We spend long hours at work, and this environment can have various influences and even risks on our long-term visual health on a daily basis.
Lighting:
Poor lighting is a recurring problem, especially in office environments. Ideally, one should work in natural light, which allows us to be more relaxed. Unfortunately, far too many offices are poorly lit, and the main light source is fluorescent light, neon tubes. This light is white but flickers a lot, emitting peaks of certain wavelengths; this leads to visual fatigue.
In addition to these lighting issues, we must not forget that we spend a lot of time in front of our computer screens, which are themselves a source of light, glare, and visual fatigue. Our eyes are exposed to a flood of images: pixelated images on the screen, but also reflections from our surroundings. This is very tiring and the reality for many active people who spend 8 hours on PCs. This is why it is imperative to position your screen so that it does not receive light reflections.
We must take into account that electronic devices emit their own light with a significant peak of harmful blue light, so we must protect ourselves from their negative effects by avoiding overuse and by wearing anti-blue light glasses.
Environments:
Temperature is a frequent source of conversation in the office; there are those who are cold, those who are hot! Heaters and reversible air conditioning run at full speed... What impact does this have on the eyes? These heating systems dry out the atmosphere and lead to a widespread ocular problem: dry eye syndrome. Eyes tend to dry out after hours spent concentrating and working because we blink little to moisten our corneas.
To avoid these discomforts, workplaces should be ventilated naturally as much as possible; if this is not feasible, there is always the option of installing humidifiers to maintain a healthy atmosphere.
Eye strain:
Several factors are therefore detrimental to our vision at work, so much so that visual fatigue and ocular stress are inevitable. To minimize their effects, it is important to rest your eyes regularly by looking into the distance, taking breaks, and doing some simple exercises to relax.
Visual fatigue should not be confused with presbyopia, a visual defect related to age appearing after 40 years and impairing near vision. Some people with near vision difficulties equate it with visual fatigue when they are becoming presbyopic! The simplest solution to remedy this: reading glasses equipped with degressive lenses.
