Many of us spend several hours a day looking at a computer screen, which can lead to eyestrain. Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. The effects of eyestrain can be reduced by keeping your computer monitor an arm's length away from your head, keeping the screen clean and eliminating glare on the monitor from light sources. An eye exam from a health care professional will ensure that you're wearing the appropriate corrective lenses for working with a computer. Resting your eyes periodically throughout the day can also relieve the symptoms of eyestrain.
Blinking
People tend to blink less frequently while looking at a computer screen. A study in the January 2008 issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology" found that the blink frequency among computer users was 69 percent lower when the participants were concentrating on a demanding task.
Blinking produces tears, which wet the surface of the eye. A reduced blink rate, combined with the dry air found in many offices, can cause eyes to dry out quickly and lead to discomfort. The eye care website AllAboutVision.com recommends slowly closing and opening your eyes 10 times every 20 minutes to counteract the lower blink frequency and rewet your eyes.
Refocusing
Each time your vision shifts from a spot in the distance to a close-up location, your eyes have to refocus; this process is called accommodation. If you look at a computer screen for too long, you might suffer from focusing fatigue, which can cause dizziness, blurry vision or difficulty focusing when you eventually do look away from the screen.
The chances of focusing fatigue can be reduced by taking a break from the computer screen every 20 minutes and looking at a spot approximately 20 feet away. By concentrating on an object in the distance, your eye muscles are allowed to relax.
Another exercise recommended by AllAboutVision.com is shifting your focus from a close-up object to a far-off object in 10 to 15 second intervals and repeating this process 10 times. Readjusting your focus in this manner can reduce the chances of developing an accommodative spasm, which is the equivalent of a muscle cramp in the eye.
Relaxing Your Eyes
A study in the July 2007 issue of the "American Journal of Industrial Medicine" indicates that taking several short breaks throughout the day can reduce the discomfort of eyestrain without affecting productivity. A relaxation technique recommended by MayoClinic.com involves placing your elbows on your desk with your palms facing up. Rest your brow on the palms of your hands and close your eyes, inhale through your nose and hold it for four seconds before exhaling. Repeat this deep-breathing exercise for about 30 seconds. This activity can be performed many times during the day without interrupting your work flow.
References
- SpringerLink: Ocular Surface Area and Human Eye Blink Frequency During VDU Work: The Effect of Monitor Position and Task
- AllAboutVision.com: Computer Eye Strain Relief
- AllAboutVision.com: Eye Doctor Q and A: Eye Problems
- PubMed.gov: Supplementary Breaks and Stretching Exercises for Data Entry Operators: A Follow-Up Field Study
- MayoClinic.com: Eyestrain
