Series Marathon? - Protect your eyes

While we are at home we want to make good use of the time and find activities to do alone or with family. One of the most popular ways to spend time is watching TV series. After long hours in front of the screen, you have to think about something important: the health of your eyes.

You've just finished a marathon of that series you can't get enough of and your eyes feel tired?

Performing tasks in front of a screen reduces the number of times you blink and the lubrication of your eyes. For this reason, we can get dry eyes. To enjoy every moment without missing a single episode, here are some tips to protect your eyes:

1. Screens and our eyes

Whether you are watching your series on your computer, tablet or smartphone, make sure you sit 50-80cm from the screen, with the monitor slightly below your line of sight and adjust the screen brightness if necessary to ensure your eyes are comfortable. It is important to rest your eyes regularly and fortunately we can put the series on pause!

2. Stay hydrated 

Hydration plays an essential role in the functioning of our bodies, including eye health! Drinking water prevents dry eyes and other associated problems.

3. Contact lenses? Take a break

If you wear contact lenses, you know that after a few hours of wear, it can cause discomfort. Prolonged wear can aggravate dry eye, so it is recommended that you don't exceed the recommended daily wear time, take a break! When you put them on, moisturize your eyes with eye drops appropriate for them.

4. A balanced diet

A balanced diet makes a difference in eye health! Foods rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, such as oily fish and legumes, are essential for protecting your eyes from dryness.

5. Take care of your eyes

It is essential that you moisturize your eyes throughout the day, especially when you spend long hours in front of a screen. Use artificial tear or eye drops to protect, moisturize and lubricate the surface of your eyes, and if you wear contact lenses, make sure the drops are appropriate.

There are other habits that damage the health of our eyes

Besides staying up late so as not to miss the series we love we spend hours simply browsing social networks. 

But what are the symptoms of dry and irritated eyes? Here are  a few that you should be aware of: 

• The feeling of tired eyesight;
• Redness;
• Itching or burning; and in some cases;
• The eyes may also become watery and sensitive to light. 
• This happens due to daily habits that seem harmless but can have negative consequences.
• We should relax and do what we like, however we also have to think about our health.
  
  

Habits that cause dryness and eye irritation

• Prolonged use of computers and smartphones;
• Central heating and air conditioning;
• Mechanical stress, such as wearing contact lenses;
• Use of certain medications such as the birth control pill.

Prolonged use of bright screens is one of the causes of dry eyes, and we should moderate our use of them. In fact, there are some ways to prevent these symptoms, simple daily cares that at the end of the day make all the difference.

5 habits that help prevent dry eyes

• Rest your eyes! It may sound simple but it is essential that you sleep at least 8 hours every day, and before going to bed avoid sitting in front of screens for long periods of time;
• Whenever you are at the computer, make sure you sit at least 50-80cm from the screen;
• Remember to blink regularly. You may not even realize it, but when we are in front of the computer for a long time we blink less often and this damages eye lubrication;
•  Although not the first thing that comes to mind when we think of improving the health of our eyes, diet is important. Drinking water throughout the day ensures hydration, including of the ocular surface. You should also include foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids;
• Use eye drops whenever necessary that are intended to  moisturize/lubricate the eyes. These should have a formula that effectively soothes the symptoms of dryness and if you wear contact lenses, choose drops that can be used with all types of lenses without having to remove them to apply the drops.
  
  

Sources
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