8 Eyecare Tips When Working From Home

A lot of new norms have been formed as we continue to navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing and wearing a mask have become second nature; carrying hand sanitiser is as important as our keys, wallet and phone; and a lot of people have fully adapted to their routine of working from home. With all of this in mind, it’s easy to forget about other aspects to our health, especially our eyecare.

 

We at Eyebou have made it our mission to make eyecare accessible to everyone and that includes highlighting the importance of it. Caring for our eyes is often overlooked (no pun intended) until something starts to seriously go wrong. To prevent this, our in-house optometrist, Rafic Nassif, has compiled 8 handy eyecare tips to keep your eyes in tip top condition.

1. Reduce your screen time

You know how the average daily routine goes – we wake up to look at the small screens of our smartphones, then begin sending emails on the medium screens of our laptops and finally relax at home by watching the big screens of our TVs at the end of the day. While your eyes won’t go square in the process, the constant exposure can create Computer Vision Syndrome or Digital Eye Strain. Sounds scarier when you put a name to it, doesn’t it?

 

Symptoms include:

• Sore or irritated eyes
• Trouble focusing
• Dry or watery eyes
• Blurred or double vision
• Increased sensitivity to light

 

To keep your eyes and general well being in good health, it is recommended to:

 

Take regular breaks

Don’t short-change yourself during breaks, especially your lunch hour. Use that time to completely remove yourself away from any screens. If need be, install an app on your smartphone or laptop that locks you out if you’ve been using the device for too long!

 

Introduce the 20-20-20 rule

Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Set reminders to do it throughout the day until it becomes a habit.

 

Use blue light protection lenses if you wear glasses

These lenses are a worthwhile investment as they filter out the blue light emitted from digital screens, ensuring better sleep and greatly reducing Digital Eye Strain. Eyebou now offers a re-lensing service where you can get your blue light protection lenses at an affordable price. This service is only offered in the GCC for the time being.

Blue light protection lenses

 

2. Follow a healthy sleep cycle

Don’t underestimate the importance of a full night’s rest which is easy to become complacent about when working from home. Our eyes go through a lot during the day especially with the amount of time they’re exposed to screens, so it’s important for them to get enough recovery time when you’re asleep. Lack of sleep can cause eye strain, burst blood vessels and dry eyes. 

 

Sleep will give your eyes moisture throughout the night so that they can function properly when you wake up.

 

3. Always remove your makeup

This should be a no brainer for any beauty lover if they want to keep their skin looking good, but it’s integral for good eye health too. Avoid things like a scratched cornea, conjunctivitis and allergic reactions by following these rules:

 

• Never share. Your eye makeup is just yours to use.
• Avoid applying eyeliner on the inside of the lash line.
• Always use a sharpened eyeliner pencil to be precise in your application.
• Never use products out of their expiration date.
• Replace all your eye makeup products after an eye infection in order to avoid bacteria from spreading.
• Refrain from applying eye makeup while driving or in a moving vehicle.
• Remove eye makeup before you go to bed because even a tiny speck can be the cause of an eye infection.
• Avoid using products that contain harmful chemicals or ingredients that have not been tested yet.

 

4. Keep your hands away

According to the BCLA (British Contact Lens Association), there is no evidence that suggests there is a relation between the spread of the coronavirus and contacts lens use. However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect good hygiene practice. Your hands carry more germs than any other part of your body so when your rub your eyes, these germs can be easily transferred, leading to infections such as conjunctivitis. 

 

So, in addition to the 20-20-20 Rule, add in another 20 – wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds often, which, given the current crisis situation, we should all be used to.

 

5. Don’t smoke

There are countless reasons to stop smoking but eye health is one of them. Smoking makes you more than twice as likely to develop age-related macular degeneration as a non-smoker.

 

6. Curb your alcohol intake

Studies show that having more than two alcoholic drinks daily makes you significantly more likely to need early cataract surgery.

7. Tips and reminders if you wear contacts:

• Keep your contacts and your eyes clean – it’s the number one priority for lens wearers.
• Don’t wear your contacts for any longer than eight hours.
• Take your contacts out before you shower or swim.
• Avoid sleeping with your contacts still in your eyes.
• Use lubricating eye drops or shift to Eyebou vitamin daily lenses to combat dry eyes or avoid eyestrain. You’ll have a fresh pair every day. 

Shop Eyebou Vitamin Lenses

  

8. General eyecare health tips

To end off, keep these tips in mind when it comes to your eyecare. It pays to give your eyes some TLC. Follow the following rules:

• See an eye doctor at least once a year.
• Pamper your eyelids with a warm compress. Applying warmth to the eyelids can soften up any clogged up oil in the Meibomian glands.
• Wear your sunglasses even when it’s cloudy or freezing, as UV rays still penetrate the clouds.