A Guide to Preventing Computer-Induced Eye Strain
Unfortunately, sitting at a computer all day long is a reality for many of
us, together with the consequences that doing so has on our health. The most
affected area of our body is undoubtedly our eyes, which are prone to being
strained following long periods of computer use. With that being said, there
are numerous things you can do to prevent computer-induced eye strain. Take a
look:
A. Relax Your Eyes
1. Use the 20-20-20 Rule
This one is a really easy and effective way of reducing eye strain while
working at a computer. After every 20 minutes of use, take your eyes off the
screen, and look away for 20 seconds at an object that’s at least 20 feet away.
2. Blink More
Looking at a computer screen usually makes us blink much less than we do
normally. To avert the negative effects of this, simply be more aware of how
many times you’re blinking while you’re working.
3. Roll Your Eyes
Closing and rolling your eyes will help to lubricate them. It will also
help to relieve muscle strain. All you need to do is close your eyes and roll
them around in a circular motion. You can roll them in both clockwise and
anticlockwise directions.
4. Scan the Room
After an extended period of looking at your computer screen, take your eyes
off of it and look around the room slowly. Keep your eyes moving by looking at
different things in the room that are at varying distances away from you.
5. Do Some Glances
Close your eyes and glance upwards as far as you can without it being
uncomfortable. Once you’ve done so, hold your eyes still for a few seconds then
look downward keeping them closed. Repeat the process a few times and rest your
eyes for a moment.
6. Palming
rest your eyes using friction heat, rub your palms together and close your
eyes. Place one palm gently over each eye and rest them for a few minutes. Warm
your palms up again if necessary. Be careful to ensure that you don’t push your
hands into your eyes too hard.
B. Change Your Environment
1. Re-position Your Screen
The angle of your screen relative to your eyes can have a significant
impact on the amount of eye strain you experience. The top of your screen
should be aligned with your eyes, and the screen itself should be positioned at
slightly lower than eye level. Experiment with different angles to see what
works best.
2. Re-position Your Face
Your face should be between 20 and
40 inches away from the screen when using a computer. Although it might seem
like this will make your eyes work harder, they’ll actually be relaxed at this
distance. You can also consider using a larger screen or increasing the font
size on your computer to improve this.
3. Adjust the Brightness and Contrast
Turning down the brightness and turning up the contrast on your computer
screen will also help to reduce eye strain. Too much brightness is hard on the
eyes, as is a lack of clear distinction between dark and light colors.
4. Clean Your Screen
Wipe down your screen daily with an anti-static solution sprayed onto a
cloth. This will clean electrostatic particles off your screen, preventing them
from pushing dust toward your eyes (which causes irritation and strain).
Cleaning your screen also helps to reduce glare.
5. Adjust the Lighting
The lighting in the room that you work in should be roughly as bright as
the light being emitted from your screen. The ideal workspace consists of soft
artificial lighting, limited natural light, no fluorescent lighting and
non-reflective surfaces.
6. Reduce Glare
If controlling the lighting in your work environment is not an option,
consider investing in an anti-glare screen or anti-glare glasses to use while
you’re working. Note that anti-glare screens are easier to find and purchase
for desktop computers than they are for laptops.
7. Upgrade Your Screen
If you’ve been using the same screen for years on end, it might be time to
upgrade to a new one. This is because modern screens have much higher
resolutions than older ones, and thus flicker a lot less. Flickering can cause
eye strain, so minimizing it is a good idea.
8. Re-position Your Work Materials
Repeatedly shifting your eyes (unless it’s for exercise purposes) when
using a computer can actually increase eye strain. You can avoid shifting your
eyes by buying a stand for your books and papers so that you can reach for them
easily. Touch-typing is also a great skill to have in order to avoid having to
take your eyes off your screen while working.
C. Dealing with Severe Strain
1. Take a Break
If eye strain is causing you severe discomfort, step away from your
computer immediately and head outdoors into natural light. You can also try
dimming indoor lights and giving yourself a break from any bright light
source.
2. Get Some Glasses
Having an eye test done is always a good idea if you work long hours on a
computer. It might determine that you need to start wearing glasses while using
it. If you wear glasses already, it might be a good idea to ensure that you’re
wearing the correct prescription.
3. See a Doctor
If you have persistent symptoms that are having a detrimental effect on
your life, be sure to visit your doctor. They might send you for an eye test,
change the type of glasses you wear, or alert you to specific factors related
to eye strain that are causing your symptoms.