Computers are now indispensable at most workplaces and even households. Life seems incomplete without computers. They have made day to day work smooth and more efficient. However, with more and more use of computers the average time spent in front of computers is increasing. Many jobs are now computer related and involve long hours of work on them. An increasing number of children and young adults are also spending long hours on computers to play games, surf the net or use social networking sites. This increase use of computers has lead to unhealthy lifestyle changes resulting in what is now called the computer vision or computer eye syndrome.
Computer related eye problems are of two kinds, first are related to the constant gazing into computer screens and second are related to prolonged sitting. When a person is continuously looking at the monitor, the eyes are continuously focusing at one point which over a period of time fatigue i.e. tired eyes. The person starts experiences headache, difficulty in concentration, eye strain leading to irritability. There is also associated decrease in blinking. Hence, if one works for long with the computer the tear film gradually dries up leading to irritation in the eye, redness of eyes, watering from eyes and blurring of vision. These problems are aggravated if there is poor lighting at work place, glare on the computer screen, and improper viewing distance of monitor from the chair or poor seating posture and any uncorrected vision problems in the person itself.
The second problem of long term working on computers is related to sitting posture, bending forward of neck, position of chair and its relation to monitor of computer, position of hands and forearm while using computer. Individuals often complain of neck pain and back stiffness and pain. Over a long time there may be symptoms similar to cervical spondylosis like stiff neck, feeling of dizziness (vertigo) and pain radiating to shoulders. There may be pain and stiffness in wrist joint with pain and stiffness in fingers also. Occasionally there may be slight swelling at wrist and fingers with feeling of numbness and tingling in fingers. This is due to occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome and is more common in ladies.
The following measures are described below to overcome these problems of computer related eye problems
- It is advisable to get up and move away from your computer for short breaks at least every 30 to 40 minutes.
- Relax the eyes every 15 minutes by looking at something at least 20 feet away. One can close the eyes for a couple of minutes every half to one hour.
- Remember to blink fully and frequently to decrease risk of dry eyes. If necessary, apply artificial tear eye drops to moisten and lubricate your eyes
- It is important to ensure proper lighting and prevent glare on the computer screen, establish proper working distances and posture for computer viewing
- By simply rearranging your work environment to create better ergonomics may help to reduce eye strain, other vision problems besides reducing the specific risks of neck and back pain and other disorders of spine and joints.
- The documents to be types or read alongside the computer shout be kept above the keyboard and below the monitor. If this is not possible, a document holder can be used beside the monitor. The goal is to position the documents so there is no need to move the head to look from the document to the screen.
- One should sit with head and neck upright, not bent down or tilted back and face the computer screen directly. Avoid viewing your screen with your head turned or back twisted. Also make sure that the chair that provides support for your lower back. Keep your elbows comfortably close to your body and keep the mouse close to your keyboard so you don’t have to reach for it.
- Position of computer display monitor should be such that the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level. This will allow viewing of screen without bending the neck.
- It is important to adjust the height of your chair and desk so that the upper arms are perpendicular to the floor, not stretched forward or angled backward and the forearms, wrists and hands form a 90-degree angle with your upper arms. Also make sure that the wrists and palms are not resting on sharp edges. The thighs should be parallel to the floor and lower legs should be perpendicular to the floor.
- It is essential to visit an eye specialist in the event of any problem in the eye at the earliest to rectify it and also learn proper eye care.
- Eye exercises may help correct deficiencies in eye movement, eye focusing and reinforce the eye-brain connection.
- In some cases, individuals who do not require the use of eyeglasses for other daily activities may benefit from glasses prescribed specifically for computer use.
- If any individual who is already wearing glasses should get eyes checked and take appropriate prescription glasses for working on computer.