According to the World Health
Organisation (WHO) around one billion people worldwide in developing countries
need vision correction. Uncorrected vision is believed to be responsible for a
widespread loss of labour productivity and quality, reading and literacy
problems, and other problems such as road and domestic accidents. There is
however, a lack of data on both the prevalence and the effects of uncorrected
vision. As a result, governments and funding agencies have been hesitant to
prioritise vision correction in their health and social development agenda.
This acute lack of access to vision correction across the developing world is
primarily due to access to immediate services in eye care, cost of services,
inconvenience in using a foreign object, cosmetic value, no realisation of
quality and performance attached to work.
Our eyes are in constant use
during every waking minute. The way we use our eyes can determine how well we
work throughout our lifetime. Over 80% of our learning is mediated through our eyes
indicating that how much important is our vision.
If you can’t see well, it’s
hard to work well. There are a number of studies that show how poor vision
leads to poor performance, draining productivity and robbing you of much needed
time in your day. Whether your eyeglass lens prescription is slightly off, or
you are suffering from eyestrain and fatigue, or even headaches, these
vision-related issues can cost you big time.
More than four out of five
adults need some kind of vision correction in their lifetime. Earlier in life,
vision correction can help with trouble seeing up-close (due to hyperopia or
farsightedness), trouble seeing far away (due to myopia or nearsightedness),
general blurriness (due to astigmatism) or a combination of any of these. And,
just about everyone will have trouble seeing up-close after age 40, when a
condition known as presbyopia causes the lens of the eye to lose its ability to
focus as well as in the past.
Do you have difficulty reading
documents at work? Do you strain your eyes and have blurred vision; headaches;
or dry, burning eyes? If you experience these issues, your workplace may have
poor lighting, states the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.
Lighting
Computer monitors may be one
cause of eye problems for workers. CCOHS notes that computer monitors that are
fuzzy or otherwise hard to read can result in eyestrain. Additionally, looking
between computers and paper documents can lead to eye problems, as printed
documents require more illumination than looking at a monitor. CCOHS recommends
putting a lamp on your desk to help you better see documents, while avoiding
excessive light near the monitor (which can cause glare).
Eyestrain & fatigue
Approximately 20 percent of Indians
have problems with eyestrain and fatigue, which is caused by intense focusing
of the eyes. This can occur when reading up-close or working on a computer for
an extended period of time. It can also happen when the eye tries to adjust to
glare or bright light outdoors. If not fixed, muscle fatigue from straining the
eyes can cause blurred vision, and squinting to overcome this can cause
headaches.
Eyestrain is the #1 complaint
of computer workers…
Workers notice the impact of
eyestrain and fatigue on the job. Eyestrain is the #1 complaint of computer
workers, and more than half of employees are bothered by light at work.
Research shows that employees
could save more than a minute per day if they didn’t have to take breaks due to
tired eyes. That adds up to more than half a day per year! Research from
Transitions Optical finds that 45 percent of employees take at least one break
per day to rest their eyes because they hurt or feel tired. The average
employee who takes breaks takes slightly more than three breaks per day. A
break to rest tired eyes is likely to last approximately 20 seconds – since the
average break recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology to reduce
digital eyestrain is 20 seconds (every 20 minutes, looking at 20 feet away).
Debilitating headaches from
light & glare
Almost everyone experiences
headaches, which can be distracting and outright debilitating – leading to
missed work and difficulties concentrating on the job. Of those who report
headaches, nearly one in four say they experience headaches caused by light or
glare.
Of all headaches, 5.4 percent
are severe enough to cause productivity loss of 3.5 hours per week at work,
according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association.
90 percent of employees say
headaches affect their work performance…
While 90 percent of employees
say headaches affect their work performance, only 33 percent tell their
employers, so it is likely a much bigger issue than most employers realize.
Each year, headaches cost the nation $17 billion dollars in absenteeism, lost
productivity and medical expenses, according to the National Headache
Foundation.
The causes of computer vision
syndrome are a combination of individual visual problems, poor workplace
conditions, and improper work habits (prolonged work exposure, sitting in
non-optimal posture), high concentration, continuous looking at a fixed object,
and lesser blinking of eyelids.
Other factors that contribute
to eye discomfort include:
·
Staring at a close, fixed object for a long period
of time
·
Glare from lighting fixtures that do not have
shades
·
Working near lighting with unchangeable
illumination
·
Uncorrected vision problems
·
Lack of colour variety in a worker’s
surroundings
·
Reducing eye discomfort
CCOHS recommends a variety of
tips to help reduce workplace-related eye problems, including:
Nature has designed our visual
system to be so dominant that we will alter our body posture to accommodate any
deficiency in the way we see. In many office situations, the vision of an
employee is compromised and they must adapt their postures to ease the strain
on the visual system. These situations will cause obvious physical problems
which can be easily remedied with the proper workstation and work environment
designs.
·
Place filters on overhead lighting to diffuse
the light.
·
Dim overhead lighting if it is too bright.
·
Adjust the brightness and contrast of computer
monitors to workers’ preferences.
·
Place computers parallel to – not directly
under – overhead lights, and angle monitors away from lights and windows.
·
Look away from your computer monitor every few
minutes. Focus on an object in the distance and blink several times.
Consider these statistics:
·
At least 75 percent of Indians require some
form of vision correction.
·
Approximately 4.2 million adults age 40 and
older are visually impaired
·
Nearly 37 million adults suffer from
age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma.
These diseases can cause vision loss and even blindness.
·
50,000 Indians lose their eyesight each year.
·
With proper care, 50 percent of all cases of
blindness could be prevented.
·
About 70 percent of Millennial workers report
symptoms of digital eye strain.
·
Nearly 5 percent of school-aged children have
eye problems that, if not treated, could lead to permanent vision loss.
·
More than 23 million Indians age 18 and older
have never had an eye exam.
Many employers recognise that
the quality of their employees’ vision can influence their performance and productivity
and require ongoing medical care. Vision problems cost American businesses
nearly $8 billion annually in lost productivity and medical expenses.
Fortunately, these statistics
can be improved if employees schedule routine eye examinations. During the
exam, the eye doctor will check for vision correction needs and look for signs
of diseases that could impact eyesight.
Many businesses have
discovered that by adding a vision plan to their benefits packages, they can
save $7 for every $1 they invest. Research shows that employees with access to
eye care coverage miss fewer work days, are more productive, and have fewer
costly medical procedures. Review these additional statistics:
·
On average, employees are 4 times more likely
to schedule an annual eye exam than a health physical exam.
·
Nearly 80 percent of employees use their vision
benefits for a comprehensive eye exam.
·
Employees are two times more likely to get an
eye exam if they are enrolled in a stand-alone vision plan.
·
Without vision insurance, people wait on
average over two years between eye exams.
Related Post:
https://jiyoaurjeenedoo.blogspot.com/2020/10/28-simple-tips-to-improve-eyesight.html
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