If you are like most office people, you spend at least 8 hrs staring at your computers monitor. Ever since my very first computer with an amber monochrome monitor, monitor technology has improved immensely. But eye strain is still a real concern.
First let’s look at some of the symptoms of eye strain:
- burning
- dry and strained eyes
- headache
- neck ache
- blurred vision
What are the causes of this eyestrain
Eye strain can be caused by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
- over- or misuse of computer monitors
- bad lighting
- environmental factors
- ergonomic factors
How can you reduce or prevent eye strain?
This question actually has a lot of different ideas to try.
Take a break
I know that this may not always be easy to do, but try and get up every hour. At least take 5 minutes to look away from your screen. You can return phone calls, get up and send faxes, get a drink of water, even do chair exercises.
Work in a properly lit workspace
In most companies out there today, you have no choice in your lighting, but there are some ways you can do this. If you are by a window, adjust the blinds so that the light is not directly in your eyes. If you do now have windows, try and get a cheap table lamp and put that on the side of your desk. With your monitor providing direct light, you only need indirect lighting around you. Never work in a dark room with the only light being from your monitor. The direct light with no indirect light will cause eye strain quickly since your eyes will be working between extreme light and extreme dark.
Humidity
Don’t work in a desert. If there is no humidity in your building, your eyes will dry out quickly. Adding some plants helps on two fronts, dust removal and increases humidity, just a touch, but anything is helpful. You can even use over the counter eye drops.
Ergonomics
Again, most companies have an ergonomics team that studies your workspace and makes sure you are set up in the best way possible, for not just eye strain, but Carpal Tunnel reduction. If you don’t know how to contact your ergonomics department, your HR team should know how to contact them.
Monitor Configuration
For this step you may have to enlist your IT team. Work on the refresh rate on your monitor, the higher the better. Also, make sure the font and icon sizes are comfortable for you to look at. If you need to, make them larger so that you don’t have to squint to read everything.
Position your Monitor correctly
OSHA recommends that your monitor be between 20 and 30 inches (the length of your arm, from shoulder to finger tips). Also have the monitor slightly lower then your head. So when you are sitting up and looking forward, the top of the monitor should be eye level. This will put your neck in a more comfortable position, by forcing you to look slightly down at your monitor.
Reduce Glare
The ergonomics inspection will also look at the glare on your monitor, they may recommend a glare screen to be placed over your monitor. At home, you can move the lighting around to avoid direct glare back from the monitor, again at work you are kind of limited, but the glare screens can really help. You can also move your monitor to make sure it is not facing the direct sun either from the front or back.
Eye Health
Lastly, don’t forget the Optometrist. Get regular eye exams and wear glasses as prescribed. I know a lot of people that normally wear contacts, but at work will use their glasses. This allows them to remove them and rub their eyes on occasion.
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