Computer Eye Strain

[DarkGravity]

My eyes bother me sometimes when at the computer. I just came across this and found it interesting. http://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/irritated.htm

[Robotengineer]

Try turning the brightness down, way down. I used to get headaches after long bouts of KSP'ing from excessive brightness, turned it down and now I can play for hours without discomfort. Also, drink water.

[NovaSilisko]

After I started using F.lux, my eyes started feeling a lot better. I started sleeping better, too. It's surprising just how much of a difference monitor brightness and tone really makes.

[theend3r]

I've once spent so much time at a computer that I've temporarily stopped seeing with one eye. I've really freaked out but I couldn't do anything about it so I went to sleep and I could see again on the next day. I've been a little more careful from that day on.

[T-Bouw]

Are you wearing (reading) glasses?

I know that "normal" reading glasses are, big suprise, for reading. What most people don't know is that these are optimized for reading physical media.

Books, (news)papers and the like.

For (computer)screens you need a different set of reading glasses with a different focal-point.

The distance at which you read a book is (slightly) different than at which you look at a screen.

I myself have glasses for seeing far off things and I don't wear them when reading stuff close-by.

What I do as well is, providing enough background light behind my monitor or TV to counteract the otherwise big contrast.

"Playing in the dark" hurts my eyes.

Edited May 21, 2015 by T-Bouw

[DarkGravity]

I usually play in the dark and don't wear my glasses. After reading the link above, I turned on a room light, and maybe I'll try turning down the brightness a bit as well.

Theend3r, if you ever suddenly go blind again, there actually **IS** something you can do: call a doctor or emergency room. Some hospitals have a nurses' hotline you can call. Sometimes with sudden blindness, waiting a day before seeing the doctor can be the difference between temporary and permanent blindness. You might even consider getting your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (not optometrist) just because it happened once. NO ONE should EVER go blind in an eye, even for a short while from spending too much time at a computer. No one. Ever. Even for a short while. The fact that it did happen to you means there is a real chance there is something wrong. Imagine your eyes are a car. Adding oil when you're a quart low is a good idea, and no big deal. And if it turns out that you need to add a quart every week cuz you developed a leak somewhere, still no big deal. But if you wait till you're 4 quarts low your whole engine can seize. I strongly suggest you get your eyes checked. The fact that this happened to you once is like a light coming on on your dashboard, and it says "Check Eyes."

Edited May 21, 2015 by DarkGravity

[Hunting.Targ]

Yup.

Three things are important;

Contrast; avoiding extremes of contrast is especially important to avoid eye strain and its long-term health penalties (onset of myopia, other problems focusing). Your eyes have muscles not just around them but in them as well, and they heal very slowly. Always have one alternate light source on that creates indirect backlighting behind the monitor, so there isn't an extreme of contrast in your field of view.

Proper nutrition; anyone who uses a computer a lot should ensure they get enough vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as enough protein. It is easy to fall into a cycle of consuming carbohydrates, simple sugars, and fats to keep blood sugar and Myelin levels up, but protein is essential to proper metabolic health, and should be consumed with every meal. Animal meats, eggs, cheese, and nuts all provide protein. Protein bars for athletes or diabetics are also quite helpful.

Regular breaks. I try to stick with at least 15 minutes every 2 hours. Unless you're doing something that is involved or intense, a short break, along with a snack or a walk, can have a variety of benefits; re-normalize circulation in both body and brain, re-adjust blood sugar and hormone levels, and stimulate the removal of wastes from tissues.

And again, DarkGravity is absolutely right. If you have another episode, especially after implementing the steps above, please seek professional medical help. Many hospitals or health care networks allow you to call a Nurse Practitioner (someone who has a nursing credential or degree, but not a medical license or M.D.) for free advice. I would find such a phone number or similar hotline, and post it near the computer or put it on voice dial on a cel phone. You're not protecting lives or national security, so there's no need to put yourself at risk.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Hunting.Targ
left out a word (Oh, my OCD!)

[LordFerret]

I've been staring at screens (one kind or another) all my life. I find it most helpful to look away often, and I don't mean at the wall in front of you on the other side of the desk either ... look out the window, towards infinity. I find that helps best (for me anyway). Same deal for you bookworms out there.

[DarkGravity]

That's one of the things they said in the link I posted. Look at something 20 feet (or more) away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes.

[Thomas988]

I use the computer with the lights on, and when wearing my glasses are on I usually sit straight up in my chair,a foot and a half or so from the screen. I almost never get headaches, but they may be to due to the fact I've been using computers as long as I can remember. If my eyes do starting hurting, though, I just like to get up a drink a glass or two of water. Sometimes I also forget to stay hydrated during long computer sessions, and a drink can really help sometimes.

[longbyte1]

LCD has been present in my whole life and I think I still have perfectly good vision. What's worked best for me:

• Good lighting - try not to have a sharp contrast between the brightness of your monitor and the lighting in your room. Natural light and a close window work best.
  
• Keep your distance from the monitor. Laptops and phones force you to be close to them in order to see anything, which is why I use my desktop above any other electronic.
  
• Take 5 m breaks, look at nature. Easy to do if you are a daydreamer who tends to walk around while you eat
  

[jmiki8]

I'm using the same method as Longbyte1 mentioned:

Monitor brightness on the lowest setting + enough ambient light (sunlight at day, desk lamp at night) + keyboard and chair placed far away from the screen (1-1,5m) + ~hourly (drinking) breaks. I only use higher brightness if the sun is illuminating the screen, or if I need good color rendition (e.g. while editing photos). No headaches, eye strains after hours of work, 20/20 vision.

Edited May 24, 2015 by jmiki8