Eye Exercises to reduce eye strain
How often do you exercise or give your eyes a rest when you're working long hours at a computer? Its a simple and quick routine, that can be performed in a matter of minutes.
Of the 100 million people using computers in the United States today, at least 50% of users experienced computer related eye strain, blurred vision, headaches -- all of which can be attributed to prolonged periods in front of a computer screen with little or no rest breaks in between.
Recent reports indicate that heavy users can even be at risk of glaucoma (insert def/link). Pretty worrying stuff, especially when you consider that 10-15 years ago, this would not have been a big issues. Its really only with the proliferation of technology and computer work use becoming ommon-place that has seen this rising phenomonen (spell?)
Lets have a quick look at some of the ways you can reduce the risks of eye strain and related injuries. We'll move on to more specific eye exercises later in the article.
1. Get your eyes tested. Get an eye exam regularly. At least annually is recommended, and experts suggest taking these tests even before you start working at a computer.
2. Monitor Ergonomics. Make sure your monitor is ergonomically positioned. This will ensure your eyes are not working harder by viewing the computer screen at an angle.
A general rule of thumb is that your monitor should be at least 20" away from your eyes. This can vary from person to person, depending on your sight. Usually its said, that further away is better for the eyes. Two factors that can affect the comfortable distance and contribute to eye strain are Accomodation (not the living type) and Convergence.
Accommodation is when the lens capsule in your eye changes shape to focus on a close object.
Convergence is when the eyes turn inward toward the nose when we view close objects. Convergence allows the image of the objects to be projected to the same relative place on each retina. Without accurate convergence, we see double images.
http://www.office-ergo.com/viewing.htm
Of the 100 million people using computers in the United States today, at least 50% of users experienced computer related eye strain, blurred vision, headaches -- all of which can be attributed to prolonged periods in front of a computer screen with little or no rest breaks in between.
Recent reports indicate that heavy users can even be at risk of glaucoma (insert def/link). Pretty worrying stuff, especially when you consider that 10-15 years ago, this would not have been a big issues. Its really only with the proliferation of technology and computer work use becoming ommon-place that has seen this rising phenomonen (spell?)
Lets have a quick look at some of the ways you can reduce the risks of eye strain and related injuries. We'll move on to more specific eye exercises later in the article.
1. Get your eyes tested. Get an eye exam regularly. At least annually is recommended, and experts suggest taking these tests even before you start working at a computer.
2. Monitor Ergonomics. Make sure your monitor is ergonomically positioned. This will ensure your eyes are not working harder by viewing the computer screen at an angle.
A general rule of thumb is that your monitor should be at least 20" away from your eyes. This can vary from person to person, depending on your sight. Usually its said, that further away is better for the eyes. Two factors that can affect the comfortable distance and contribute to eye strain are Accomodation (not the living type) and Convergence.
Accommodation is when the lens capsule in your eye changes shape to focus on a close object.
Convergence is when the eyes turn inward toward the nose when we view close objects. Convergence allows the image of the objects to be projected to the same relative place on each retina. Without accurate convergence, we see double images.
http://www.office-ergo.com/viewing.htm
3. Lighting. Ensure the room or office where you work is adequately lit but not too harshly lit - fluoroescent tubes and artificial lighting can affect eye strain. Try reducing the number of globes or use softer lights. The best position for your monitor, is not directly in front or behind external windows.
4. Get a new monitor. These days, LCD or flat panel monitor displays are vastly superior in terms of viewing and monitor settings. They are much easier on the eye, especially for prolonged periods of computer work. The CRT (cathoter ray tube) monitors often have an imperceptible flicker.
Try adjusting the refresh rate on your CRT monitor to the maximum Htz level recommended. This will produce a much clearer picture display. When you are shopping for an LCD monitor, get the highest resolution that you can afford.
A lot of the wide-screen, high definition LCD screens have multiple resolution and size settings.
4. Get a new monitor. These days, LCD or flat panel monitor displays are vastly superior in terms of viewing and monitor settings. They are much easier on the eye, especially for prolonged periods of computer work. The CRT (cathoter ray tube) monitors often have an imperceptible flicker.
Try adjusting the refresh rate on your CRT monitor to the maximum Htz level recommended. This will produce a much clearer picture display. When you are shopping for an LCD monitor, get the highest resolution that you can afford.
A lot of the wide-screen, high definition LCD screens have multiple resolution and size settings.
5. Eye Exercises. Perform regular exercises, and take a short break at least once an hour (more frequently if possible). Move your eyeballs upwards for a few seconds, then down for a few seconds, to the right, to the left. Then focus your eyes on a spot in the distance, preferably a line of text and read from start to finish. This will vary the direction and movement of your eyes. There are computer programs/software that alert to you eye breaks and eye exercises throughout your work day. You can find these free programs and eye exercises here and here.
6. Adjust monitor brightness/contrast/temperature. You can perform diagnostic tests, to increase or reduce the white (brightness) or black (contrast) settings. Increase your brightness/contrast settings up or down by using the button controls on the front or bottom of your monitor. I find it helpful to take note of the current settings before you make any changes, that way if you make a mistake or you're not happy with the altered result you can always go back to the previous settings.
There is also another setting you can adjust, depending on what you use a computer screen to view. There is a setting called Kelvin, which basically controls/calibrated the temperature or heat/cool settings of the monitor. Different ratings are better for different types of viewing. Some people recommend different setting for text, internet, entertainment. Anyhow, the three main Kelvin ratings are:
9300 - Usually the factory setting. This tends to be fairly bright, with often a slight blueish hue
6500 - Recommended for every day work, a lot warmer
5000 - Often too dull, especially on older monitors. Can appear yellowy sometimes
http://www.normankoren.com/makingfineprints1A.html
http://www.eddietapp.com/PDFs/MonitorCS.pdf
7. Blink and Blink regularly. Its important to blink often when you work in front of a computer. The eyes tend to dry out quickly, especially when looking at a screen for long periods.
Often office air-conditioning can play a part also. You can get eye drops, that will help keep your eyes moist. Alternatively, try slowly blinking every 20 minutes to re-wet your eyes.
8. Take breaks from the computer. Walk around the office, talk to your colleagues, get a glass of water/tea/coffee. Take a toilet or cigarette break. Give your eyes a rest and something else to focus on - even if just for a few minutes.
Links
http://www.office-ergo.com/viewing.htm
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