- Intensive
computer or video display terminal (VDT) usage. The more time you spend
in front of a computer display, the higher the likelihood of
distressing your eyes.
- Inadequate,
ineffective, or too much lighting.
- Pre-existing eye
conditions (even those you are not aware of).
- Improper
workplace conditions.
- Workplace
stress.
Below are nine tips
for ways to reduce eyestrain.
1.
USE PROPER LIGHTING
In
your office you are
likely to find several things that can cause eyestrain, including glare
on walls and finished surfaces, reflections on the computer screen
itself, excessively bright light coming in from outside, and
excessively bright light inside.
Eliminate
exterior
light and reflections by closing drapes or blinds.
When
using VDTs,
lighting should be about half that used in most offices. Reduce
lighting by using fewer light bulbs or florescent tubes, or use lower
intensity bulbs and tubes.
2.
TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS
Full time VDT users should take a 15-minute break every hour to reduce
eyestrain problems according to experts. Less than full time users
should also take frequent breaks, after sitting in front of their
display for more than a hour. The National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests that for every 2 hours of moderate
VDT work, users take a 15 minute break from computer or VDT activity.
This
means leaving
your workstation and taking the time to interact with others in the
office. You might also get non-computer work done—return
phone calls, go through your mail, do gentle stretching exercises (see
below), focus on things in the distance, etc.
3.
EXERCISE EVEN WHEN SITTING
Anyone in a sedentary job, especially those using VDTs, should also
stand up, move about, or exercise frequently. NIOSH recommends several
sitting, stretching, and joint rotating exercises for VDT users.
4.
REFOCUS YOUR EYES
Look away from your computer screen every 10-15 minutes and focus for
5-10 seconds on a distant object outside or down the hallway. This
prevents the fixed gaze common among in VDT users. It also lets you
blink, which wets your eyes.
5.
BLINK MORE OFTEN
When staring at a VDT people blink less frequently—about 5
times less than normal, according to some studies. Tears coating the
eye evaporate more rapidly during long non-blinking phases and cause
dry eyes. Office buildings may have excessively dry environments that
also reduce tearing. In addition, your VDT workstation may create its
own "mini-environment" that can pump warm dry air towards you, thereby
contributing to any "dry eye" conditions.
6.
MODIFY YOUR WORKSTATION
If you need to look back and forth between the printed or written page
and the VDT, this can cause eyestrain. Place written pages on a copy
stand adjacent to the monitor. Properly light the copy stand. Adjust
your workstation and chair to the correct height. Purchase ergonomic
furniture to assure proper screen locations and posture.
7.
MATCH THE COMPUTER SCREEN TO THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Closely match the brightness of the environment with that of the
computer screen. The contrast between the background and on-screen
characters should be high.
8.
MINIMIZE THE GLARE ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN
Use window shades, blinds or drapes to block out excessive sunlight, or
install an anti-glare screen. Also reduce the internal ambient light.
For conditions where outside light cannot be reduced, use a VDT hood to
cut glare and reflection.
9.
GET FREQUENT EYE EXAMINATIONS
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health,
users of VDTs should have periodic eye examinations. How can you tell
if you may need an eye examination? If you have frequent headaches,
tired, dry or burning eyes, blurred or double vision, eye discomfort
for long periods, or if you have increasing difficulty reading small
print, then you should consult an eye doctor. Some VDT users suffer
from such additional symptoms as neck and shoulder pains, and others
even experience an increased frequency of accidents.
As your
eyes age, you
will have more difficulty focusing on smaller print items, such as the
classified ad section of the newspaper. This condition is called
presbyopia, and it affects nearly everyone in the "over-40" age
bracket. Bifocal lenses are a common prescription for this condition.
While bifocals are a good solution for printed material, they can cause
some computer users discomfort. Wearing bifocals can make you move your
head up and down frequently to clearly see the computer screen, causing
a visual distortion colorfully referred to as "chicken dance."
Specially
prescribed
computer glasses are an option for reducing computer related eyestrain.
Those prescribed by optometrists, ophthalmologists and opticians are
best suited for computer use because the eye physician can simulate
your viewing of the VDT screen right in his or her office. This lets
the doctor identify your individual "lag of accommodation," and will
result in prescribing eyeglasses that help alleviate computer-related
eye stress and its symptoms.
