Today’s technology has us spending more time looking at computer screens and less time looking at the world around us. Many people feel that this has led to an increase in eye fatigue, headaches, and other eyestress-related concerns. How Do You Know If Your Eyes Are Exhausting? Is It Safe To Take A Break?
If you’ve ever felt fatigued from staring at a computer screen, then you know that it’s something that affects a lot of people. If you have headaches or eye discomfort after long periods of time spent in front of a device, you’re not alone. This article is going to explain the reasons for eye stress, the dangers of eye strain, and the best ways to make your computer screen easier on your eyes.
What is Eye Strain?
A strain occurs when the force required to open the eyes is greater than the strength of the eye muscles. The resulting redness, pain, and/or blurry vision can be a sign that you need to ease up on the amount of time you spend staring at a computer screen.
When a person focuses on a computer for a long period of time, the muscles in the eye are under constant strain. This can result in a variety of conditions, including dry eye, blurry vision, fatigue, and headaches.
Why does eye strain happen?
Computer screens emit light that can cause eyestrain when used for too long. This is because the screen’s light is reflected off the eyes, causing strain on the muscles that control vision.
Computers, phones, and other devices generate light in all directions. This means that the screen is always in view and that the eyes are exposed to a range of different wavelengths. Over time, that can lead to eyestrain.
Signs of Eye Strain
While eye fatigue is a common concern, it’s important to note that not all cases are eyestrain. If any of the symptoms above sound familiar to you, you may want to ease up on your computer time until they go away.
Headaches
Headaches are one of the most common signs of eye strain. They are often experienced by people who are staring at a computer for prolonged periods of time. Other people may experience headaches without prolonged eye strain.
Eye Redness
When you stare at a computer or other device, your eyes can become red and sore. This is a sign of eye strain and is often accompanied by a burning feeling in the eyes.
Double Vision
Double vision is another common sign of eye strain. If you stare at a computer or device too long, you may experience blurred vision. This will appear in two images, one with each eye.
How to make your computer screen easier on your eyes
First things first: protect your eyes. When you’re not wearing your glasses or contacts, take a few moments each day to protect your eyes. This could mean wearing sunglasses if you need them, or putting on your glasses or contacts before you start working on your computer.
Secondly, don’t use a computer for too long. The World Health Organization estimates that the average person spends about 2 hours each day staring at a computer screen.
Caffeine is a drug that many people use to stay awake. It is, however, extremely damaging to the eyes. Long periods of caffeine intake can lead to headaches, eye redness, blurry vision, and much more. Try to avoid drinking coffee and other energy drinks, which are high in caffeine, whenever possible.
Make Text Bigger in Windows
The text size in Windows can be adjusted through the “Text and other items” settings in the “Devices” section of your “Control Panel”. Click on the “Settings” button, and then select “Text and Other Items”. On the “Text size” page, you will find the option to make the text bigger. You can also change the size of icons, buttons, and other items in the menu.
Change the Size of Apps
The size of apps can also be changed in Windows. Go to the “File” menu, and select “properties”. From the “Properties” menu, you will be able to change the display settings and size of apps.
Adjust Graphics Software
Graphics software can also be adjusted to make your screen easier on your eyes. Go to the “View” menu, select “Scaling”, and select the “Window and display scaling” option. From here, you will be able to make the software display the proper size for your computer screen.
Ways to prevent eye strain when using a computer
Let’s say you’ve made all these changes and you’re still experiencing eyestress. This can happen from time to time, and there are a few things you can do to prevent it from happening again.
Proper lighting – Make sure you have proper lighting in your workspace. Work in a dark room, with the lights lowered, to avoid eyestress. Make sure that the brightness on your computer is not too bright, as this can cause eyestress.
Frequent breaks – Take frequent breaks from staring at your windows screen. Get away from your computer and relax for 5-10 minutes at least once a day.
Computer screen cleaning – Your screen can get dirty and smudged from fingerprints, dust, and other items. If you don’t clean your screen regularly, it will cause eyestress.
- Your screen can get dirty and smudged from fingerprints, dust, and other items. If you don’t clean your screen regularly, it will cause eyestress. Monitor angles – The angles on your monitor may cause eyestress, whereas a non-square monitor may not cause any eyestress at all. Make sure your monitor is square, and that the angles are not too high, or too low.
Make Text Bigger in Windows
The text size in Windows can be adjusted through the “Text and other items” settings in the “Devices” section of your “Control Panel”. Click on the “Settings” button, and then select “Text and Other Items”. On the “Text size” page, you will find the option to make the text bigger. You can also change the size of icons, buttons, and other items in the menu.
Conclusion
The best way to avoid eye strain while using a computer is to protect your eyes while not wearing your glasses or contacts, and to limit your computer use to two hours per day.
If you experience any signs of eye strain during this time, ease off on the amount of time you spend staring at the computer screen and take a break.