Eye strain
Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, but when overworked, they become doorways to pain, headaches and blurred vision. Unfortunately, eye strain is all too common when people spend countless hours staring into the glare of computer monitors and televisions.

There are several things you can do to lessen the problem. Give the eyes as much rest as possible. And make some adjustments to your computer and your work habits to make life easier on the eyes.

Rest them, blink them, close them

• Whenever you're working on a task that requires close concentration, take a break every 20 minutes or so. Look at a faraway object - a picture on the opposite wall or a view out of the window - for at least 30 seconds. By allowing your eyes to shift focus, you give them a rest.

 

• Try to blink often - every few seconds or so - when you're paying close attention to your television or computer screen. Blinking moistens your eyeballs and relaxes your eye muscles.

 

• If you have a long task that involves prolonged staring, close your eyes periodically. Even if you just shut your eyelids for a few seconds, you'll get some immediate relief.

Warm and cool relief

• Another way to relax your eye muscles: Briskly rub your hands together until they grow warm, and gently place the heels of your palms over your closed eyes. Hold them there for a few seconds.

 

• If you soak a flannel or hand towel in cool water, wring it out, and lay it over your eyes for 5 minutes to relieve strain.

 

• Cool your eyes with sliced cucumber. Lie on your back and place a slice over each closed eye. Leave on for 2 or 3 minutes, or replace the first pair with another, cooler set of slices.

Tear up

• For eyestrain that is related to dry eyes, use artificial tears, available at pharmacies. Two brands are Viscotears and Tears Naturale.

What's wrong
If you hold a dumbbell in your outstretched hand, your muscles soon get tired. The same happens to eyes when you overtax them. If the eye muscles that focus your vision don't have a chance to relax, you'll soon feel the strain. You may even have trouble focusing. And if you're squinting against bright sunlight, eye pain can come on very quickly.

Glasses for your neck?
If you wear bifocals, you can get neck strain from working at a computer. That's because with bifocals, the 'reading' lens is at the bottom of the glasses, so you have to tilt your head back in order to see the computer screen.

Ask your optician to prescribe another pair of glasses that will give you clear vision at a distance of 50cm (20in), so you can read what is on the monitor without awkward head tilting.

Should I call the doctor ?
If your eyes frequently feel strained and home remedies don't work, if your vision becomes increasingly poor or you're very sensitive to light, consult an ophthalmologist. Also, if dizziness or double vision occur suddenly and don't go away when you rest your eyes, be sure to consult your doctor promptly.

Adjust your monitor

• Turn the contrast on your computer monitor to high. You will find that letters and images become crisper.

 

• Adjust your chair height so you're looking slightly downwards at the screen. Tilt the screen to meet your gaze.

 

• Ensure your eyes are at least 50cm (20in) from the screen.

 

• Adjust your computer screen or close the curtains or blinds near your work area so that you don't have window-glare on the screen.

 

• Clean the dust off the screen regularly to improve clarity.

 

• If you're mildly short sighted, try reading or viewing the computer screen without your distance glasses. Your eyes might be more comfortable that way.

 

• Choose a bigger font so that your eyes don't have to work as hard to focus, or use the zoom option to enlarge what you're viewing.

Wear shades

• In any bright sun - even in winter - wear sunglasses. They will reduce eyestrain that comes from screwing up your eyes. The best sunglasses have yellow, amber, orange or brown lenses. Light in the blue part of the spectrum is what makes us squint, and these lenses block it.

Light up your life

• When you're reading, be sure the light is adequate so you don't strain your eyes. The best results are with a flexible gooseneck lamp directed so that the light falls on the page.

  Generally, a lower-watt bulb in a gooseneck lamp is more effective than a higher-watt bulb in a table lamp. A 40 to 60-watt spotlight bulb should give plenty of illumination.

 

• Don't settle for one reading lamp in an otherwise dark room. Make sure that other lights are also switched on. If there's too much contrast between the light where you're reading and the rest of the room, your pupils will constantly have to narrow and widen to adjust for the difference.

 

• Avoid reading or working under fluorescent lights. They may flicker, contributing to eyestrain. The incandescent light from ordinary light bulbs is your best bet - or try natural daylight-imitating bulbs, especially for close work.

Check out cheap specs

• After the age of 40 or so, many people have trouble focusing on close objects - such as threading a needle or reading the list of ingredients or cooking instructions on packaged foods - a condition called presbyopia.

  If your distance vision is still fine and both eyes are focusing equally, try buying an inexpensive pair of reading glasses from your local pharmacy, a supermarket, or another outlet that stocks them.

  It is important to continue to go to your optician for regular eye tests even if these glasses sort out your eyesight problems, because other eye problems could easily go unnoticed.

Print

Email