Ten Simple Ways To Beat Computer Eyestrain

If you work in an office, do your eyes hurt by the endtaking short but frequent breaks, your eyes and your
of the working day? You aren't alone: about 88% of allhead will feel much better even after long hours of
people who work with computers experience a typework.
of eyestrain known as Computer Vision Syndrome5. Make page designs "eye friendly"
(CVS). After all, a computer screen isn't exactly theIf you have to do a lot of online research, you probably
most natural thing to look at. Perhaps a couple ofhave seen pages that look like they were designed to
thousands of years of evolution would solve theinconvenience the reader as much as possible. Don't
problem ... but I am sure you aren't prepared to waityou love those pages with tiny, white type on a black
this long. Fortunately there are a few simple things youbackground?
can do to minimize computer eyestrain.Most Web browsers let you change the font size of a
1. From time to time look into the distance, to readjustpage; in Internet Explorer it is done by opening the
the focus of your eyesView menu, and then choosing Text Size. And here is
The human eye has trouble staying focused ona trick for dealing with pages with dark or busy
computer images and text. Our eyes involuntary driftbackgrounds: drag your mouse across the text to
away, so we tend to force them to remain focusedselect it - it inverts the colors, and you will see dark
on the screen.text on a light background, just as nature intended.
This flexing of the eyes' focusing muscles, all day long,6. Whenever possible print pages for reading; don't
is a real struggle for your eyes. So take your gazeread from the screen
away from the screen as often as possible. The key,Reading printed material is much less stressful, for your
here, is not to take long breaks but to take frequenteyes, than reading from the screen. And you will be
breaks. Every few minutes look away from themore productive too - it is a proven fact that people
screen and focus on a far away object - out theread printed text 25% faster than they read text from
window, for example.the computer screen.
2. If you wear contact lenses, go for the best quality7. Adjust the light
not the lowest priceWhen working at the computer you don't need a very
Because computer users blink less often, their eyesbright light. Direct sunlight and lighting in most offices are
tend to dry out, and some contact lenses contribute toway to bright. Put the blinds down on a sunny day. It is
this dryness even more. Ask your doctor to prescribebest to turn your monitor so the window is on its side,
contact lenses that don't dry your eyes.not in front or behind it. Soft light of a desk lamp from
Acuvue Advance with Hydroclear or Focus Night andthe side is also an option. If the light in the office is too
Day might work well for you. See suggestions on softbright, you can wear tinted computer glasses.
contact lenses for computer users.8. Adjust the brightness of your monitor
If money is an issue, find out how you can get discountThe color white, on your computer screen, shouldn't
contact lenses online. This usually turns out to be 50%shine like a light source. You can adjust the brightness
- or more - cheaper than buying them from theof your monitor to a little bit below default. However,
doctor's office.remember to keep the contrast high, otherwise it will
3. Close your eyes for a few secondsbe even more difficult for your eyes to stay focused.
Because looking at the computer is a constant struggle9. Get your eye examined every 12 months
for the eyes, people concentrate and tend to blinkIf you need vision correction it is important that your
much less often than normal. This causes dryness ofeyeglasses or contact lenses fit your needs. Wearing
the eyes.corrective eyewear that isn't up-to-date increases the
It is difficult to force yourself to blink more often, butstress on your eyes.
you can close your eyes every time you are waiting10. Ask your eye doctor about special computer
for your machine to do something.glasses
4. Take a short break every hourThese are usually multifocal glasses that help you to
It is recommended that you take 10 minutes awayfocus better on computer text. They can also be
from the computer for every 50 minutes spent at it.tinted, which helps if the lights in your office are too
Move around the room, stretch your back and do abright.
few simple exercises.Follow these simple rules and you will notice that, by
If you can teach yourself the habit of closing yourthe end of the day, you won't feel so exhausted and
eyes often, looking away to readjust your focus andyour eyes won't hurt nearly as much, if at all.