During Workplace Eye Wellness Month, join us in raising awareness for Workplace Eye Wellness. It is critical to take precautions to avoid eye damage in the workplace. Maintaining eye health at work is an important part of your overall dry eye treatment plan.
What is Workplace Eye Wellness?
The non-profit organization Prevent Blindness designated March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month. Because of the amount of time spent at work, taking care of your eyes at work is essential for overall eye health and your dry eye treatment plan. Maintaining good workplace eye health and eye safety is critical to increasing productivity and living a happy life.
Why Workplace Eye Wellness is Important
Dry eye disease (DED) is more than just dry eyes, in our opinion! As previously stated, dry eye disease has a direct impact on your daily life. And, as you’ve probably noticed, our jobs have a direct impact on our quality of life.
Good eye health is essential for functioning at home and at work. We are pleased to join others in the eye health industry in proclaiming March to be “Workplace Eye Wellness Month.” Eye safety at work is important in your overall dry eye treatment plan due to the prevalence of blue light, digital screens, and environmental factors in the workplace.
The goal is to treat the whole person, including your work life, rather than just your dry eyes. We want to provide you with the tools and skills you need to be productive and happy at work and in life.
Dry Eye Disease Basics
Before we get into how DED relates to Workplace Eye Wellness Month, let’s go over some dry eye basics. Dry eye syndrome, ocular surface disease, and keratoconjunctivitis sicca are all names for DED. The most common causes of dry eyes are aqueous deficiency (low tear production) and evaporative tears (rapid tear evaporation).
Your lacrimal glands do not produce enough tears to lubricate the eye surfaces if you have aqueous deficient dry eye disease (the cornea and conjunctiva). With evaporative DED, your body produces enough tears, but they evaporate too quickly due to an unstable tear film.
Burning, pain, tearing or watery eyes, redness, grittiness, dryness, blurred vision, foreign body sensation, irritation, and eye fatigue are all common dry eye symptoms. DED is a long-term condition.
Your symptoms may improve or worsen, but you will most likely have dry eyes for the rest of your life. Some environmental factors, such as living, working, or traveling in dry climates, air pollution, indoor air conditioning, and high winds, can aggravate dry eyes. Workplace and lifestyle risk factors, such as prolonged use of digital screens (laptops, tablets, and smartphones), as well as poor nutrition (low in vitamin A, lipids, and healthy fats and minerals), can aggravate dry eyes and lead to vision problems.
Although dry eye disease does not directly cause vision loss, it does increase the risk of many vision-threatening complications. It is critical to take care of your eyes at work and begin dry eye treatments as soon as possible to avoid long-term damage.
Dry eyes can be treated in a variety of ways. Over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tears, gels, or ointments, as well as eyelid hygiene, such as warm compresses and eyelid wipes, are examples. Oral supplements (omega-3 fatty acids), humidifiers, and air purifiers are also available over-the-counter. If the over-the-counter remedies do not work, prescriptions and procedures for dry eyes are also available.
DED is a multifaceted condition with numerous causes and symptoms. The good news is that you have several treatment options. With the right routine and support, you can thrive at home and at work while suffering from dry eye disease.
Why Workplace Eye Wellness is Important
Companies across the United States have declared March “Workplace Eye Wellness Month.” This movement aims to raise awareness of eye strain caused by digital devices and provide tips on how to reduce the negative effects of increased screen time.
We are pleased to join others in bringing attention to eye health in the workplace because environmental factors present in the workplace can affect dry eye. Good eye hygiene and safety practices not only help to prevent blindness in the long run, but they also contribute to an overall eye wellness plan that helps employees enjoy their time at work and stay productive.
We’ve all experienced tired, dry, and burning eyes after staring at a screen for too long. You can relieve the symptoms of eye strain and continue with your important work by following a few simple tips.
Furthermore, it is critical to draw attention to serious workplace hazards that can result in severe eye injuries. The first step in preventing eye injury and maintaining eye health is to be aware of your working environment.
You should have educated yourself on proper eye protection and when to seek medical attention.
For more helpful eye care and vision care tips, please visit our main blog page.
Source: preventblindness.org
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