Eye Health
| |
For a Lifetime of Healthy Vision
We encourage everyone to learn what steps they can follow to ensure a lifetime of healthy eyesight. please contact us directly if you require information not discussed.
Protect your eyes from hazards around the house such as when using power tools or household chemicals since more people are injured at home than on the job.
Diet & Vitamins: maintain a healthy body weight, reduce levels of sugar and salt in the foods you eat & discuss with your doctor any supplements to prevent eye disease.
Annual eye health examinations: a yearly eye exam can ensure your eyes work at their best level of performance and last a lifetime for the leading causes of diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are first detected in the eyes
Don't smoke: smoking leads to higher incidences of cataracts, eye disease, and macular degeneration
Lubrication: Dry eyes contribute to blurred vision and eye infections Cooler outside temperatures and warmer inside temperatures dry out the atmosphere lowering your eyes moisture level. Perspiration dries out the ocular surface and Computer use reduces blinking by as much as 75% making your eyes drier Natural tear eye drops (not "get the red out" type drops) help the eye maintain proper moisture levels and are not habit forming.
Protect your eyes from ultraviolet exposure: sunglasses are the sunscreen for your eyes to prevent cataracts
Dry Eye
Dry, red, irritated eyes; we see them everyday. From the computer user to the machine operator and assembler; employees are seeking relief. What is often overlooked is how dry eyes of your workers can effect your business’s bottom line. Dry eye describes a condition when the eye cannot produce enough tears or tears that are lacking the proper composition. Normally healthy tears consist of three layers. The layers are often described as an outer oily layer, middle watery layer, and an inner mucus layer. Together the three layers are necessary for proper lubrication of the eye. . If untreated dry eye can interfere:
* with the clarity of your vision
* contact lens wearers experience irritation, reduced hours of wear, and possible infection
* with the health of eye tissue and possibly damage, even permanently scar, your cornea
What Causes Dry Eye?
Prolonged levels of concentration: Example: The eye usually blinks between 20 and 3 times per minute. This level drops to about five times when you view a monitor
Environmental factors
Exposure to debris in the work area
Outside workers open to the wind
Affects of cold or heat (sweating)
Contact with chemicals
Aging process
As we mature the eye’s natural process is to produce lower levels of tear volume
Medications
Certain prescriptions and over the counter medications (ex: cold & allergy) reduce tears
Fatigue
The human eyes requires at minimum 6 hours of sleep for proper functions the next day.
Contact lenses
Improper care & cleaning and over wear of the contacts are the largest contributors to reduced tear volume
Now that you are aware of the factors that contribute to worker dry eyes; how does a dry eye condition affect a business’s bottom line? Your employee may experience one or more of these symptoms.
Blurred vision
Affects productivity levels by as much as 9% and quality accuracy 38%
Foreign body sensation: time away from position to seek treatment from company personnel and/or medical specialist
Burning sensation
Dry eyes are more susceptible to infection and in turn the related medical treatment cost
Dry eye conditions and its severity vary from person to person. Treatment options for dry eye conditions range from:
- Simply applying natural tears when eyes feel dry and uncomfortable
- Moisturizing ointment or high viscosity lubricant before bed
- Modifying work environment to minimize environmental factors
- Educating employees as to causes and remedies for dry eye
- Seeking an eye care specialist for corrective measures such as punctual plugs ( Eye care professionals can evaluate dry eye syndrome via a slit lamp microscopic analysis, Rose Bengal test or a "Zone Quick" test)
- Providing safety eyewear to protect the eye from conditions which cause dry eye
Dry eye is a manageable condition and shouldn't be discounted as simply a minor nuisance. Remember if in a 2 - 3 day period your symptoms do not improve I recommend you consult your local private optometrist or consult your doctor for dry eye can be related to other medical problems. I have seen those lubricants by make a dramatic difference in the eyes of workers.
You can visit the web sites 
www.yourhealthyeyes.com, or www.refreshmyeyes.com for more information and a discount coupon