Eye strain is a common problem in the workplace due to so many people using computers. Eye strain and other vision problems can be seen in between 50-90% of computer users.
For eyes beauty and health you need to take these things seriously. These issues include physical fatigue, reduced productivity, increased errors at work, and minor irritations like involuntary shaking or red-eye.
These are 10 simple steps to help reduce eye strain.
1. Get a complete eye exam.
A routine comprehensive exam is one of the most important things you can do to prevent or treat computer-related eye problems. Schedule an appointment with your nearest eye specialist if you haven’t had an eye examination in more than a year.
Tell your eye doctor about how often you use computers at work and home during the exam. Measure how far your eyes are from your computer screen and bring it with you to your exam. This will allow your eye doctor to test your eyes at this distance. You should do this as fast as you can.
2. Use adequate lighting.
Eye strain can be caused by too bright light. This could be from the sun shining through windows or indoor lighting. Ambient lighting should not be as bright as the typical office lighting when you use your computer. You should take your eyes health seriously as your skincare priority.
Close curtains and blinds to reduce outside light. Use fewer fluorescent tubes or light bulbs to reduce interior lighting or opt for lower intensity lamps or tubes. Your computer monitor/screen should be placed so that windows are close to it.
Computer users often find their eyes feel more comfortable if they can avoid working in direct sunlight. Turn off fluorescent ceiling lights if possible and install floor lamps with incandescent light or halogen lamps that provide indirect lighting.
3. Reduce reflection.
Eye strain can be caused by reflections and glare from surfaces or walls. You might consider installing an anti-glare monitor on your computer. If possible, you should paint walls that are brightly colored with a matte finish.
Cover the windows again. If outside light is too strong, you might consider using a computer screen visor.
Wear glasses with anti-reflective (AR), coating. Anti-reflective coating reduces glare by reducing light reflections from the lenses’ front and back surfaces.
4. Get a better screen.
Replace your cathode-ray tube (CRT), monitor, with a flat-panel liquid-crystal LCD (LCD), if you haven’t already.
LCD screens are more comfortable for the eyes, and many have anti-glare surfaces. Older CRT screens can cause visible image flickering. This is one of the major causes of eye strain due to computer use. Even though it is not noticeable, this flickering can cause eye strain and tiredness while working on the computer.
Finally, make sure to choose a large screen. A monitor that is at least 19 inches wide (48 cm diagonally) is recommended for a desktop computer.
5. Set the display options on your computer.
You can reduce fatigue and eye strain by changing the display settings on your computer. These settings can be beneficial in general:
- Brightness.
To adjust the brightness of your screen, set it to approximately the same brightness level as your surrounding workstation.
- Text size, contrast and color.
You can adjust the text size and contrast to suit your needs, especially if you’re going to be reading or writing long documents. For your comfort, black printing on a background of white is the best combination.
6. More often blink.
It is important to blink when you are working at a computer. This helps keep your eyes moist and prevents irritation.
Studies show that people blink less frequently when working at a computer. This is about one-third of the time.
The tear duct can dry out faster if you don’t blink for long enough. This could lead to dry eyes. Additionally, dry air in office environments can increase the rate at which tears evaporate, increasing the risk for dry eyes.
Ask your eye doctor if you have dry eyes.
7. Exercise your eyes.
Computer use can also cause eye strain. It is best to avoid straining your eyes by not looking at the screen for more than 20 minutes. Instead, look at distant objects (at least 20 feet/6 meters) to reduce strain. For at least 20 seconds, look away from the computer for at most two meters.
This is known as the “20-20-20 rule” by eye doctors. The muscles responsible for focusing up close and reducing fatigue are relaxed when you see from a distance.
This reduces the chance of developing an accommodative spasm.
These exercises will help reduce eye strain from computer use. To reduce dry eyes caused by computer use, it is important to blink often.
8. Make frequent breaks.
Take frequent breaks from the work during your workday to reduce the chance of developing computer vision syndrome.
These extra breaks did not decrease worker productivity. The extra breaks made data entry faster, which resulted in work performance being maintained even after workers took an additional 20 minutes each day.
It is a good idea to stretch and move during these computer breaks to relieve muscle tension and fatigue.
9. Modify your workstation.
Eye strain can result from having to look back and forth between a printed and a computer page. Place the printed pages on the document support right next to the monitor.
Make sure to properly illuminate the document support. A desk lamp is an option, but it should not shine directly into your eyes or onto your computer screen.
Computer vision syndrome can also be caused by inadvertently sitting while working on a computer. Your workstation and chair should be adjusted to the right height.
10. Consider wearing computer glasses.
It is a good idea to ask your eye doctor to adjust your prescription so that you can work comfortably on the computer. This is particularly important if you use contact lenses. These can cause dryness or discomfort if you spend a lot of time working on your laptop.
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