Do you ever get that fatigued feeling after just a couple of hours at work, have a nagging headache by the end of the day, or even experienced irritated eyes or eye twitching? Maybe you just chalked it up to stress from the job (or maybe your co-workers), but when was the last time you had a comprehensive eye exam? Many of us don’t even notice eyestrain, but it is the most common job related complaint, especially if you do a lot of work on the computer.
Studies have found looking at a computer screen on a daily basis can take a toll on your eyes, computer vision syndrome (CVS) affects almost 90% of office workers. Focusing on objects far away is easier on vision, our eye muscles must work harder to see things close up. Staring at a computer for an extended period of time causes the muscles in your eyes to strain, which can lead to vision problems.
Here are some helpful tips to reduce eye strain or computer vision syndrome (CVS)
Modifying the room lighting to reduce the harsh glare and reflections, changing the brightness or contrast on the computer screen, and closing the window shades, all may help you focus and reduce the needs to squint.
Move the computer to minimize eye strain. For comfortable focusing distance the screen should be about 20 to 26 inches away from your eyes, about an arm’s length.
To ease eye strain ensure the computer screen is directly in front of your eyes instead of to the side.
Adjust your posture to reduce strain on your neck, shoulders and back. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent at a 90 degree angle. While looking at the computer slightly tilt your head down. The mouse and keyboard should be lower than the elbow and within easy reach.
Reduce muscle and eye fatigue by taking frequent breaks. Take the time to stretch, stand and give your eyes time to relax. Eye drops and frequent blinking will keep eyes from feeling itchy and drying out.
Remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to relax your eye muscles.
Computer use has become part of the modern workday, the best way to prevent eye discomfort and fatigue is to see the vision specialist at Lake Nona Eye Care. In most cases, those who don’t uses glasses on a daily basis can benefit from special prescription glasses made just for computer use. For those who already wear glasses, updating their current prescription to meet the unique demands of computer viewing can alleviate the symptoms. Special lens designs, lens coating and tinting, and lens powers can maximize comfort and vision.