Office workers who spend hours staring at their computer screen are damaging their eyes because they are not blinking enough, warn experts.
We naturally blink between one and three times a minute when we’re concentrating on a computer, according to research. This compares with up to 20 times when we are not. Blinking helps keep the eyes moist and free of dirt and irritants. Infrequent blinking can result in blurred vision, dry eyes and headaches.
A survey of 2,000 adults reveals how a typical office worker spends more than five-and-half hours a day looking at a screen. Of those who spend their days in front of a monitor, 88 per cent said their eyes feel tired, dry and heavy.
Headaches caused by eye strain have affected more than a third of office workers and one in five has even experienced blurred or disturbed vision. The study for Hycosan and Optase Eye Care, said two in five of us cannot recall their last screen-free day. Eye care expert and Sabrina Shah-Desai, said: ‘The results demonstrate how screens have really taken over our lives. It’s vital that we have regular breaks from artificial light and digital devices. Office workers, in general, are more prone to dry eye disease as we naturally blink less when concentrating.’