In today’s world, with so many people, both adults and children, using computers and smartphones for several hours each day, many people are suffering from CVS or Computer Vision Syndrome. Computer vision syndrome is the result of staring at a computer screen (or the screen of a Smartphone) for too long without refocusing your eyes, and usually it is only a temporary condition and will go away by itself. There are some other eye problems that might mimic computer vision syndrome, so it is important to get an eye exam from your eye care professional if you have recurring eye problems to make sure that you receive the correct diagnosis.
The most frequent symptoms of computer vision syndrome is dry eyes, blurred vision, strained feeling eyes, headaches and pain in the neck and shoulders. Pain in the neck and shoulders may indicate computer vision, because if you have spent enough time in front of your computer screen to be suffering pain in your neck and shoulders, then your eyes are probably suffering as well.
There are several things that you can do to prevent computer vision syndrome. First of all, make sure that your work station is as comfortable as you can make it. Ergonomics are very important in your work area. Make sure that your chair and your computer monitor are adjusted to the proper height to give you maximum comfort. You also need to be sure that your chair is the proper design to ensure that you maintain good posture while working on the computer. Positioning documents that you need to look back and forth at adjacent to your computer will also be helpful.
You might consider upgrading your monitor from a cathode ray tube (CRT) to an LCD monitor with the highest resolution that you can get. This will help to ease eye strain, as will adjusting the display settings on your computer. By adjusting the text size and contrast, the brightness and the color temperature on your computer might help prevent computer eye syndrome. Make sure you have good lighting that is not excessively bright. You should also be try to get rid of any glare or reflections that are behind or in front of your monitor. Simply pulling the blinds, shades or drapes will help.
The last thing that you should do is to give your eyes a break. Blink frequently, look away from the screen every few minutes to a point in the distance for a few seconds, and get up and physically move away from the computer. Your eyes and your body will benefit from getting up and moving around from time to time. A few simple steps can help you prevent computer vision syndrome.
