There are some activities that can cause eyestrain, such as: working with computer, reading, watching TV and even driving. Personal factors also contribute to eyestrain like poor vision, physical fatigue and stress. Basically, eyestrain happens when you focus the eyes on one object or distance for too long and strains one or more of the eye muscles. Some of the eyestrain symptoms are: eye soreness, dry or itchy eyes, blurred vision, spasms around the eyes, and headaches / migraines.
It is understandable that those who spend most of the time working with computer usually have higher risk of eyestrain. Without realizing it, computer workers force their eyes to focus on the screen for a long time. It is worsen by the low light level, bad viewing angle, inappropriate brightness level and glare.
These are some tips to reduce the risk of eyestrain, especially for computer workers:
- Use the screen protectors.
This is an effective way to minimize glare or reflection on your computer so that you can work with it more comfortably.
- Adjust the brightness of the computer screen and text size.
The brightness of the screen should be the same as your work environment. If the screen looks like a light source, it’s too bright. If it seems dull and gray, it may be too dark. The text size should be optimized for your eyes comfort. It could be vary for each, but ideally the size is three times the smallest text size you can read from your normal viewing position. Do not make your eyes work harder to read the text.
- Keep your eyes moist
Blinking is important to keep your eyes moist and prevent irritation. Every 20 minutes, blink 10 times by closing your eyes as if falling asleep. This exercise will help you to rewet your eyes. You can also relax your eyes by doing the 20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, you can take a 20 second break by looking at something 20 feet away.
If your eyes are still dry, you can ask the doctor about artificial tears. But note that red eye reducers are not artificial tears. They are not necessarily formulated to reduce dryness and irritation.
- Avoid excessive light from outdoor sunlight or from interior lighting.
Excessive light in your working room / office may cause glare on the computer. Close the drapes to minimize the exterior light and use lower intensity bulbs and tubes to reduce interior lighting. To minimize glare, it is also better to place the monitor/screen at a right angle to light sources or windows.
- Wear glasses with anti-reflective (AR) coating.
Use the glasses that are specially designed to protect your eyes from glare.
- Vary your viewing distance.
You need to do this to avoid the eyes from concentrating on one distance for too long.
- Apply an ergonomic computer setup.
These are some ergonomic guidelines for the monitor / screen:
- Place the monitor as far away from you as possible while maintaining the ability to read without consciously focusing. Keep a minimum distance of 20 inches.
- Place the center of the screen at a 15 degree down angle from your eyes with your neck only slightly bent holding your head perpendicular to the floor.
- Align the monitor and the keyboard / mouse.
- Set the refresh rate at a minimum of 70 Hz to limit flicker.
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