Eliminate Eye Strain with These 5 Top Tips

Do you work with computers? Chances are you are one of the 75% of British workers who spend more than 4 hours a day working on a computer. With this high percentage comes an increase in Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), otherwise known as eye strain. It’s not a permanent problem but can cause dryness, itchiness and discomfort in the short term.

Here are our top 5 ways to beat eye strain:

Use the 20-20-20 rule

This rule is simple and effective. Every 20 minutes take a 20 second break from the screen and look at something at least 20 feet away from you. This relaxes the ciliary muscles which are used to adjust the eyes’ focal range.

Blink!

When using a computer screen you are likely to blink half as much as you would when not focusing on a digital display. This is a number one cause of dryness and irritation. Simply blinking and doing so consciously will greatly improve the health of your eyes.

Optimise your monitor brightness

Monitor brightness can be tricky. If you are using an old cathode ray display, turn your brightness up as this will reduce the monitors flicker rate and make viewing more comfortable for your eyes.

It is more likely you are using a retina or LCD display, in which case you can reduce the brightness of your screen. This is especially important in the winter months when you may be arriving to work and leaving work in the dark. It is an advantage to have your monitor brightness set low to allow your eyes to adjust slowly.

There are useful apps available which can regulate your monitor brightness depending on the time of year, the local weather and your work hours. Apps such as f.lux: are readily available and even have inbuilt settings to help reduce eye strain.

Wear prescription glasses

Whether you wear specs or not, wearing glasses with a protective tint to them may reduce eye strain when working long hours at the computer screen. These are especially designed to minimise screen glare. In the UK, your employer should provide a free eye test if you regularly work with visual displays.

Position your monitor properly

Your computer screen should be 20 to 26 inches away from the eyes and your screen should be 15 – 20 degrees below eye level. This should be measured from your eyes to the centre of the screen.

Indos Computer Services provide business IT support and email setup services to medium and small business. We are ideally located to serve clients in Hemel Hempstead, Watford and St Albans and have done so for over 35 years. If you require backup services, email support, accountancy software and training, our team are on hand to help you. We even offer 24 hour call outs for your peace of mind. For more information, contact us today.