Friday, September 14, 2012 3:03 PM

Today’s workers spend more and more time at computer screens.

While computers are effective working tools, they can cause eye strain, tired eyes, irritation, redness, blurred or double vision and headaches. When you couple this with the fact that many forms of recreation also involve a computer or TV screen, it’s not hard to understand why people are suffering from eye strain.

By making a few simple changes in your work environment and behaviour, you can help prevent problems with your eye sight and make the long work day more comfortable.

Six tips for looking after your eyes in the office:

Many symptoms of eyestrain are easily remedied by making small changes to your immediate workspace, work style and environment:

1. Computer screens
Adjust the brightness and size of the words or images on the screen until you can see them comfortably. Screens that flicker or have poor contrast are difficult to read and can cause headaches and eyestrain.

2. On reflection
Reflections and glare on the screen may also cause headaches and eyestrain. Try to eliminate glare and reflections from your computer screen by adjusting the lighting, or moving your screen away from a window. Special screen filters are also available to reduce reflections. If you wear glasses, a special coating on the lens can also significantly reduce glare.
      
3. Dry eyes
Computer users tend to blink much less which leads to them experiencing dry eyes - this is particularly noticeable if you are working in an air-conditioned office, which also has a drying effect. One way to overcome this is to try to remember to blink every time you hit the return key!

4. Take a break
It is recommended that you try to take eye breaks by looking away from the screen every ten to fifteen minutes. This will relax your eyes and could help prevent headaches and eyestrain. Your eyes make more than 10,000 movements an hour when looking at a computer, so they will get tired!

5. Clean it up
Simple changes, like keeping your glasses clean, can make a great difference. Smeared or smudged lenses make glare and reflections much worse. Static electricity attracts dust particles from the air and sticks them to the computer screen, so remember to clean that regularly too.

6. Ask your optometrist
If symptoms such as headaches persist, you should always ask your doctor or optometrist for their advice. You may need only a change of prescription in your glasses or contact lenses, but it could also be a sign of a more serious condition. Get it checked!