For people who make a living working on a computer all day, eyestrain can be a common occurance. Computer eye strain has two official designations according to the American Optometric Association – CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome) and DEF (Digital Eye Fatigue). While this may lead to an AOF response (Acronym Overload Fatigue) and a laugh at the person who created DEF as an acronym for vision problems, the new digital world is here to stay.

5 Ways To Reduce Computer Eye Strain

And Is There Just One Simple, Effective Thing I Can Do?

Computers have, almost overnight, become the primary medium through which we give and receive information. Only when your eyes can clearly focus at the plane of the computer screen can you experience relief from the fatiguing effects of Computer Vision Syndrome.

Here are 5 ways to reduce computer eye strain.

1. When we look at the monitor, we tend not to blink as much as we ordinarily would if we were looking at someone or something else. Blink your eyes every few minutes – this slows the drying out and helps replenish the tear film. Dry eyes aren’t exactly easy to deal with when staring directly into a rectangle of brightness. Simply remembering to blink often can help avoid a basic eye-related pain caused by prolonged computer use.

2. Every 20 minutes, focus the eyes on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds – know as the 20/20/20 rule, otherwise your eyes will be far more maladjusted to viewing non-monitor-based objects and people when the workday is done, which can lead to headaches or even make driving home dangerous.

3. Change your computer workstation to facilitate good posture. The monitor shouldn’t be closer than 25 inches from your face and preferably placed at a downward angle from your eyes. Hardcopy references should be positioned so that the neck doesn’t have to turn. Otherwise your eyes will be darting around for information straining their muscles in the process. These muscle strains lead to headaches and problems seeing in bright-lit environments.

4. Close your eyes for 20 seconds, at least every half hour

5. Nobody wants to admit they have less-than-stellar eyesight, especially to themselves. Many people continue to read information off of their monitors without taking efforts to enlarge font size. This could be the fix that fixes everything. If not that, then a trip to the optometrist should be scheduled. Pretending a more serious issue doesn’t exist only makes it more serious as time goes on. Most of us are spending hours upon hours in front of a monitor. That time adds up to a serious toll temporarily paid on our eyesight. This can lead to bad job performance and even accidents. It’s important to know how to reduce eye strain in the workplace, and, if it can’t be done, getting an expert’s opinion on what to do next.

 

Serious or frequent eye strain should be checked out. See your doctor to rule out medical conditions such as high blood pressure which could cause eyesight problems.

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