How to prevent getting tired eyes from staring at the computer

After a long day at the office are your eyes tired from the computer? Here are a few tips to help you recognize the signs and take steps to reduce eye strain.
To prevent tired eyes from the computer, the CanadianCentre forOccupational Healthand Safetyrecommends that you look away from the screen for a few seconds every minute. You should also focus on a distant object and blink your eyes several times.

Here are more tips to help you improve your comfort and reduce eye strain caused by the computer.

1. Maintain the temperature between 18 and 22° C and the humidity at 50 or 60 per cent to keep your eyes from becoming dry.
2. Avoid placing your screen in front of a light source or directly underneath a ceiling light; glare and insufficient light can tire your eyes. Place your laptop or monitor so you can see the keyboard clearly but not have any glare in your eyes from windows or light sources.
3. Use a desk lamp to read printed materials rather than use the light of your screen.
4. Keep an arm’s-length of distance between your chair and your computer screen. Make sure the screen is at the proper height and at the correct angle so you can work without having to tilt your head.
5. Choose screen display settings and font sizes that make for easier reading; characters that are a minimum offour millimetres are generally easy to read.

What happens when your eyes get tired from the computer? Watch out for the following symptoms:

• Double or blurred vision;
• Headaches;
• Dry eyes;
• Eyes that are watery, itchy or burning;
• Pain in the eyes and the eyelids;
• Glare;
• Blinking;
• Squinting.

Computer screens are not harmful in and of themselves; the harm comes from not taking care when using them. According to the CCOHS, staring nonstop at a fixed object causes eye fatigue. That’s why you need to take regular short breaks.

In addition, when you’re working with a computer screen, you’re using every function of your visual system: your focus, peripheral vision and lacrimal system. If one or another of these functions is weak, it tires your eyes. That’s why optometrists recommend that you have your eyes examined every two years.

If your eyes are tired from the computer because your environment is poorly adapted to your tasks, you risk developing other health problems as well. For example, when you have to tilt your head up or down to see the screen, you could develop muscle pain. Your posture will change as a result, and back pain could follow.

All those factors will only compound the eye strain you’ll be suffering from. Arrange your work space in a way that protects your eyes, and you’ll be safeguarding your overall health as well.