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If you spent more than three hours working on a computer
today, and if you are like 75 percent of Americans over the
age of 40 who work with computers, you may have computer
vision eyestrain. Do you have eye fatigue? Dry eyes? Burning
eyes? Light sensitive eyes? Blurred vision? Headaches? Pain
in your neck and shoulders?
What causes the problem? Christine Sindt, O.D., UI Health
Care optometrist, suggests you look at:
Blink rate--When you stare at the computer screen,
your blink rate decreases 66 percent. That's why your eyes
burn and feel dry. So, take a vision break every 15 to 20
minutes, try to blink more frequently, and use an eye
lubricant.
Glare and reflection--Your eyes tire from the
reflections from your monitor and you may find yourself
looking for a way to sit that gets around the glare. Try to
reposition your monitor so windows and other light sources
don't reflect on the screen.
Ergonomics--Poorly arranged workstations can cause
problems so adjust the height of your monitor to fit your
needs. Lower the monitor if you use bifocals so you use the
focusing area to read. Tipping your head up leads to neck
and shoulder pain. Raise your monitor if you don't have
bifocals.
Locate your monitor 20 to 26 inches away from you. Make
sure your glasses are focused at the proper working
distance. Consider computer glasses. The size, quality, and
refresh rates of your monitor can affect your eyesight as
well.
For more information visit www.uihealthcare.com/eyecare.
For more information
Listed above are several Web sites that offer additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
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