how to relieve computer eye strain

8/17/2019 How to Relieve Computer Eye Strain

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How to Relieve Computer Eye Strain

Posted on July 21, 2014 by achikhasi

Tips to Relieve Computer Eye Strain

How to Relieve Computer Eye Strain – ipsCVS (computer vision syndrome), more commonly known as computer eye

strain is a combination of vision problems noticed durin and after workin lon

!ours on t!e computer"

#it! so many of us usin computers at work, computer eye strain !as become a

ma$or $ob%related complaint" Studies s!ow t!at eye strain and ot!er bot!ersome

visual symptoms occur in &' to ' percent of computer workers"

T!ese problems can rane from p!ysical fatiue, decreased productivity and

increased numbers of work errors, to minor annoyances like eye twitc!in and

red eyes"

Symptoms

Eyestrain and fatiue

lurred or fu**y vision

+i**iness, upset stomac!

+iculty focusin on work

-eadac!es and miraine !eadac!es

+ry, red, or irritated eyes

.ncreased myopia (nearsi!tedness)

Color vision c!anes

Slow ability to refocus

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E/cessive tiredness

0eck strain, s!oulder, and upper and lower back pain

1ccasional double vision, or eye%coordination problems

Causes

Too close to computer

Too many !ours at t!e computer

linkin less

Poor posture

Poor li!tin

E/cessive lare

-ere are 2' easy steps you can take to reduce your risk of computer eye strain

and ot!er common symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS)3

1! "et a comprehensive eye e#am!

-avin a routine compre!ensive eye e/am is t!e most important t!in you can

do to prevent or treat computer vision problems"

4ccordin to t!e 0ational .nstitute of 1ccupational Safety and -ealt! (0.1S-),

computer users s!ould !ave an eye e/am before t!ey start workin on a

computer and once a year t!ereafter"

+urin your e/am, be sure to tell your eye doctor !ow often you use a computer

at work and at !ome" 5easure !ow far your eyes are from your screen w!en you

sit at your computer, and brin t!is measurement to your e/am so your eye

doctor can test your eyes at t!at speci6c workin distance"

2! $se proper li%htin%!

Eye strain often is caused by e/cessively bri!t li!t eit!er from outdoor

sunli!t comin in t!rou! a window or from !ars! interior li!tin" #!en you

use a computer, your ambient li!tin s!ould be about !alf as bri!t as t!at

typically found in most oces"

Eliminate e/terior li!t by closin drapes, s!ades or blinds" Reduce interior

li!tin by usin fewer li!t bulbs or 7uorescent tubes, or use lower intensity



bulbs and tubes" .f possible, position your computer monitor or screen so

windows are to t!e side, instead of in front or be!ind it"

5any computer users 6nd t!eir eyes feel better if t!ey can avoid workin under

over!ead 7uorescent li!ts" .f possible, turn o8 t!e over!ead 7uorescent li!ts

in your oce and use 7oor lamps t!at provide indirect incandescent or !aloen

li!tin instead"

Sometimes switc!in to 9full spectrum: 7uorescent li!tin t!at more closely

appro/imates t!e li!t spectrum emitted by sunli!t can be more comfortin for

computer work t!an reular 7uorescent tubes" ut even full spectrum li!tin

can cause discomfort if it;s too bri!t" Try reducin t!e number of 7uorescent

tubes installed above your computer workspace if you are bot!ered by over!eadli!tin"

&! 'inimi(e %lare!

<lare on walls and 6nis!ed surfaces, as well as re7ections on your computer

screen also can cause computer eye strain" Consider installin an anti%lare

screen on your monitor and, if possible, paint bri!t w!ite walls a darker color

wit! a matte 6nis!"

4ain, cover t!e windows" #!en outside li!t cannot be reduced, consider usin

a computer !ood"

.f you wear lasses, purc!ase lenses wit! anti%re7ective (4R) coatin" 4R coatin

reduces lare by minimi*in t!e amount of li!t re7ectin o8 t!e front and back

surfaces of your eyelass lenses"

4! $p%ra)e your )isplay!

.f you !ave not already done so, replace your old tube%style monitor (called a

cat!ode ray tube or CRT) wit! a 7at%panel li=uid crystal display (>C+), like t!ose

on laptop computers"



>C+ screens are easier on t!e eyes and usually !ave an anti%re7ective surface"

1ld%fas!ioned CRT screens can cause a noticeable 97icker: of imaes, w!ic! is a

ma$or cause of computer eye strain" Even if t!is 7icker is imperceptible, it still

can contribute to eye strain and fatiue durin computer work"

Complications due to 7icker are even more likely if t!e refres! rate of t!e

monitor is less t!an ?& !ert* (-*)" .f you must use a CRT at work, ad$ust t!e

display settins to t!e !i!est possible refres! rate"

#!en c!oosin a new 7at panel display, select a screen wit! t!e !i!est

resolution possible" Resolution is related to t!e 9dot pitc!: of t!e display"

<enerally, displays wit! a lower dot pitc! !ave s!arper imaes" C!oose a

display wit! a dot pitc! of "@A mm or smaller"

Blicker is not an issue wit! >C+ screens, since t!e bri!tness of pi/els on t!e

display are controlled by a 9backli!t: t!at typically operates at @'' -*"

.f you see a lower refres! rate (e"" ' -*) noted on an >C+ screen, don;t worry

D t!is refers to !ow often a new imae is received from t!e video card, not !ow

often t!e pi/el bri!tness of t!e display is updated, and t!is function typically is

not associated wit! eye strain"

Binally, c!oose a relatively lare display" Bor a desktop computer, select a

display t!at !as a diaonal screen si*e of at least 2 inc!es"

*! +)ust your computer )isplay settin%s!

4d$ustin t!e display settins of your computer can !elp reduce eye strain and

fatiue" <enerally, t!ese ad$ustments are bene6cial3

-ri%htness! 4d$ust t!e bri!tness of t!e display so it;s appro/imately t!e

same as t!e bri!tness of your surroundin workstation" 4s a test, look at

t!e w!ite backround of t!is #eb pae" .f it looks like a li!t source, it;s too

bri!t" .f it seems dull and ray, it may be too dark"



e#t si(e an) contrast! 4d$ust t!e te/t si*e and contrast for comfort,

especially w!en readin or composin lon documents" sually, black print

on a w!ite backround is t!e best combination for comfort"

Color temperature! T!is is a tec!nical term used to describe t!e

spectrum of visible li!t emitted by a color display" lue li!t is s!ort%

wavelent! visible li!t t!at is associated wit! more eye strain t!an loner

wavelent! !ues, suc! as orane and red" Reducin t!e color temperature

of your display lowers t!e amount of blue li!t emitted by a color display

for better lon%term viewin comfort"

Bor computers runnin on a 5icrosoft #indows operatin system, display

settins can be ad$usted in Control Panel" Bor an 4pple computer, display

settins are found in Systems Preferences (in t!e 4pplications folder in

Binder)".n some cases, t!e color temperature of a desktop computer monitor is ad$usted

on t!e display itself"

.! -link more o/ten!

linkin is very important w!en workin at a computerF blinkin moistens your

eyes to prevent dryness and irritation"

#!en workin at a computer, people blink less fre=uently D about one%t!ird asoften as t!ey normally do D and many blinks performed durin computer work

are only partial lid closures, accordin to studies"

Tears coatin t!e eye evaporate more rapidly durin lon non%blinkin p!ases

and t!is can cause dry eyes" 4lso, t!e air in many oce environments is dry,

w!ic! can increase !ow =uickly your tears evaporate, placin you at reater risk

for dry eye problems"

.f you e/perience dry eye symptoms, ask your eye doctor about arti6cial tears

for use durin t!e day"

y t!e way, don;t confuse lubricatin eye drops wit! t!e drops formulated to

9et t!e red out": T!e latter can indeed make your eyes look better D t!ey

contain inredients t!at reduce t!e si*e of blood vessels on t!e surface of your



eyes to 9w!iten: t!em" ut t!ey are not necessarily formulated to reduce

dryness and irritation"

To reduce your risk of dry eyes durin computer use, try t!is e/ercise3 Every @'

minutes, blink 2' times by closin your eyes as if fallin asleep (very slowly)"

T!is will !elp rewet your eyes"

! E#ercise your eyes!

4not!er cause of computer eye strain is focusin fatiue" To reduce your risk of

tirin your eyes by constantly focusin on your screen, look away from your

computer at least every @' minutes and a*e at a distant ob$ect (at least @' feet

away) for at least @' seconds" Some eye doctors call t!is t!e 9@'%@'%@' rule":

>ookin far away rela/es t!e focusin muscle inside t!e eye to reduce fatiue"

4not!er e/ercise is to look far away at an ob$ect for 2'%2& seconds, t!en a*e at

somet!in up close for 2'%2& seconds" T!en look back at t!e distant ob$ect" +o

t!is 2' times"

T!is e/ercise reduces t!e risk of your eyes; focusin ability to 9lock up: (a

condition called accommodative spasm) after proloned computer work"

ot! of t!ese e/ercises will reduce your risk of computer eye strain" 4lso,

remember to blink fre=uently durin t!e e/ercises to reduce your risk of

computer%related dry eye"

! ake /reuent 3reaks!

To reduce your risk for computer vision syndrome and neck, back and s!oulder

pain, take fre=uent breaks durin your computer work day"

5any workers take only two 2&%minute breaks from t!eir computer t!rou!out

t!eir work day" 4ccordin to a recent 0.1S- study, discomfort and eye strain

were sini6cantly reduced w!en computer workers took four additional 6ve%

minute 9mini%breaks: t!rou!out t!eir work day"



4nd t!ese supplementary breaks did not reduce t!e workers; productivity" +ata

entry speed was sini6cantly faster as a result of t!e e/tra breaks, so work

output was maintained even t!ou! t!e workers !ad @' e/tra minutes of break

time eac! day"

+urin your computer breaks, stand up, move about and stretc! your arms,

les, back, neck and s!oulders to reduce tension and muscle fatiue"

C!eck your local bookstore or consult your 6tness club for suestions on

developin a =uick se=uence of e/ercises you can perform durin your breaks

and after work to reduce tension in your arms, neck, s!oulders and back"

! 'o)i/y your workstation!

.f you need to look back and fort! between a printed pae and your computer

screen, t!is can cause eye strain" Place written paes on a copy stand ad$acent

to t!e monitor"

>i!t t!e copy stand properly" Gou may want to use a desk lamp, but make sure

it doesn;t s!ine into your eyes or onto your computer screen"

.mproper posture durin computer work also contributes to computer visionsyndrome" 4d$ust your workstation and c!air to t!e correct !ei!t"

Purc!ase eronomic furniture to enable you to position your computer screen @'

to @H inc!es from your eyes" T!e center of your screen s!ould be about 2' to 2&

derees below your eyes for comfortable positionin of your !ead and neck"

10! Consi)er computer eyewear!

Bor t!e reatest comfort at your computer, you mi!t bene6t from !avin your

eye care professional modify your eyelasses prescription to create customi*ed

computer lasses" T!is is especially true if you normally wear contact lenses,

w!ic! may become dry and uncomfortable durin sustained computer work"



Computer lasses also are a ood c!oice if you wear bifocals or proressive

lenses, because t!ese lenses enerally are not optimal for t!e distance to your

computer screen"

Courtesy of All About Vision

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