Keeping An Eye On Healthy Vision
We sometimes overlook (Sorry, no pun intended) and underestimate the importance of our vision.
By Stephen Douglas
Of our five senses, vision is probably the most important to our everyday lives. Our eyes are our windows to the world not just a window to our souls, as the popular saying goes. In fact, our eyes are the most direct connection between our brains and the outside world. We see our mates, our homes and our friends, all through two small neurologically connected lenses, pupils and a series of neurotransmitters. If you think of your eyes as your brain’s connection to your world, it’s hard not to reflect on the importance of such a vital sense.
But, how many of us go to our eye doctor once a year? How many of us take specific precautions, like wearing safety goggles or sunglasses, to protect our eyes? How many of us take nutritional supplements for our eye health? If you’re like most people, your eyes are not something you think too much about. ‘Till, of course, something goes wrong with our vision.
What is eyestrain?
Eyestrain is a very common form of eye discomfort, sometimes mild and sometimes quite severe. Eyestrain refers to a pressure, headache or discomfort around the eyes. That pressure or headache is made worse by visual tasks like reading or watching television. Eyestrain can occur when your eyes get especially tired after doing something visual for a long time, such as reading or spending hours in front of the computer screen, or television. Or, you can strain your eyes by continually re-focusing on near and far subjects. Another kind of strain happens when you go from a dark space to an area of very intense light.
What causes eyestrain?
• Focusing your eyes for prolonged periods on a fixed object, especially one that is held close to your eyes. Your eyes are designed to shift focus between near and distant objects. Eyes are strained more by close viewing than by distant viewing.
• Poor lighting. Doing close work in poor light forces your eyes to focus under difficult conditions. Some forms of lighting, fluorescent for example, contribute to eyestrain because of variable light intensity, flickering or light colour.
• Glare, either direct or reflected, makes it difficult to see. Direct glare is when a light source shines directly into your eyes. Reflected glare, such as on computer screens, sometimes causes eyestrain.
• Contrast is the difference in brightness between what is being viewed and its immediate environment. Excessive contrast can lead to eyestrain.
• Pollutants are everywhere these days. Dust, smoke or heavy smells can cause eyestrain.
• Vision problems. You may be straining to see because you need corrective glasses or because you need to update the prescription of your current spectacles or contact lenses.
How to relieve and prevent eyestrain
• Ensure that any close-up work or your computer screen is not too close to your eyes. As a general rule, view material from as great a distance as possible, provided it can be read easily.
• Take frequent vision breaks, at least every half hour, to relax your eye muscles. Other useful exercises may include rolling or blinking your eyes, or closing them tightly for a few seconds.
• Changing focus is another way to relieve the eye muscles. Every 15 to 30 minutes look across the room or out of the window at an object at least 4 metres away, for at least 20 seconds.
• You can tire your eyes if you have to look frequently between two objects placed at different focus distances.
• Workstations and lighting should be arranged to avoid direct and reflected glare anywhere in your field of vision.
• Position the top of your computer monitor or TV screen at or slightly below eye level so you look downwards at it. This can help with dry eyes. Your eyelid covers more of the eye surface when you look down, and your eyes blink more and produce more lubrication.
• Wear sunglasses that reduce glare and provide 100% protection from ultraviolet rays.
• When reading, knitting or drawing, hold your material about half an arm’s length (30 to 40 cm) away from your eyes. A soft, bright light (a 60 to 100-watt bulb) behind you will also help.
• When using a computer or video screen, room lighting should not be as bright as the screen. To reduce troublesome contrast, find a way to darken the area around the screen. And, use your computer settings to keep your computer monitor in proper focus.
• While you are watching TV, the room lighting should be about 50% dimmer than the screen. Avoid viewing from an angle and sit at a reasonable distance from the TV. Children, especially, should not sit too close to the television.
Exercise your most active muscles… your eyes.
Exercise for your eyes is important. One form of eye exercise, “orthoptics”, helps relax, strengthen and condition your eyes.
Eye rolls: Close your eyes. Slowly move your eyes in a complete circle. Repeat three times.
Changing focus: Hold a page of print as close to your eyes as possible without the print becoming blurred. Focus for 15 seconds then look away at least three metres and focus on something else for 15 seconds. Repeat five times.
“Bull’s Eyes”: Extend your arm forward while holding a pen. Slowly bring the pen towards your nose. Keep your eyes focused on the pen. The idea is to move the pen to the tip of your nose before you see a double image. Repeat twice.
Sources: American Optometric Association, National Institute of Health, and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
