| If you work in an office, do your eyes | | | | will feel much better even after long |
| hurt by the end of the working day? You | | | | hours of work. |
| aren't alone: about 88% of all people | | | | 5. Make page designs "eye friendly" |
| who work with computers experience a | | | | If you have to do a lot of online |
| type of eyestrain known as Computer | | | | research, you probably have seen pages |
| Vision Syndrome (CVS). After all, a | | | | that look like they were designed to |
| computer screen isn't exactly the most | | | | inconvenience the reader as much as |
| natural thing to look at. Perhaps a | | | | possible. Don't you love those pages |
| couple of thousands of years of | | | | with tiny, white type on a black |
| evolution would solve the problem ... | | | | background? |
| but I am sure you aren't prepared to | | | | Most Web browsers let you change the |
| wait this long. Fortunately there are a | | | | font size of a page; in Internet |
| few simple things you can do to minimize | | | | Explorer it is done by opening the View |
| computer eyestrain. | | | | menu, and then choosing Text Size. And |
| 1. From time to time look into the | | | | here is a trick for dealing with pages |
| distance, to readjust the focus of your | | | | with dark or busy backgrounds: drag your |
| eyes | | | | mouse across the text to select it - it |
| The human eye has trouble staying | | | | inverts the colors, and you will see |
| focused on computer images and text. Our | | | | dark text on a light background, just as |
| eyes involuntary drift away, so we tend | | | | nature intended. |
| to force them to remain focused on the | | | | 6. Whenever possible print pages for |
| screen. | | | | reading; don't read from the screen |
| This flexing of the eyes' focusing | | | | Reading printed material is much less |
| muscles, all day long, is a real | | | | stressful, for your eyes, than reading |
| struggle for your eyes. So take your | | | | from the screen. And you will be more |
| gaze away from the screen as often as | | | | productive too - it is a proven fact |
| possible. The key, here, is not to take | | | | that people read printed text 25% faster |
| long breaks but to take frequent breaks. | | | | than they read text from the computer |
| Every few minutes look away from the | | | | screen. |
| screen and focus on a far away object - | | | | 7. Adjust the light |
| out the window, for example. | | | | When working at the computer you don't |
| 2. If you wear contact lenses, go for | | | | need a very bright light. Direct |
| the best quality not the lowest price | | | | sunlight and lighting in most offices |
| Because computer users blink less often, | | | | are way to bright. Put the blinds down |
| their eyes tend to dry out, and some | | | | on a sunny day. It is best to turn your |
| contact lenses contribute to this | | | | monitor so the window is on its side, |
| dryness even more. Ask your doctor to | | | | not in front or behind it. Soft light of |
| prescribe contact lenses that don't dry | | | | a desk lamp from the side is also an |
| your eyes. | | | | option. If the light in the office is |
| Acuvue Advance with Hydroclear or Focus | | | | too bright, you can wear tinted computer |
| Night and Day might work well for you. | | | | glasses. |
| See suggestions on soft contact lenses | | | | 8. Adjust the brightness of your monitor |
| for computer users. | | | | The color white, on your computer |
| If money is an issue, find out how you | | | | screen, shouldn't shine like a light |
| can get discount contact lenses online. | | | | source. You can adjust the brightness of |
| This usually turns out to be 50% - or | | | | your monitor to a little bit below |
| more - cheaper than buying them from the | | | | default. However, remember to keep the |
| doctor's office. | | | | contrast high, otherwise it will be even |
| 3. Close your eyes for a few seconds | | | | more difficult for your eyes to stay |
| Because looking at the computer is a | | | | focused. |
| constant struggle for the eyes, people | | | | 9. Get your eye examined every 12 months |
| concentrate and tend to blink much less | | | | If you need vision correction it is |
| often than normal. This causes dryness | | | | important that your eyeglasses or |
| of the eyes. | | | | contact lenses fit your needs. Wearing |
| It is difficult to force yourself to | | | | corrective eyewear that isn't up-to-date |
| blink more often, but you can close your | | | | increases the stress on your eyes. |
| eyes every time you are waiting for your | | | | 10. Ask your eye doctor about special |
| machine to do something. | | | | computer glasses |
| 4. Take a short break every hour | | | | These are usually multifocal glasses |
| It is recommended that you take 10 | | | | that help you to focus better on |
| minutes away from the computer for every | | | | computer text. They can also be tinted, |
| 50 minutes spent at it. Move around the | | | | which helps if the lights in your office |
| room, stretch your back and do a few | | | | are too bright. |
| simple exercises. | | | | Follow these simple rules and you will |
| If you can teach yourself the habit of | | | | notice that, by the end of the day, you |
| closing your eyes often, looking away to | | | | won't feel so exhausted and your eyes |
| readjust your focus and taking short but | | | | won't hurt nearly as much, if at all. |
| frequent breaks, your eyes and your head | | | | |