Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Combating Eyestrain
When you use your computer, your eyes focus at a fixed distance on a
small area (your screen) for a considerable period of time. They were not
designed to do this, however. As a result, many computer users end up
with eyestrain, which can lead to blurring or headaches.
Here are a few tips for combating eyestrain:
◾
Have regular eye examinations. If you have corrective eyewear, use
it while working at the computer.
◾
Situate your computer monitor such that it is 20 to 40 inches
(50 to 100 centimeters) from your face, with your eyes just above
the center of the screen. If necessary, adjust the angle of the
screen. (Adjusting the height and angle of your monitor will also
help to protect your neck and shoulders.)
◾
Use incandescent rather than fluorescent lighting in your work
area, because fluorescent lighting tends to flicker more. If you can-
not avoid fluorescent lighting, avoid working directly underneath
the light fixture if possible.
◾
Position your monitor so that bright light does not shine directly
on it, to reduce glare.
◾
Use a flat-screen LCD monitor instead of the older CRT type.
If you cannot avoid using a CRT, set its refresh rate to at least
100 Hz in the display settings in your operating system.
◾
Take frequent breaks. Avoid sitting in front of your monitor for
more than an hour at a time.
◾
When you take a break, exercise your eyes. That is, look at items
at different distances so your eyes get used to focusing normally
again. Another way to exercise your eyes is to follow the 20-20-20
rule. That is, every 20 minutes, look away from the screen at some-
thing 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This prevents the eye muscles
from being in the same position for too long.
In addition, to prevent eyestrain, opt for as large a screen as possible
(19 inches, or 48 centimeters, is a good bet), and decrease the screen
resolution so that icons and text appear larger. That way, you won't
have to strain to see them. A lower resolution may make the display on
an LCD monitor appear fuzzy, so you may have to balance between
resolution and sharpness. (However, in Windows 7 and higher, you can
increase the size of icons and text without decreasing the display resolu-
tion.) You can also adjust the brightness and contrast of your display to
reduce eyestrain.
