Our eyes do not need much – they like good lighting, they need protection against blue light, and for their health, regular checkups are necessary. Unfortunately, as the MedTvoiLokony probe showed, most of us do not remember it and our vision is getting worse …
Work hygiene to improve!
The modern lifestyle does not serve our eyes, which are a very delicate organ. We stay in artificial lighting and spend the whole days in front of the screens of electronic devices: smartphones, tablets and laptops. Even our children who used to spend their free time outdoors are increasingly choosing video games and social media. The last seventeen months of the pandemic meant that we performed eye-heavy activities more often and longer. This was confirmed by the results of the MedTvoiLokony probe “Maybe it’s time to have your eyesight checked …? Check!” Spends between 5 and 8 hours a day in front of the screen of digital devices, 22 percent. of us, and over 8 hours – as much as 19 percent!
Unfortunately, the hours devoted to staring at smartphones, tablets or laptops at close range have an impact on the quality of vision. Excessive work at the monitor contributes to increasing the accommodative tension in the eye and reducing the frequency of blinking. Our eyes are not properly moisturized, which results in the feeling of dryness and sand under the eyelids, eye pain, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, both natural and artificial, and even frequent headaches and migraines. These are the basic symptoms of asthenopia, i.e. eye strain, and indicate the need to take care of your eyesight.
According to the results of the survey, eye fatigue when using electronic devices is often felt by 27%. of us, and every 10 Poles feel them every day. Moreover, almost 70 percent. of the respondents admitted that they have tired eyes after work in the evening.
Although experts emphasize that the lifestyle we lead has a significant impact on the phenomenon of eye fatigue, still few of us care about proper eye hygiene. Only 5 percent remember the need for 34-minute breaks after each hour of work at the monitor. respondents, 6 percent of us work non-stop, and 17 percent. rarely allows the eyes to rest! What is worse, more than half of Poles admitted that they do not always work in good lighting.
Even more worrying is the downplay of the need to protect against blue light, which not only leads to eye strain, but also increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration. AMD. According to the results of the poll, 74 percent. of the respondents does not eliminate blue light from their surroundings.
In addition, even when we look away from the small screen and spend time outdoors, we do not care about our eyesight in the right way – as much as 49 percent. of us declare that they do not use sunglasses with a UV filter. The consequences of not being protected against excessive sunlight, including ultraviolet light, can be very serious – ranging from inflammation of the retina or the cornea, to pterygium (degenerative lesion of the conjunctiva), to an increased risk of AMD.
The best prevention
The fact that it is high time to examine the eyesight is also evidenced by other responses of the survey participants. 54 percent of respondents admitted that they move away from a newspaper, book, restaurant menu to be able to read their content, with 27 percent. it does so regularly, and another 27 percent. recently more and more.
The “too short-hand” syndrome, that is, the necessity to move the reading away from a distance in order to better see this symptom of presbyopia, also known as presbyopia. It is neither a visual defect nor a disease, but the effect of the aging of the eye lens and the loss of its original elasticity. The first symptoms of presbyopia will appear after the age of 40, which means that they concern a statistical Pole. It is worth remembering that presbyopia requires treatment in order to improve the patient’s quality of life. However, it must first be diagnosed … and, as the results of the probe showed, we postpone the control tests. More than half of us (53 percent) examine their eyesight less frequently than every two years, and 8 percent. survey participants admitted that they had never examined their eyesight! At the same time, as much as 65 percent. of the respondents declared that a free eye test would be a good motivation to check the condition of their eyes.
Fortunately, we all have the opportunity to do so – on the occasion of the World Sight Day this year on October 14, on October 11-14.10, from 10.00-12.00, in Vision Express stores all over Poland, each of us can have our eyesight tested free of charge.
An ophthalmological examination lasts only a dozen or so minutes, and allows for early detection of possible vision defects and the application of appropriate correction. In the case of diagnosing a disease process within the eye, it is possible to quickly intervene and start treatment, which in turn will allow you to enjoy the comfort of good vision and a good life.
On the occasion of refractive examination in 150 Vision Express facilities, we can use the OPTISKAN medical service, which enables early detection of the risk of the most common eye diseases: glaucoma, cataracts, ADM and diabetic retinopathy. Thanks to this, in many cases it is possible to avoid serious consequences – including loss of vision.
Let’s not postpone our “window to the world” for later – it’s time to have your eyes checked!