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Computer Vision Syndrome Do You Have It ?
By Bill Coughlin
It seams that everyday I spend more and more time on the computer and lately my eyes seam to be very tired. I did some research at the library and on line and I have found the following information that I hope will help you if you are having this problem. Over 175 million Americans use a computer either on the job or
at home. Nearly 75% of these people report vision problems as
a result of their computer use. Are you one them? Dry and irritated eyes, difficulty focusing, headaches, backaches,
neck strain, and double vision are just a few of the symptoms
caused by computer use. Collectively, these symptoms are known as "Computer Vision
Syndrome," which the American Optometric Association (AOA)
defines as being "related to near work - experienced during
computer use." Computer use causes near-point stress that is reported by
the AOA as one of the leading causes of nearsightedness
and its progression. How does the computer hurt your eyes? Human eyes were not made to look at a computer screen. The screen
you are viewing right now is actually made up of thousands of
pixels. Pixels are, essentially, colored dots that make up the
image you see or the text you read. The more pixels on your screen
for a given image, the clearer the image will appear. But your eyes cannot focus directly on each of these thousands of
pixels. Instead, you have to focus over and over to keep the
images sharp-which causes strain and tension in your eyes. Computer screens have also been shown to reduce blink rates by
up to five times! This is why your eyes feel dry and irritated
after staring at the screen. Think of blinking like breathing: you can't do without it. Reduced
blinking could be said to be the asthma of the eyes.
--Essential Tip #1: Monitor Your Monitor Repositioning your monitor is an easy and effective way to avoid
awkward head or eye movements. It should be squarely in front of
you at a distance of 18 to 28 inches, with the top of the monitor
(not the screen) level with your eyes. --Essential Tip #2: Glare Care Modifying your office lighting will eliminate glare and harsh
reflections. First, find the source of the glare: is it coming
from a window, task light, or the computer screen itself? --Essential Tip #3: Take a Break-the "10-10-10" Rule It's easy to lose track of time at the computer. So you need to
learn how to take a break. Here's how: Every time you are performing close vision work for over 10
consecutive minutes, look up and focus on anything that is
at least 10 feet away, for at least 10 seconds. --Essential Tip #4: Some Folks Have Special Needs Seniors should take extra care arranging their work stations. The
AOA notes that workers over 50 years of age require twice the
light levels of younger adults for comfortable work. By the same token, very often small children share the same
computer as their parents, a situation that can lead to injury,
as monitor distance and position have been set up to accommodate
the adults. So, short of quitting your job, what can you do about Computer
Vision Syndrome?
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 |  | adac appreciated this intel. Feb 15, 2011 |
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I loved reading this intel and I can relate. Thanks so much for these great tips Bill. ***** stars!
I have fussed for years around issues of vision and computer use. I use special computer glasses that reduce the glare, and since I usually use progressive lenses, my computer glasses are formed in such a way that I don't have to tilt my neck upwards to see the monitor.
Amidst all the changes in life - nothing changes. People have been complaining about work related vision problems since the written word became a major avenue down which to broadcast information. We never used posh words like 'syndrome' to worry people about something that was perfectly natural and easily countered. The very first thing I learned as a budding accountant was that I needed to exercise my eyes. It was a condition of my articles that I maintained my health. Naturally I could do nothing about improving my health where my cancers were concerned but a wiley old partner showed me how to protect my eyes. Every 15 to 20 minutes I was to examine the ceiling, look out of the window or go for a short walk. The changes in the use of my eyes from fixed focus reading and writing mode to multi-focus 'staring around' mode gave the iris and lens a physical work-out. Short walks helped to get me out of the dusty atmosphere generated by the tons of paper with which I was surrounded and upon which I worked. It was always refreshing to feel the tears washing the cornea and getting rid of an itchiness that I wasn't always aware of. Great intel and one that should be delivered with every computer. As an additional note, all computer monitors should come with simple instructions on how to adjust them. It is staggering how many people suffer with over-bright monitors when all they need to do is adjust them to reduce the brightness and glare!
Hi Bill, Great Intel. Knowing what to do, and actually doing it are two different things. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that nothing else registers. When I finally finish I find several hours have gone by and my eyes feel like pickled onions. Guess I should lighten up a bit. gilbertg
I've had these symptons at least a few times in the past several years, now I know what to do. Thanks.
Great Intel Bill. I spend up to 14 hours a day at my computer. A lot of my work involves retouching photos and editing video, so I need to focus closely on the screen. I always make sure that I "stretch" my eyes at regular intervals by going outside for a few minutes and focusing on some distant objects. Just in case I get too involved in my work and forget to rest, I set up a pop-up reminder with my Google calendar.
I've been staying on the computer longer since I've started freelance writing. I sure would follow your tips to avoid computer vision syndrome.
 | | sahm Dec 27, 2010 04:14 | |
Thanks Bill for this helpful intel. I am going to be more careful with my computer in the future. I appreciate especially the advice to look at something ten feet away for ten seconds every ten minutes. I tried it and it does indeed sort of "decompress" the feeling in my eyes. Thanks again.
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