You can't look without tears

Normally, a person blinks 18 times per minute.
But, looking at the screen of a monitor, tablet or any other gadget, he does this 3–5 times less often. Because of this, the tear fluid does not wash the eyes and they do not receive proper hydration. With dry eye syndrome, the patient initially complains of a feeling of sand in the eyes, pain, and burning. The eyes turn red and hurt. But that's not so bad. If left untreated, this condition can lead to corneal damage, infection, erosions, and even partial vision loss. Therefore, it is necessary to follow several important rules when using gadgets.

Every 20 minutes you need to take a break from work, reading or playing and blink continuously for 1 minute.

It is necessary to adjust the lighting and brightness of the screen backlight. For a smartphone or tablet indoors and on a cloudy day, about 1/3 of the full backlight, or even less, is enough. You can stick a protective film on the gadget - it will muffle the harsh light of the screen.

Do not use the device in the dark. You should turn on either an overhead light or at least a table lamp. And do not sit with a gadget in your hands in front of a window - otherwise the screen will glare a lot.

Clear view. How to reduce eye inflammation after working at the computer

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Ah, those red eyes. Why do gadget fans suffer from conjunctivitis?

Usually we perceive conjunctivitis as something frivolous - they say, what can be scary about red eyes. In fact, this is not such a simple disease, or rather, even a whole set of diseases, depending on the causes.

We talked about what conjunctivitis is like, how to treat it correctly and how not to treat it, we talked with the head of the glaucoma office of the eye microsurgery department of the Ulyanovsk Regional Clinical Hospital, Pavel Biblaev.

Sand in the eyes

Conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye, comes in three types: allergic, viral or bacterial. The first is most relevant right now, in late spring - early summer, when the number of allergens increases. Therefore, allergy sufferers usually stock up on antihistamines in advance. However, the immune system can “break down” and cause new allergies. For example, in the form of conjunctivitis.

The second type is viral conjunctivitis. It most often manifests itself in late winter - early spring, when immunity is especially reduced. Conjunctivitis, in principle, is not dangerous and, with proper treatment, goes away within 2 weeks, but with a viral conjunctivitis, the danger is also that if you do not consult a doctor in time, opacities may appear in the cornea.

- The patient himself, looking in the mirror, in this case sees that his eye has become calmer, not so red. The doctor, quite possibly, will see pinpoint opacities there—coin-shaped infiltrates,” says Pavel Valerievich. “Over time, they can create a gritty feeling in the eye or even lead to decreased vision. And this takes quite a long time to heal.

The third type is bacterial and no longer depends on the season. Bacteria can get into the eye in the pool, or, for example, if you rub it with dirty hands. And what Pavel Biblaev specifically identifies as the causes of bacterial conjunctivitis is the incorrect wearing of contact lenses. If a person does not take them off at night, if lenses are prescribed to be worn for 24 hours, but they are worn for weeks, all this can lead to the growth of bacteria.

Get up from your computer!

Bacterial conjunctivitis can become an “inheritance” of another disease - dry eye syndrome, which is now very common among modern people. Primarily among those who use a computer or gadgets a lot.

— When a person looks at the monitor, he blinks less often. The eye receives less moisture than required. As a result, friction between the eyelid and eye increases, which leads to damage. If you rub such an eye with dirty hands, then harmful bacteria can get into the damage, warns Pavel Biblaev.

A modern person suffering from dry eye syndrome and accustomed to the fact that his eyes are already red in the evenings may not immediately recognize conjunctivitis. According to the doctor, there are several differences. With dry eye syndrome, the eyes turn red in the evening, but in the morning they are back to normal color and there is no swelling. With conjunctivitis, in the morning the eyelids or even eyelashes stick together, the eyes and eyelids swell, and the redness does not go away, even if the person has had enough sleep. Again, dry eye syndrome is treated with moisturizing drops when discomfort occurs. But conjunctivitis needs to be dealt with more thoroughly.

No miracle

You cannot try to cure conjunctivitis on your own. Why? Because the patient himself does not know what caused the redness - an allergy, a virus or bacteria. Unfortunately, according to Pavel Biblaev, there are still those who try to treat their eyes with “miracle drops” that are more likely to do harm than benefit.

— If you suspect that you have begun to develop conjunctivitis, be sure to consult a doctor. He will determine the cause of the disease. And if it is viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, then most likely you will need to take a smear test to understand which drugs are best to use. If the problem is bacteria, then perhaps it will be possible to solve everything with the help of broad-spectrum antibiotics, says Pavel Valerievich.

What you shouldn't do is wait. You should see a doctor as soon as you notice painful red eyes and other signs of conjunctivitis. And even on weekends, hurry to where there is an ophthalmologist on duty: adults are seen in the eye microsurgery department of the URDKB or in the eye department of the Central City Clinical Hospital, children in the UODKB. Conjunctivitis caught in time is much easier to treat.

Igor Ulitin

Watch out!

Your eyes should be protected not only from gadgets. In summer - also from bright sunlight, which negatively affects the cornea and conjunctiva. Therefore, sunglasses should not be a desirable, but a mandatory accessory for every person. By the way, about glasses. If you swim in a pool, be sure to buy special water goggles - they will protect your eyes from the drying effects of chlorine.

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All year round, our eyes need protection from urban smog created by industrial and automobile exhaust. Special household devices that purify and humidify the air will help with this. If possible, you should spend your free time away from the city - at the dacha, in the forest, in the park. Walk more often, breathe in fresh air and let your eyes “breathe”.

It is very important to keep your home clean, as house dust is harmful to the eyes. Remember, regular wet cleaning is the key to health. Hands must also be clean. If you have not washed them, you should never touch your face or eyes with them.

Protect your eyes from low-quality or expired cosmetics. Be sure to remove your makeup at night. When you wash your hair, avoid getting shampoo and other “chemicals” on your cornea. When using hairspray, always close your eyes.

It is impossible not to mention the dangers of smoking, since smoke negatively affects the cornea of ​​the eye. Do not smoke yourself and do not allow smoking in your presence.

Be careful with alcohol, coffee and strong tea. These drinks have a dehydrating effect, so if you drink alcohol to excess or frequently drink tea and coffee (and little clean water), do not be surprised that the corneas of your eyes will become more sensitive.

Is it true that tablets can be hazardous to health?

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For IT geeks. If your eyes are tired, red, irritated. Perhaps this article is for you

I have been working in the IT field since 2004. Like you, I spend a lot of time looking at a monitor screen (even two). And if it’s a release, a deadline, or an urgent issue, then the time spent working on the computer smoothly grows into most of the day.

Recently, a friend asked me how my eyes can withstand all this and my vision remains good?! I always answer that years of training helps. Do you think this is sarcasm? Only partly :) In fact, this is training. Next, I will ask those who already know everything and those who do not like “non-medical” terms not to read

Back in 2004, when we worked for two weeks without a break before the presentation of the project, to which the customer had already invited guests, rented a room and “thickened the colors” on us, my eyes began to dry out very much. And in the end, through the effort of constant rubbing with my fingers, I received severe irritation. As a result, conjunctivitis and other troubles. In general, the final of the project was a struggle for me then.

I won’t bother you anymore with my story, after which I began to actively look for tools and rules on how to work at a computer correctly. Correct posture, lighting, contrast, brightness, color temperature (warm/cool), ... it all really helps. But this is not the secret ingredient.

The real solution to the problem was a video clip that a friend showed me. Unfortunately I can't find this video right now. In the video, Mr. I.I., with the stern training of a post-Soviet scientist, talked about the structure of the eye, how the history of eye medicine developed and what we have now. And many more interesting things. And at the end he showed exercises for the eyes. Yes I.I. argued that the eyes are a muscle. And in order for her to always be in shape, she needs to be “pumped up”.

Next, if anyone is completely bored, please leave this audience.

These are simple exercises that take 3-5 minutes. All you need is clean hands and a calm environment.

Preparation

- Rub your palms until they are hot. - Then cover the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other so that the angle between the “boats of the palms” is straight. — Afterwards, put it on your nose like “glasses.” The palms should be slightly concave so that when blinking you do not touch your palms with your eyelashes, but at the same time so that the light does not break through the cracks (you can do this in the dark). - Perform all exercises slowly and until pleasant pain occurs. We keep our eyes open.

Exercise 1

Next, look all the way to the right, while inhaling, return your eyes to the center, and while exhaling, look all the way to the left. Let's look 10 times in each direction

Exercise 2

Next, we look all the way up, while inhaling we return our eyes to the center and as we exhale we look all the way down. Let's look 10 times in each direction

Exercise 3

Next, we look all the way to the upper right corner diagonally, while inhaling we return our eyes to the center and as we exhale we look all the way to the lower left corner. Let's look 10 times in each direction

Exercise 4

Next, we look all the way to the upper left corner diagonally, while inhaling we return our eyes to the center and as we exhale we look all the way to the lower right corner. Let's look 10 times in each direction

Exercise 5

We slowly outline a circle with our eyes, at the maximum possible angle. So that we always look at the extreme position. Repeat 5 times in each direction

Exercise 6

Gently and as you exhale, protrude your eyes out a little. Repeat 5 times

Exercise 7

We squeeze tightly (as if we are afraid that nothing will get there) and open our eyes. Repeat 5 times.

Exercise 8

We blink quickly and quickly for 5-7 seconds.

Completion

Now let’s hold our hands in place a little and keep our eyes open for 10-15 seconds. Then we open our eyes. If all the colors have become brighter and there is more light in the room, then you have done the exercise correctly. Try it and may your vision always be excellent!