Watching your Eyes and Taking Good Care of It

CEBU, Philippines - Probably one of the most neglected parts of the body are the eyes. We tend not to care much about our eyes for we think that they will always be there, as clear and as functional as they have always been. However, statistics will prove us wrong.

According to the 2002 World Health Organization data, approximately 314 million people worldwide are estimated to live with low vision and blindness.Locally, about 3.4 million Filipinos are visually impaired, according to the 3rd National Blindness Survey done in 2002. Of these, 3.2 million have visual impairment in one or both eyes while 461,121 are blind in both eyes.

Moreover, the same survey stated that blindness was most common among the elderly and the poor who have no access to health facilities. And as one grows older, one gets more prone to have glaucoma, cataract, an error of refraction, or blindness due to diabetes and hypertension.

Of the said eye problems, cataract and glaucoma are the leading causes of blindness among Filipinos today. Some 500,000 Filipinos suffer from bilateral blindness due to cataracts. In fact, cataract is the leading cause of reversible blindness in the country, with prevalence highest among the poor and underserved. Errors of refraction can usually be corrected with eyeglasses.

On the other hand, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually lead to loss of vision, often without warning. This disease is hardly preventable when blindness has set in. What is important is early detection; however, this can only be done with high technology equipment. This makes the number of glaucoma cases under-estimated.

It is in this light that August has been declared as Sight-Saving Month by the Department of Health. This is to underscore the importance of caring for one’s eyes as well as to seek treatment for illnesses that affect the eyes. But more importantly, the month-long celebration calls not only to observe Sight-Saving Month awareness during August, but all through the year.

Here are a few words of advice for eye care. If your work requires you to stare at a computer monitor for a long time, watch out for eye strain. There are cases when an underlying problem, such as uncorrected vision or muscle imbalance, can worsen the condition.

Aside from using the computer monitor, there are other causes of strain. These include straining to see in dim light, exposure to bright lights, driving for long periods and reading. Eyestrain can be very annoying, but it usually goes away on its own once a person has rested his eye muscle. But remember, it is important to take note that reducing eyestrain is a requirement to maintain a healthy vision.

It is essential to identify the symptoms of eye strain. Common symptoms to watch out for are burning or itchy eyes, dry eyes, watery eyes, double vision, sore neck, headache or increased eye sensitivity. Computer eye strain causes additional problems because a person will suffer from difficulty in shifting his eye from the monitor to paper documents. In addition, there will be afterimages when you shift your gaze away from the monitor. Blink your eyes. Nature has given human eyes their personal masseurs which are the eyelids. Consciously blinking your eyes instead of squinting will cleanse and give them the required massage.

Use glasses. If you have problems seeing but avoid using glasses due to vanity, you are destined to suffer from eyestrain. If your distance vision is good but cannot read up close, then it is highly advisable for you to get a good pair of reading glasses to avoid eyestrain. If your distance vision is bad, use of glasses for relieving eye strain is highly recommended.

Preventing eye strain should also include changes in your working habits. Modify your work station by using proper lighting, minimizing glare and other distracting reflections. Adjust the brightness and contrast of your computer screen.

Position your monitor directly in front of you about 20 to 28 inches from your eyes. Many people find that putting the screen at arms length is about right. If you need to get close to read small type, consider increasing the font size. Keep the top of your screen at eye level or below, so that you look slightly at your work. Keep your monitor clean. Wipe the dust from your computer screen regularly. Dust on the screen cuts down on contrast and may contribute to glare and reflection problems.

Eye experts suggest taking frequent breaks and do eye exercise regularly to help your eyes focus in different directions. Eye exercises also strengthen the eye muscles and stimulate the vision center of the brain. Once every hour, take some time away from your computer to rest your eyes. Roll them around, roll them from left to right. Then shut them for five minutes and relax. Sometimes, relaxing your eyes is better than exercising your eyes, especially after a long day at a computer, or a long day reading or driving. If rest and home remedies are unable to relieve eyestrain, it might be necessary to see an eye specialist.