Poor working conditions in the workplace also have an aggravating effect.
In today's age of increased technological demands, a very large number of indoor workers use computers. Studies conducted in the US have shown that 80% of computer operators have vision difficulties such as blurred vision far or near, dry eyes, headaches, photosensitivity, double vision, neck and/or back pain, etc.
In some cases the symptoms disappear after work. However, several workers report persistence of these symptoms or permanent changes in their vision. In these cases, any symptoms should be examined by an ophthalmologist, and any problems should be treated immediately. Subsequently, and if the nature of the symptoms is functional, the optometrist will recommend and apply the appropriate solution.
The presbyopia
After the age of 40, the most important factor in the reduction of visual function is presbyopia. It presents with an inability to focus at close distances and then at medium and distant distances. In Greece we have 100,000 new cases of presbyopia every year, a number that represents 42% of workers over 55 years of age.
The first symptom that appears is a feeling of fatigue in the presbyope, who should immediately visit the ophthalmologist to solve his problem in order to maintain his efficiency at work and regain a good quality of life (reading, writing, etc.). He should not, whatever the subject of his work, overlook any problems in vision, in terms of reporting both near and far distances.
In the case of people who are myopic, presbyopia tends to occur after the age of 40, unlike hyperopia who may notice a decrease in vision at short distances even from the age of 35. In the latter case, many hyperopia sufferers fail to suspect that the symptoms may be due to incipient presbyopia, believing that they are outside the age range that presbyopia can affect, looking for causes in other factors.
The benefits of multifocal glasses
Modern optical technology provides two solutions compared to simple crescent presbyopic glasses:
1. The new presbyopic who does not use distance correction can obtain glasses with extended depth of field lenses, which cover both near and intermediate vision. The benefit is great as this enables them to see comfortably from 35 cm up to 2.5 metres. This can translate into a depth of field of up to 200% greater than glasses, which are only intended for near vision.
2. For the more mature presbyopes or those who need a long distance correction from the beginning, the use of multifocal lenses is the ideal solution. The multifocal lens accelerates all the necessary corrections of vision ( far - middle - near), in any refractive anomaly (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) with a single lens with vertical gradual change of degrees.
The multifocal glasses are made so that the upper part of the glasses covers the patient's distance correction and by gradually lowering the patient's gaze downwards, the patient passes through successive zones of intermediate vision until he or she reaches the lowest point of the lens corresponding to the near correction. These zones and their variations are not visible by a dividing line, as is the case with binoculars or trifocals.
Thus, with a single pair of glasses he will be able to see comfortably and clearly at all distances. In this way he avoids the cost of two or three pairs of glasses, and also avoids having to change them, a process that is very tedious, time-consuming and perhaps even irritating.
The latest generation of multifocal glasses provide a particularly easy and comfortable fit. Their high refractive index manufacturing capabilities allow for extremely thin and lightweight construction, even if very high degrees of myopia or hyperopia are involved.
At the same time, the use of multifocal glasses eliminates the «bad» postures of the body, which may have developed compensatory before the proper correction, while reducing musculoskeletal stresses at work, and not only.
Contact lens wearers
Many contact lens users often report symptoms of intolerance while working at the computer. The frequency of blinking plays a very important role in this. It should be noted that on average, under normal conditions, we blink about 22 times a minute.
But research shows that when we read this number is reduced by 10 times, while when we work in front of a screen the number is reduced to only 7 times a minute. This results in dehydration of the contact lens and intolerance. If we now add the electrostatic load of the screen, which attracts dust and smoke, then we certainly have a polluted environment.
In these cases, the optician should suggest a contact lens of different hydrophilicity and parameters to the person concerned in order to solve the problem. He may also suggest artificial tears that hydrate and lubricate the lens.
