Computer Eye Strain

Glare may come from 1.Direct glare into the eyes from ceiling/ desk lights or light coming in from the window 2.Reflected glare from the computer screen

Do you have Eyestrain?

Symptoms of Eye Strain

1. Sore, tired, burning or itching eyes
2. Watery eyes
3. Dry eyes
4. Blurred or double vision
5. Sore neck
6. Sore back
7. Shoulder pain
8. Increased sensitivity to light
9. Headache
10. Having trouble shifting your focus between monitor and paper documents
11. Seeing color fringes or afterimages when you look away from the monitor

How To Prevent or Treat Eye Strains?

Although strain on your eyes can be annoying, it usually is not serious and goes away once you rest your eyes. There are no long-term consequences. Though I'm sure you'll agree with me that the clarity of your eye sight and freedom of not wearing eye glasses are worth preserving!

The following things you can do the prevent/ treat eyestrain:

1. Take breaks by getting away from the computer desk for a few minutes

2. Eyes need to focus at different distances from time to time. It's a good idea to follow the "20/20 rule" --- every twenty minutes, look twenty feet away for twenty seconds

3. Every 20 minutes, blink 10 times by closing your eyes as if falling asleep (very slowly). This will help rewet your eyes.

4. Blinking is very important when working at a computer; it rewets your eyes to avoid dryness and irritation

5. Massaging the temples with your eyes closed for a minute may alleviate the symptoms

6. It is recommended that the viewing distance be around 45 inches away at horizontal eye level or 35 inches away with a 30-degree downward gaze angle

7. The general rule is to keep viewed material as far away as possible, provided it can be read easily. There is no such thing as sitting too far away from the screen as long as you can comfortably read what is on the screen! And don't forget that you can increase the font on the screen by zooming into the webpage, document or changing the resolution on the screen.

8. keep viewed objects at about the same distance if you have to look back and forth a lot eg. Reading paper documents and looking at the screen to perform a task

9. Looking downward means more of the eye surface is covered by the eyelid, and two other things happen: the eyes unconsciously blink more, and they produce more lubrication

10. Computer glasses put the optimum lens power for viewing your computer screen right where you need it for a clear, wide field of view without the need for excessive focusing effort or unhealthful postures. The simplest computer glasses have single vision lenses.

a. This lens power relaxes the amount of accommodation required to keep objects in focus at the distance of the computer screen and provides the largest field of view

b. The lenses can be tinted to remove reflections of light from the front and back surfaces of your lenses that can cause eye strain. They also reduce glare caused by harsh overhead lighting found in many office environments

Read more about these unique computer glasses

See also Visual Ergonomics and Monitor Ergonomics for more information.

Article references http://www.office-ergo.com/12things1.htm

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