You do it when you check your email; you do it when you surf the web. In fact, you're probably doing it right now—straining your eyes in front of the computer.
Americans spend an average of 26 hours a week on their computers at work and at home. While these tools have helped to make the office more productive and the home more entertaining, that glowing box you're staring into for hours on end may be doing damage to your eyes.
A recent survey of optometrists found that more than 14 percent of patients complain of symptoms that stem from computer work. These symptoms include headaches, eyestrain, blurry vision, dry and irritated eyes, sensitivity to light and neck or backaches.
"Eye stress and strain may be caused by a combination of individual visual problems, improper viewing habits and poor environmental conditions, such as glare, improper workstation set up, dirty screens, poor lighting and viewing angles," says Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, an optometrist and author of Visual Ergonomics in the Workplace.
Anshel recommends the following tips to help prevent the vision problems associated with computer work:
- Reduce glare. Avoid placing your computer in front of a window, as the difference in brightness from outside and your screen can strain your eyes. Also, make sure all windows have adjustable shades, so you can control the amount of light coming into the room. Anti-glare screens help, too, but "avoid the cheap ones," recommends Anshel. "They can make things worse."
- Che...
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