Four easy tips for keeping your eyes healthy while using a computer
Four easy tips for keeping your eyes healthy while using a computer
Computers don’t cause permanent changes to the eyes or make any eye conditions worse, however, the following points can help keep eyes comfortable while using a computer, laptop or any type of screen:
- Take Frequent Breaks
You can help prevent eye strain by giving your eyes regular breaks from looking at a computer screen. This helps rest your eye muscles.
Use the 20/20 rule to help you with this. Set a 20-minute work timer, when the 20 minutes of screen work is up look at something roughly 20 feet away from you for at least 20 seconds. Perhaps look out a window, across the office, or even into the next room.
It is important to look away for the full 20 seconds as it takes this long for your eye muscles to completely relax. It’s even better for your eyes if you can manage longer, perhaps use the time to make a cup of tea or grab a glass of water.
- Good Lighting Matters
Good lighting is important for vision. Make sure the general lighting in the room is bright, but try to avoid any glare on the screen itself as this can be uncomfortable.
Try adjusting the brightness of your screen so that it mirrors the ambient light in the room. This will lessen the contrast and reduce strain on your eyes.
Glare happens when your computer screen reflects other light sources. This is hard on your eyes and can make it difficult to see the screen clearly. Investing in a ‘Matte Screen Filter’ may help lessen this problem. - Sit at the right distance
Are you sitting about an arm's length away from your computer screen? If you answered no then you might like to think about moving your monitor further away from you, about 60cm.
Moving further away will reduce the strain, as will moving the monitor slightly down from your direct point of vision. - Know Your Own Eyes
If you need to wear glasses, make sure you are wearing them when using the computer. Some people may need a different pair of glasses for using a computer than for closer reading or seeing things in the distance.
If headaches are experienced particularly when using the computer for long periods, even with breaks, a pair of glasses especially for computer work may be required. This can be assessed by an optometrist.
Based on information taken from https://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health/looking-after-your-eyes/safe-eyes