in further detail in the future.
Even though these days Eye Strain is on the increase due to overuse of the eyes doing computer work and reading, Eye Strain still exists in the traditional form caused by eye muscles and a focusing system that is not co-ordinating properly.
Trying to discuss this topic in one post would be impossible, but what we will try and do is introduce some basic concepts and then expand on these concepts in later posts, while also discussing treatment strategies.
Eye muscle imbalances, if problems are perceived by the patient, are usually fatigue related. The part of the brain that processes vision is called the visual cortex. If the eyes are misaligned significantly, double vision will occur. The brain does its best to not allow this to happen, as it is disorientating. The brain therefore will push the eye muscles to force the eyes into a corresponding position to eliminate double vision. This in turn causes eye muscle fatigue and eye strain (or asthenopia).
A sudden change in eye muscle balance that causes double vision occasionally can be a serious issue. Typically this will occur in an adult and even though rare, can be a sign of a stroke, aneurysm or a tumour compressing one or more of the eye muscle nerves. Luckily this is not common, but sudden double vision always needs to be investigated in case it is something more serious.
Eye muscle imbalances in babies or children can sometimes lead to the eyes being "crossed" and causing one of the eyes (usually the less dominant eye) to become "lazy". "Crossed" eyes is called strabismus and "lazy" eye is called amblyopia. This is treated with a combination of glasses, eye exercises and occasionally patching of the dominant eye. If this does not provide a satisfactory result then straightening eye muscle surgery can be considered.
If the eyes do not "cross" but the eyes are under strain to continue to see without double vision then there are various categories of imbalances. The following list is not complete but definitely covers the majority of eye muscles imbalances:
The above discussion relates to eye muscle imbalances that are horizontal in nature (across). If only life was that simple. There are also categories of eye muscle imbalances that are vertical (up and down). Then there can be a combination of horizontal and vertical imbalances.
So there we go, we have just skimmed over a huge topic. We will return with more information about Eye Strain and Eye Muscle Imbalances in the future.
In the mean time if you are experiencing Eye Strain that is getting you down we are only a phone or click away. Phone 9290 1899 or CLICK HERE for an APPOINTMENT.