PBA Offers Tips During Eye Wellness Month (March)

As part of March’s Workplace Eye Wellness Month, Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety group, provides employers with free information on ways to keep the eyes healthy on-the-job. According to the American Optometric Association, some people may go beyond general computer eye strain and develop “Computer Vision Syndrome,” a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer use. Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, and even neck and shoulder pain. Eyestrain can be lessened or even prevented by making changes to the computer workspace and by visiting an eye doctor. Here are a few suggestions on how to make the workspace more comfortable:

•     Place your screen 20 to 26 inches away from your eyes and a little bit below eye level.
•     Use a document holder placed next to your computer screen. It should be close enough so you don’t have to swing your head back and forth or constantly change your eye focus.
•     Change your lighting to lower glare and harsh reflections. Glare filters over your computer screen can also help.
•     Use an adjustable chair.
•     Choose screens that can tilt and swivel. An adjustable keyboard can also be helpful.

In addition, Prevent Blindness America offers the Healthy Eyes Educational Series which is ideal for lunch-and-learn presentations in an office setting. Those interested may download free modules to conduct formal presentations or informal one-on-one sessions. Each module includes a Presentation Guide and corresponding PowerPoint presentation on a variety of eye health topics such as adult eye disorders, eye anatomy, healthy living, low vision and various safety topics. Fact sheets can be downloaded at any time from the Prevent Blindness America website for use as handouts to accompany the presentation.