Computer glasses and eye strain

computer vision syndrome

Do your eyes hurt or burn when looking at a computer screen? Do they tear, or feel tired after hours of computer use? Do you get headaches after staring at a CRT or LCD computer screen? Do you have neck or shoulder pain? If so then you are probably suffering from computer vision syndrome (CVS).  I see many patients who suffer from this condition and have never been offered a comprehensive solution to their problem.

The best way to deal with this is to first have a comprehensive ophthalmological exam to rule out eye diseases. Once this is done then the more basic issues can be addressed.

Think about the extent and type of your computer use by reviewing the following issues:

• If your computer vision use is mostly work related do you feel better on weekends than during the work week? If you feel better on days that you do not work then CVS may be an issue.
• Do you primarily use a laptop or desktop computer? Where is the computer display relative to your eyes?  Is it directly in front of you or do you look down as when using a laptop? Your doctor should know where the display is in order to customize your computer glasses. Measure the distance between your eyes and the computer screen before coming in for customized computer eyeglasses.
• Is your display an old fashioned CRT or an LCD screen? LCD screens are easier on the eyes and usually have an anti-reflective surface. Old-fashioned CRT screens can cause a noticeable “flicker” of images on the screen, a major source of computer eye strain. Even if this flicker is imperceptible, it can still contribute to eye strain and fatigue during computer work. Complications due to flicker are even more likely if the refresh rate of the monitor is less than 75 hertz (Hz). If you must use a CRT at work, adjust the display settings to the highest possible refresh rate.

·        How is the lighting in your computer workspace? Glare is a factor for computer eye strain. It is important to understand that glare can come from various sources, such as reflections off of walls, and not just your computer screen. Several tools can be employed to reduce glare, such as placing an anti-glare screen or a computer hood on your monitor.

• Do you wear bifocals or reading glasses? These are usually not appropriate for computer use. Dedicated specially prescribed computer glasses are necessary if you wear bifocals or progressive lenses, because these lenses are generally not optimal for the distance to your computer screen. Putting the head back to see the screen through bottom of bifocals or progressives is what causes neck and shoulder pain.
• Are your eyes dry? Even if they aren’t dry under normal conditions people tend to blink less frequently when they stare at a computer monitor, so additional lubrication with artificial tear drops is very helpful. The tears coating the eye evaporate more rapidly during long non-blinking phases, which can be especially problematic for contact lens users. Blinking is very important when working at a computer; it rewets your eyes to avoid dryness and irritation.
• A component of computer eye strain is focusing fatigue. To reduce your risk of tiring your eyes by constantly focusing on your screen, look away from your computer every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object outside or down the hallway. Looking far away relaxes the focusing muscles inside the eye to reduce fatigue. This is especially true for patients under forty (40) years of age.

Please go to this link to see how I solved Dr. Simon Rosenberg’s computer related problems http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goWoYXEEKo8

• Conjunctival Hemorrhage - Blood in the Eye One of the most frequent "emergency" visits in my office is due to a conjunctival hemorrhage. This is what it looks like: /caption] Although this looks dramatic and scary it is quite harmless most of the time especially if not accompanied by any discomfort and without a history of trauma......
• Contact Lens Irritation Part 2: Dry Eye Dry eye is a very common cause of contact lens problems and contact lens intolerance. It causes wearers to feel as if there is something in their eyes, a foreign body sensation in their eyes, as if there is grit or dirt in the eye, and eye pain when......
• EYE PAIN When a patient complains of eye pain asking the right questions often helps determine the cause of the pain. This makes the diagnosis and treatment easier. It is helpful to distinguish between eye pain caused by external factors such as a foreign body on the surface of the eye and......
• Ocular Melanoma and Routine Ophthalmoscopy August 6, 2008 Noah Klein, MD Noah Klein, MD, PC   Ocular Melanoma and Routine Ophthalmoscopy   I examined a 50 year old healthy woman today who came in for stronger reading glasses.  Because she had not had a dilated eye exam (ophthalmoscopy) for years I dilated her pupils and......
• CORNEAL ULCER Eye pain, redness, light sensitivity and decreased vision can be caused by a corneal infection called an ulcer. A corneal ulcer is a collection of white blood cells in the cornea which is sometimes visible as a white dot in the cornea. You can get more information here. If you......
• Senator Barak Obama Has A Head Tilt August 18, 2008 Noah Klein, MD Noah Klein, MD, PC   Senator Barak Obama Has a Right Head Tilt    Watching the Saddleback Church Forum with Pastor Rick Warren interviewing Senator Barack Obama on Saturday August 16, I was struck by the marked and obvious tilting of the Senator’s head......
• VIRAL CONJUNCTIVITIS - PINK EYE Dr. Noah Klein Noah Klein, MD, PC August 4, 2009 Red eyes with itching, tearing, clear discharge and a foreign body sensation (feeling of something in the eye) can be caused by a virus. This is called viral conjunctivitis or “pink eye” and can be quite uncomfortable.It may be difficult......

• LCD displays versus older CRT displays Sometimes I find that people are surprised that you could replace just the monitor (the display) of your computer without replacing the tower (the part that holds the CPU and drives). You can though and it's a pretty easy thing to swap. There are however some choices out on the......
• Working from Home: Three Quick Tips for Saving Money More and more people are flocking to the World Wide Web to earn a living or make a little extra cash. With online entrepreneurship on the rise, so too is the demand for efficient and cost effective home offices. In today's society, there are millions of us who work from......
• FOTD Experimenting with AL Coppers Trust me, I went around looking pretty terrible for part of the day until I decided to finish my makeup with a 5 minute pick up. I finished my eyes and redid my lips. These were colors chosen in response to a Theme Week at AL. We were to work......
• Signed Sports Memorabilia People who collect signed sports memorabilia are constantly working to come up with more creative and innovative ways that will allow them to showcase their sports memorabilia collections. The fame associated with collecting sports memorabilia is growing at a high speed on a continuous basis. For example, some collectors prefer......
• Chipping Guide 101 At the club level, a great amount of emphasis is placed on how important it is for you to build a sound swing in golf, but this is a goal that, while very worthwhile, is often unfortunately sought at the expense of the rest of your game, the short game......
• Improve Your Vision Without Glasses Or Contact Lenses Naturally Want to improve your vision without glasses or contact lenses? Coming from somebody that had to wear glasses and contacts from the chronilogical age of 13, I feel your frustration. Although I was fortunate enough to have improved my eyesight naturally, I really want you to know that you can......
• Back to School: Best Tablet Computers for Students [The following is a guest post from Kenny Kraisornkowit who offers shopping advice, product reviews and ways to save money on tech gear and gadgets at Savoo, the U.K.-based version of the popular deal site, Savings.com. As you can from my previous posts, I've got Touchpads on my mind 24-7......