Computer-induced eye strain
Symptoms
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Feeling of dryness in the eyes
Diagnostics
Determined by a thorough eye examination
Treatment
- Glasses for computer work
- Proper workplace design
What is computer-induced eye strain?
Most people who use computers complain about eye strain. Prolonged looking at a monitor can strain the eyes or exacerbate other existing eye problems. The eyes are not adapted to looking at illuminated screens for long periods of time, so it is necessary to monitor and react to the first symptoms of eye discomfort.
What are the symptoms of computer-induced eye strain?
- Eye discomfort;
- Headaches;
- Sore, tired, itchy or burning eyes;
- Difficulty focusing your gaze;
- Tearful eyes;
- Dry eyes;
- Blurred vision or wavering eyes;
- Hypersensitivity to light;
Although eye strain can cause discomfort, it is usually not dangerous and will pass by itself once your eyes have rested.
What causes computer-induced eye strain?
Dry eyes caused by computer work, where the only cause of dry eyes is constantly looking at the computer screen, is a major problem. The composition and quantity of tears, the nature of the work, lifestyle, environment, general health, age, and other factors all contribute to wet eyes.
The discomfort and symptoms get worse as the time spent using the computer increases.
How is the diagnosis of computer-induced eye strain performed?
The eye examination also includes a more in-depth eye examination – the eye care professional not only checks the health of your eyes, but also looks for other signs of health problems.
You’ll feel most comfortable wearing your specially selected glasses. If you wear contact lenses, consider wearing glasses when working on the computer, as contact lenses can dry out and cause discomfort. Although computers are an important part of our daily lives, their use can affect our vision, so regular eye examinations are essential to ensure normal vision.
What help is available?
You may not be able to change the amount of time you spend in front of a computer at work or the factors that cause eye strain, but you can certainly take steps to help mitigate these factors. Although computers are an important part of our daily lives, their use can affect our eyesight. Check out our tips on how you can best manage and reduce computer-induced eye strain.
Give your eyes a rest
Look away from the computer screen regularly and focus on distant objects. For example, look out of a window for a minute.
Looking into the distance relaxes the muscles in the eye, reducing eye fatigue.
Use appropriate lighting
Eye strain is often caused by too bright sunlight coming through a window or too bright lighting in a room.
Use curtains or blinds to soften bright sunlight, reduce the brightness of lighting in the room and avoid sitting under bright fluorescent lamps. Use floor lamps if possible.
Reduce reflections
Reflections from light-coloured walls or glossy surfaces can cause eye strain.
- A glare shield attached to the monitor can help (it’s less drastic than repainting the walls with darker or matt paint);
- Mitigate external light sources by covering windows or using a computer hood over the monitor;
- If you wear glasses, choose lenses with an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare. “At Optikos World opticians, you can choose UltraClear SuperClean lenses with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coating in one.
Upgrade your monitor
Replacing your old CRT monitor with a modern LCD can help prevent eye strain.
- While CRT displays can flicker and thus contribute significantly to eye strain, LCD displays are more pleasing to the eye and usually have an anti-reflective surface;
- When buying a new LCD monitor, choose the one with the highest resolution.
Adjust monitor settings
Adjusting your computer monitor settings can help reduce eye strain and fatigue.
- Make sure the brightness is the same as the ambient brightness, and adjust the size and contrast of the text to make it comfortable to read. Black text on a white background is the most usable;
- Adjust the monitor’s colour temperature to reduce the amount of blue on the screen. Blue light is a short-wavelength visible light associated with higher eye strain, unlike orange and red, which are long-wavelength visible light.
Modify your workplace
The way you sit at your desk and the way you arrange your things can affect your vision.
- If you look down at your documents and then have to look up to look at the monitor, you can get eye strain. Place your documents on a stand next to the screen;
- Make sure your workstation and chair are at the right height. Incorrect posture when working on the computer can also increase eye strain;
- The computer screen should be 20 to 24 inches from your eyes and the centre of the screen should be 10 to 15 degrees below your eye line.
Take care of your eyes!
Visit your nearest Optikos pasaulio showroom or register for an ophthalmologist consultation at Familia Clinica in Vilnius (Nemenčinės pl. 4D) and get a 15% discount with your Optikos pasaulio loyalty card.
Frequently asked questions
Ar kompiuterio sukelta akių įtampa pavojinga regėjimui?
Nors akių įtampa gali sukelti diskomfortą, įprastai tai nėra pavojinga ir praeina savaime, kai tik akys pailsi.
Kas yra kompiuterio sukelta akių įtampa?
Kompiuterio sukelta akių įtampa, tai kai ilgas žiūrėjimas į monitorių gali pertempti akis arba paaštrinti kitas, jau turimas, akių problemas.
Ar drėkinamieji akių lašai sumažina kompiuterio sukeltą akių įtampą?
Taip drėkinamieji akių lašai sumažina vieną iš simptomų – išsausėjusias akis.
