Can’t Live Without Them?  Learn to Live With Them!

Has your smartphone/tablet become an integral fixture in your professional and personal life?  Do you use devices as patient education aids, clinical information references, or data collection and therapy scheduling tools? Most likely your digital usage doesn’t end when your work shift does either. You use devices to connect socially, help children with homework, and even as entertainment. But those long hours peering into varying sized screens are not without consequences. The American Optometric Association estimates that some 100 million American workers, healthcare pros included, suffer from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).  Spending two or more hours per day on digital technologies can result in eyestrain, blurred vision, redness, headaches, and dry eyes.  In addition, these can result in reduced productivity at work and at home.

Giving up your smartphone/computer/tablet is likely out of the question, so what can you do to combat CVS? Since March is both “Save Your Vision Month” and “Workplace Eye Wellness Month”, The Vision Council has put out a 16 page guide to digital eye health.  Here are a few of their tips:

• Use the 20-20-20 rule:  Every 20 minutes take a 20 second break and look at something 20 feet away.
• Position screens correctly:  Larger screens should be set at arms’ length and eye level or just below.  Viewing angles should not exceed 35 degrees.  Smaller screens should be held no closer than you hold a newspaper or magazine.
• Enlarge those fonts:  Enlarging the text sufficiently can greatly reduce eyestrain especially with handheld devices.
• Reduce glare:  Adjusting screen brightness, dimming surrounding lightsources, periodic dusting/cleaning the screen and changing the backgroundfrom white to gray can all reduce glare and prevent eyestrain.
• Invest in yourself:  Modify your workspace by purchasing an ergonomic deskchair that supports your spine and keeps you seated upright.  Wear eyeglasses?  Buy computer eyewear specifically designed to reduce glare and increase contrast.

We encourage you to be wise in your digital device usage and follow these tips. At Centra we use advanced technologies ourselves to showcase realtime employment positions and alert technology that is based on your personal criteria.  If you are looking for new and exciting opportunities call us at 800 535 0076, go to our Facebook page or use our mobile app and we will put technology to work for you!