Medical Forum / General / Vision / June 2008
Need help solving computer related eye problem
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apogeemonkey@yahoo.com - 27 Jun 2007 22:07 GMT I've been staring at computer screens for 12 years just fine, often many hours a day, until about a year ago. Since then, after about 4 minutes of looking at the screen, my eyes feel like...well, they feel like when you look out from the extreme corners of your eyes for a long period of time, only this happens when I'm looking straight at the screen. My veins in my eyes become quite red and noticeable. My eyes will remain like this (both hurting and red) for many hours after I'm done with the computer.
I've tried using different monitors: a CRT and an LCD (both are adjusted properly regarding contrast and brightness) and adjusted the height of the screens. I have taken breaks for many days at a time where I wouldn't look at a computer screen, only to find that when I came back my eyes would still hurt after a few minutes. I've even worn sunglasses while using the computer to make sure it wasn't the brightness. I saw my optometrist a week ago for an eye exam, and he said everything looked normal. Quite frankly, I don't know what to do. If I don't get this fixed I will definitely have to change my career, as I simply can't bare looking at a computer screen anymore. :(
Neil Brooks - 27 Jun 2007 22:15 GMT >I've been staring at computer screens for 12 years just fine, often >many hours a day, until about a year ago. Since then, after about 4 [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >If I don't get this fixed I will definitely have to change my career, >as I simply can't bare looking at a computer screen anymore. :( Though I'm not an eye doctor, I have a couple of ideas that you may consider:
1) you could have mild dry eyes. "Staring" at computer screens involves reduced blinking. That leads to dryness. Find an over-the-counter, PRESERVATIVE-FREE lubricant drop (pick one) and try it for two weeks. At the same time, TRY to increase the frequency of your blink rate;
2) When you say that the optometrist said "everything looked normal," did he say that you do not need reading glasses? How old are you? Do you wear any kind of corrective lenses already? If so, what is the prescription? Did he "dilate" your eyes to measure your eyesight?
What I'm getting at here is that your eyes may simply be getting older, and your "accommodative amplitudes" (ability to shift focus from far to near) may be diminishing ... as they do, normally. If this is the case, you might simply need reading glasses for computer work.
3) Did they evaluate the alignment of your eyes (follow the light ... up ... down ... left ... right, and a "cover test" where they cover one eye, then pull the cover away, then cover the other eye, then pull the cover away)?
4) is your work space well set up for ergonomics and visual hygiene? (easily googled)?
Please provide some more detail about #'s 2 and 3 above. I'm sure the friendly, neighborhood eye docs will give their input ;-)
Neil
apogeemonkey@yahoo.com - 27 Jun 2007 22:33 GMT I'm 21 years old and myopic. I do wear glasses for it. I can't find my prescription at the moment, I'll post it when I find it. He tested for everything you mentioned and my prescription remains unchanged.
> Though I'm not an eye doctor, I have a couple of ideas that you may > consider: [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > - Show quoted text - apogeemonkey@yahoo.com - 27 Jun 2007 23:56 GMT Found my prescription
OD: Sphere -2.25 Cyl -0.50 Axis 115
OS: Sphere -2.75
apogeemonkey@yahoo.com - 27 Jun 2007 22:17 GMT Forgot to mention that this doesn't happen while I'm watching TV on any of my TV's, but it does still occur If I'm watching a video on my computer.
Neil Brooks - 27 Jun 2007 22:21 GMT >Forgot to mention that this doesn't happen while I'm watching TV on >any of my TV's, but it does still occur If I'm watching a video on my >computer. Same answers/questions apply, then ;-)
Mike Tyner - 29 Jun 2007 16:57 GMT As a myope, you can eliminate many "CVS" problems by taking off your glasses and working at 35 cm.
Does it change if you try another monitor in the same place?
Does it happen at other computers in other places?
Did you buy new carpet or a new chair a year ago?
Did you start or stop any prescription medicines a year ago?
What changed?
-MT, OD
> Forgot to mention that this doesn't happen while I'm watching TV on > any of my TV's, but it does still occur If I'm watching a video on my > computer. apogeemonkey@yahoo.com - 30 Jun 2007 23:57 GMT > As a myope, you can eliminate many "CVS" problems by taking off your glasses > and working at 35 cm. It happens with and without my glasses.
> Does it change if you try another monitor in the same place? Yes.
> Does it happen at other computers in other places? Yes.
> Did you buy new carpet or a new chair a year ago? No.
> Did you start or stop any prescription medicines a year ago? No.
> What changed? Nothing, as much as I can remember.
I bought lubricating eye drops yesterday and tried them out. The only preservative free eye drops I found out were Genteal Mild, so I got those. They seemed to help for a few hours yesterday when I put them in before using the computer. Today, I was on my pc for a bit prior to the drops, thus my eyes hurt right now and I can't really tell if it's a case of dry eyes. I'll continue with the drops for a while and see if thats the problem.
apogeemonkey@yahoo.com - 01 Jul 2007 00:00 GMT > > Does it change if you try another monitor in the same place? > > Yes. Woops, I meant to say no there. Tried 2 monitors and a laptop in the same spot and all with the same effect.
Revival - 28 Jun 2007 18:13 GMT Hello!!
On Jun 27, 10:07 pm, apogeemon...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I've been staring at computer screens for 12 years just fine, often You mutsnt stare, it's very bad!
> many hours a day, until about a year ago. Since then, after about 4 > minutes of looking at the screen, my eyes feel like...well, they feel [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > If I don't get this fixed I will definitely have to change my career, > as I simply can't bare looking at a computer screen anymore. :( You can get better, if you blink more!!
Never forget of blinking, otherwise you will not get better!
Therewore you have 2 blink lots.
Churie. - 29 Jun 2007 15:56 GMT On Jun 28, 2:07 am, apogeemon...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I've been staring at computer screens for 12 years just fine, often > many hours a day, until about a year ago. Since then, after about 4 [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > If I don't get this fixed I will definitely have to change my career, > as I simply can't bare looking at a computer screen anymore. :( Hi, Read and refresh.Need not change your career for this.
Many of you have jobs that require you to work on the computer. These strenuous computer-intensive work conditions have given rise to what is known as Computer Vision Syndrome.
DON'T MISS: Eye care tips for computer users Dr Amar Agarwal, a practising ophthalmologist (eye specialist) based inChennai, says that this occurs "when there is a shortening of tear break up time. In other words, tears that form a defensive film over the eyes start drying up. This occurs when the eyes are open and looking into the monitor for too long. The tears evaporate from the eyes faster, causing the eyes to dry up."
CVS could lead to various eye problems.
A good workout? Only 20 minutes i. Eyestrain
Eyestrain, which is a common problem, mostly occurs when we are working on something for a long time without taking adequate breaks. It can be caused by activities such as watching television, working on the computer, reading a book or studying for long hours. In such cases, your eye muscles are working hard to help you focus.
During these times, your inner eye muscles tighten up, causing your eyes to get irritated, dry up and feel uncomfortable. In addition, lack of sleep, fatigue, poor lighting and an incorrect posture (such as slouching on your chair), can aggravate eyestrain.
Symptoms include a mild headache, coupled with irritated/ smarting eyes. You might also find it difficult to focus after a prolonged session of reading or looking at your computer screen.
Prevention: Apart from placing your monitor 25 inches away from where you sit, tilt it a little below eye level. How does this help? Dr Belvi says, "When your eyes are looking down at a lower level, they are opened less as compared to when you look directly into a monitor tilted at a higher level. Thus, keeping the monitor at a lower level helps minimise evaporation of moisture from your eyes."
Opt for LCD/ plasma monitors as they are more soothing, compared to cathode ray tube monitors. "LCD or plasma monitors are technologically more advanced. As a result, the pixilated picture quality and colour contrast are soothing to the eyes. Compared to that, cathode ray tube monitors are harsh on the eyes as they display focused light on the eyes," he adds.
You can also set the lighting and brightness of your monitor to a lower glare, as per your comfort level.
Do or diet? Tips that can't go wrong! ii. Dry Eyes
This problem can be worse for those who wear contact lenses to work on a daily basis. Dry eyes occur when our blink rate declines considerably while working on a computer. More so since we are looking straight ahead into the monitor, as compared to desk work where we look down at our books/ files.
The very act of looking into a monitor without blinking results in tear evaporation. An air-conditioned office environment also contributes to this problem, dehydrating our eyes and causing them to itch.
Some of the basic symptoms of dry eyes are a feeling of dryness and irritation, a gritty/ grainy feeling in the eyes, a blurring of vision, redness, feeling a strain on the eyes, general stress, an intolerance to light, and headaches.
Prevention: Follow certain precautions like keeping a minimum distance of 25 inches from the screen.
Fix an antiglare screen on your monitor.Anti Reflection Coating on the Lens.
Take regular visual breaks lasting few minutes, at intervals of 20 minutes -- such as looking away from the screen for about a minute and then getting back to work. This will help your eyes focus better.
Blink your eyes several times so they are nourished with tears.
Use preservative-free re-wetting eye drops; these can be safely used even by those of you who wear contact lenses.
Wanna lose weight? Dance! iii. Vision related headaches
Most of us have suffered from vision related headaches. These signal eyestrain and are usually caused by improper workplace conditions. Glare from the computer screen and poor lighting are some of the main culprits. Some of the main symptoms include headaches that occur mostly toward the front part of your head or forehead, and you finding yourself pressing the point between your eyes and upper part of your nose.
Prevention: If at home, have lemon tea. If at work, try a hot cup of tea, as it helps soothe headaches.
"The best thing is to get some rest for yourself and for your eyes," suggests Dr Amar,
Part I: Eye care tips for computer users
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Churie. - 29 Jun 2007 16:07 GMT On Jun 28, 2:07 am, apogeemon...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I've been staring at computer screens for 12 years just fine, often > many hours a day, until about a year ago. Since then, after about 4 [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > If I don't get this fixed I will definitely have to change my career, > as I simply can't bare looking at a computer screen anymore. :( Hi One more for you. Computer vision syndrome is a common complaint of office workers more prevalent in the last years due to the widespread use of computers and video display terminals (VDT?s). Common symptoms include sore and irritated eyes, dry eyes, headaches and blurry vision. But fortunately, there are many ways to enhance your work environment to help prevent computer vision syndrome.
Computer images are made up of tiny dots that do not give a clear image so your eyes are forced to focus and re-focus continually. This is one of the main reasons that computer work is so straining on the eyes.
Ensure that you are working with a good quality computer screen and make sure the resolution is set high as high as possible for your work.
Force yourself to blink more often than usual and use mild lubricating drops if you experience dry eyes. Take ?eye breaks ? at least every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen and focusing on something in the distance for at least 20 seconds.
Ensure that the lighting at your workstation is appropriate for working at the computer. Make sure there are no bright lights shining into your eyes or your computer screen. Don?t make the mistake of having too much light. Too many light sources within one space will distract your eyes from the screen and cause glare on your screen.
Make sure that neither you nor your screen are facing a window.
If glare is a problem try changing the position of your desk. Hang pictures or temporary walls to eliminate other sources of light.
Reflections can be very straining for the eyes. Two types of reflections exist, diffuse and blocking. Diffuse reflections are those reflections caused by a reduction in the contrast of text presented on the screen. Low contrast makes it difficult for the eyes to focus. Blocking reflections block out parts of the screen, which forces you to move in order to see the object.
Reflections can be prevented by either using anti-reflection filters on the screen or by eliminating the reflection source. If too much light is coming in through the window, used blinds or curtains. Always try out different positions. It is often the case that computer users are not even aware of the discomfort they are experiencing because they have become so ?used to it?.
The positioning of the monitor in respect to your posture can make all the difference in the world. The computer screen should be at an angle of 0 to 20 degrees from a straight visual line looking down slightly. And keep your screen 50-60 cm away from your face.
Computer glasses
If you are over 40 chances are that you already use glasses. And if you already wear glasses or contact lenses it is not guaranteed that you might not need separate glasses for working at the computer screen. Those who wear bifocals or trifocals are often forced to move their heads so that they can see the screen through the right section of the glasses. Glasses and contacts usually correct near and far vision and sometimes both but rarely do they correct the mid-range needed for a computer screen. Even if you wear contact lenses you may still benefit from computer glasses.
Computer glasses provide a wide field of view so that users can clearly read their screen and printed material that are at different distances and correct the distance held looking at a computer screen.
Tinted glasses are also available to help prevent glare from computer screens and surplus lighting (not needed but cannot be switched off).
If you are experiencing eye problems while working at a computer screen it is a good idea to see your eyecare specialist for a thorough eye exam and ask him/her for their recommendations.
Summary of Steps for Preventing CVS
Use good quality monitor
Set resolution high
Make an effort to blink your eyes more often
Ensure proper lighting at your workstation
Don?t have you or screen facing a window
Eliminate any sources of glare in the office
Angle your computer slightly below eye level
Position your monitor 50 to 60 cm away from your eyes
See your eyecare specialist for an eye checkup to determine if you need computer glasses.
RajdiPs - 29 Jun 2008 18:45 GMT Also try ayurvedic isotine eye drops which is 100% safe, this is my personal experience
visit http://www.isotineeyedrops.com/
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