Modern work culture has created new lifestyle health problems. The most common is computer fatigue or computer eyes syndrome. It is becoming more endemic, as most people spend several hours each day on their computers, PDAs and BlackBerrys—resulting in eye fatigue. Bad lighting, long work hours, and poor posture add to the problem.
The fact is that pixels in a computer are brightest at the centre, and become dim towards the edges. Due to this, the ciliary muscles of the eyes constantly adjust—in order to maintain focus on the images. The computer can make the eyes focus nearly 25,000 times in a single day. As a result, the eye muscles work nearly three times harder, and the blinking reduces to almost fifty per cent instantly. Reduced blinking causes tears to evaporate faster; and the resultant condition is dry, itchy eyes. Some other symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, double vision, neck pain, and difficulty in focusing .
Steps to protect eyes
1 It is advisable to use a larger font size, so that the strain on your eyes is reduced. Computer glasses with anti-glare coating also help in reducing
the strain.
2 If you are working on a desk-top, place the monitor at least thirty five inches away from your eyes. Set the computer lower on the table, so that your eyes look down when you work. It reduces the opening between the lids, and so reduces the risk of dry eyes.
3 Every few minutes, take a thirty second break ,and focus on something far away—for the eyes to relax.
4 Blink frequently and periodically for a few minutes, and take short breaks. Avoid very fast movements between the screen and the keyboard.
5 Doctors recommend using artificial tears, that help in adding volume to the tear film in your eyes.
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