In this modern digital age, most professionals flit from one screen to another while going about our daily tasks, or remain fixated to one screen for prolonged  periods, many overlook the need to pay attention to individual habits of eye care.

Here are some basic pointers on basic individual eye care by the Tan Tock Seng Eye Centre

1. Recognise the importance the regular and routine eye examinations, and take note of healthy habits to do with computers.

2. Take a break: Reduce the strain on your eyes by taking visual breaks. One recommended strategy is the "3-B" approach - Blink, Breathe and Break. For breaks consider the 20/20/20 rule - for every 20 minutes, look 20-feet (6-meters) away for 20 seconds.

3. Avoid wearing contact lenses to sleep, which can cause permanent vision damage, as well as extreme discomfort to your eyes.

 4. Always take time to remove your eye makeup before going to bed. If you go to bed with mascara or eyeliner still on, the chemicals may get into your eyes and cause irritation.

5. Wear Ultraviolet (UV) protective sunglasses when outdoor. Choose sunglasses with a sticker that specifies that the lenses block 99% or 100% of Ultraviolet A (UVA) or Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.

6. Always wear goggles in hazardours environments.

7. Get plenty of sleep. Inadequate sleep may contribute to eye fatigue. Symptoms of eye fatigue include eye irritation, difficulty focusing, dryness or excessive tears, blurred or double vision, light sensitvity, or pain in the neck, shoulders or back.

By Jia Lin, Senior Staff Nurse
Department of Ophthalmology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

This article first appeared in the April - June 2016 issue of GP BUZZ, a publication by Tan Tock Seng Hospital.