General EYE ADVICE

Recommendations:

(i) (a) Practice good visual hygiene and avoid inappropriate use of the eyes. Advice on visual hygiene is given in appendix (II) above entitled PROTECT YOUR GOOD VISION. This advice is of a general nature and applies for anyone who engages in a lot of close work, including computer operators, students, etc.

For those working with VDU’s, practice the recommendations given at the end of the discussion on computers and eye usage that are concerned with the way you use your eyes.

(b) Have regular eye examinations especially if there are any early symptoms of eyesight problems. These include slow refocusing from one object to another especially when looking away onto a distant object, tiredness of the eyes, momentary blurring of the vision on the VDU screen etc. Early detection and treatment of even minor vision defects can prevent eyestrain and the onset of more significant and permanent eyesight problems. It is of even greater importance for new VDU users to have their eyes examined within a couple of months of beginning their new work.

(c) There are spectacle lenses available nowadays that are specially designed to be worn by computer operators. Your optometrist would be able to give you more information about the various types of lenses that are available. It is important to realise that people who have no vision defects can develop problems over time if the eyes are used intensively. For this reason, it would be wise for those users who know that they use their eyes heavily, to have their eyes examined in view of obtaining performance or "relaxing" type lenses. These lenses would help to prevent eyestrain or sight changes if they are worn when the eyes are used for prolonged close work. This is especially important if one already has early symptoms of eyestrain. These types of lenses are termed "performance" lenses, as they help a normal-sighted individual to perform eye work at a higher level of efficiency.

(ii) Always wear protective goggles when attempting any grinding, drilling, welding, and when working with lime or any strong alkali, cement or acids. It is often the minor or quick jobs which do not appear to warrant wearing safety goggles, that often lead to serious eye injury.

Any chemical burns to the eye should be immediately treated by copious irrigation of the eyes with saline or water. Alkali burns in particular require constant irrigation for about twenty minutes. Immediately consult your eyecare practitioner or nearest hospital for assessment and further referral to a corneal specialist if needed.

If any metallic foreign body is suspected of being embedded in the eye, it is best to see your eye-care practitioner within a couple of hours. This is because in most cases, the metallic foreign body contains iron, which can quickly rust and stain the surrounding external eye tissue, which then needs to be removed as well.

Protective eye goggles are also necessary in those sporting activities that employ small-sized balls, such as golf and squash. These balls are small enough to fit into the eye socket and can inflict very serious eye damage. For those people who already wear prescription spectacles, polycarbonate plastic lenses offer greater resistance to breakage than normal CR 39 plastic lenses. Sun protection is important for all age groups. Those people requiring a prescription for outdoors should ensure that a U.V. filter is included in their lenses.

(iii) Perform nasal rinsing with saline, especially if air pollution at work or at home leads to chronic conjunctivitis. See appendix II in Part II (B) for a copy of the handout that we give to our patients, explaining the process of NASAL RINSING.

Next
Section 1D