Computer eye strain can cause tiredness, dryness, itching, or pain. To prevent it, take breaks every hour, adjust the height of your monitor, and look away from the screen every three to five minutes. In severe cases, visit an eye doctor.
Computer eye strain occurs when a person stares at a computer screen for too long, causing the eye muscles to strain. This can cause a feeling of tiredness, dryness, itching or even pain. To avoid computer eye strain, several accommodations can be made and some simple steps taken during the workday to allow the eye muscles to relax. One such way is to stop looking at the screen for a few minutes every hour and look at a distant object — look out a window, perhaps, or at an object down the hall. This allows the muscles to relax and the eye to focus on something at a different distance.
The way you orient yourself while sitting at your desk can affect how quickly and how often computer eye strain occurs. If the eyes have to look up or down on a screen, the eyes are more likely to strain and thus become fatigued. To combat this, try adjusting the height of your computer monitor so that it’s nearly level with your eyes. A good way to test whether your monitor position will cause computer eye strain is to look at the screen, close your eyes for a few seconds, look straight ahead with your eyes closed, and then open your eyes. Notice where the eyes are fixed when they open; this is where the center of the computer monitor should be. Adjustments can be made to your monitor, computer desk, or even the chair you’re sitting in.
The longer your eyes focus on one point and in one direction, the more likely you are to experience computer eye strain. For every three to five minutes you spend staring at a computer screen, you should look away at an object closer to your eyes or further away. This allows the eye muscles to relax and prevents strain from tension in the eye. Looking left and right, as well as up and down, further helps relieve some of the strain on the eyes. People tend to refrain from blinking when they stare at a screen for too long, so you should make sure you blink normally to prevent drying and other problems.
In some severe cases of computer eye strain, a visit to an eye doctor may be necessary. He or she may recommend reading glasses or stronger eyeglasses due to vision degradation in one’s eyes. Computer eye strain can certainly exacerbate some existing eye conditions and can even be a cause of vision degradation over a long period of time.
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