Healthy eyes in the (home) office: The 9 most important tips
Many people know this: your eyes are tired, dry and irritated, even though you've only been working for half of the day. Irritated eyes not only make everyday work more difficult, they can also contribute to the development of eye diseases such as loss of vision or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But what can you do to reduce the risk to your eyes in the (home) office? With these simple tips, your eyes are guaranteed to get through the day in front of the monitor better.
Many people work in their home office with a laptop – this can be a challenge for the eyes.
Why your eyes suffer in the (home) office
Computer work in the office is not exactly known as an eye-friendly activity. Our eyes are simply not made to spend the whole day looking at bright objects just a few centimeters away. Perhaps evolution will change that over the next few decades, but our eyes are still designed for outdoor use: for a wide field of vision, greater distances and bright ambient light. For many people, however, today's working world takes place more and more often in front of the computer. The corona pandemic has accelerated this development. In addition to home office meetings on the monitor, there is also homeschooling, also in front of the computer. The eyes can hardly get away from the screen. The result: dry and irritated eyes. Because we normally blink a good 20 times a minute, supplying the cornea with moisture and nutrients. When working on a screen, the eye blinks much less often. Poor ambient light further increases this effect. And the light quality of screens is also suspected of causing permanent damage to the eyes - keyword "blue light". But even in an improvised workspace at home, there are a number of things you can do to protect your eyes.
1. Ensure adequate lighting
Normal daylight is ideal for the eyes, so the lighting should be bright accordingly. An office workstation should be well lit with 400-500 lux from a diffuse light source. For reasons of comfort, this level of luminosity is not usually achieved at home. If the ceiling light is not sufficient, at least an additional desk lamp should brighten up the workstation. You should definitely avoid a dark room that is only lit by the monitor itself.
If your eyes are regularly irritated after work, it is a good idea to visit an ophthalmologist.
2. Adjust the viewing direction
If possible, your line of sight should be parallel to the nearest window. While the window in your line of sight can cause unpleasant glare, a window behind you can cause annoying reflections on the screen. Both are very stressful for the eyes. Otherwise, you should use curtains to balance out the strong differences in brightness between inside and outside.
3. The right position for you and your work equipment
Most work in the home office is done on a laptop. The screen is often smaller than the one in the office. As a result, most people automatically tend to move a little closer to the screen. The distance should actually be at least 50 to 70 cm. This is the distance that the eyes feel comfortable at. If the top edge of the screen is slightly below the eyes in a normal sitting position, you are less inclined to move closer to the monitor. This relieves the strain on the back and neck muscles. You should therefore use a laptop stand to bring the device to the right height, scale the content on the screen to a readable size using the zoom function and use an additional keyboard for an ergonomic sitting position. A stack of books will do the trick, of course.
4. Pro tip: Adjust screen settings
Most monitors can be set to be easier on the eyes via the system settings. If you work for longer periods, especially in low ambient light, it is advisable to reduce the brightness of the monitor. Strong contrasts make work easier for the eyes - the monitors also offer settings for this. If you don't need colors, working in black and white mode is the most eye-friendly. In night mode - if available - less light from the blue color spectrum is emitted. The light in this color range is the most energetic and puts the most strain on the eyes. Blue light is also suspected of disrupting the sleep rhythm, as it can hinder the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. The possible influence of high-energy blue light on the development of AMD is also currently the subject of scientific studies.
5. Use glasses with a blue filter
To avoid irritation caused by high-energy blue light, special computer glasses with a blue filter are now available. These have a coating that filters out most of the short-wave blue light. These glasses are available with and without prescription. Your trusted optician will be happy to give you detailed advice.
6. Take breaks
The so-called 20-20-20 rule comes from the USA. According to this rule, after 20 minutes of work, the eyes should wander 20 feet (~six meters) into the distance for 20 seconds. This relaxes the so-called ciliary muscle in particular. This is responsible for the accommodation of the eye, i.e. adjusting the field of vision to different distances. If you focus on one distance for too long, the ciliary muscle can even cramp. Consciously winking, blinking and rolling the eyes help to keep the cornea moist. Yawning is particularly helpful as it stimulates the flow of tears. Palming also helps to quickly relax. This involves placing the palms of your hands on your closed eyes for two to three minutes. The darkness and warmth allow your eyes to recover immediately.
7. Ensure a pleasant indoor climate
Eyes appreciate fresh air that is not too dry. Rooms should therefore be aired regularly. In winter, dry heating air can quickly become a problem. If you don't want to buy a humidifier, you can simply put a damp cloth on the heater. If you still tend to have dry eyes, you can also use moisturizing sprays or eye drops. These are available in pharmacies and most opticians.
Many people tend to have an unfavorable sitting posture, especially when working from home.
8. Pay attention to your diet
Colorful, fresh vegetables not only appeal to the eyes visually, they also provide them with valuable nutrients. The carotenes responsible for the color of fruit and vegetables in particular contribute significantly to the normal function of the eye and to maintaining normal vision. Vitamin A is formed from the well-known beta-carotene. This is why beta-carotene is also known as provitamin A. Vitamin A is a crucial component of the light-sensitive receptors in the eye. Beta-carotene is found primarily in reddish vegetables such as carrots and peppers, but also in spinach and broccoli. Green vegetables also provide the two carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein. The macula - the point of sharpest vision and also the part of the eye with the strongest light incidence - is enriched with these two carotenoids and thus receives its typical yellow color. Due to their structure, the natural zeaxanthin and lutein concentrations can absorb some of the high-energy light from the blue wave spectrum. Protecting the cells in the eye from oxidative stress is also important for eye health in order to minimize damage at the cellular level. Vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium, for example, help protect cells from oxidative stress.
9. Visit your eye doctor regularly
If you spend a lot of time in front of a screen, you should have your eyes checked regularly. This is especially true if you notice redness in the evening or if you notice discomfort in your eyes. Especially in younger people, constantly looking at a screen can cause the eyeball to grow in length and thus lead to short-sightedness. If this visual impairment is not corrected, the eyes are subjected to additional strain. Computer glasses with an appropriate prescription are therefore an effective way to minimize further damage to the eyes.
