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Computers, Long Hours and Vision Problems?
msid asks: "I have been computing for almost 10 years, starting back in 1996 when my father bought me my first computer. In the process, I fell in love with computers and got stuck with them. The last year though has been a real challenge for me. I sleep 5 hours, in average, per day and I spend more that 15 hours in front of my laptop's monitor (a 17" TFT Widescreen), either programming or reading. I have never had 'problems' with my vision up until now. Do you have a specific way of using light sources in your workspace? I have heard of special glasses for computer users. Should I use them or not?"
"A week ago, I checked my eyes and I found 0.25 astigmatism in both of them. They told me that this is not necessarily a problem, and it is mainly due to the intensive computer work. The actual symptom is that I lose my concentration more easily now. Also, the lighting of the monitor is killing me, especially when combined with a white background. Since I am willing to continue working in the same pace that I do now, what do you propose? Is there a habit that you follow to relax your eyes? Is there a way of preventing vision problems?"
IANAO, but IMHO extensive time in front of your monitor is likely to just aggravate or expose conditions you already had or were predisposed to having. It is always well-agreed upon that the best therapy is to never do the same thing for too long. Your eyes would be happier if you got up every now and then and took a walk-- maybe walk to the deli for some Jolt or Dr. Pepper.
Btw, I've been sitting closely in front of large CRT and FP monitors for long periods each shot for over 15 years, and my vision is perfect. Not enough data to state anything conclusive, but I'd guess it supports
"Ain't I a stinka..." - Bugs
I can't vouch for this, but it's interesting information -- why aren't you googling?
Key quote from above article:
For the record, I've been using computers for LONG hours for over twenty years and haven't noticed any deterioration in my ability to sads lkjasl llksdkl!
I found that dual monitors with different sync rates give me headaches
I've been a regular over at the AVSForums for years -- I'm a confessed home theater geek/snob. A few years ago someone mentioned that they had a light source behind their TV -- just a soft white light. In total darkness, the white light reduced eye tension as it allowed the eye to go from the bright TV to a gradient light to the dark wall, and it also increased the visible contrast of the TV.
I started doing it immediately (Standard Definition) and have always increased my use of it as time goes on. My current theater is a projector, and I have a soft light behind my screen matting. I definitely find less eye strain if I have the light on.
About 2 years ago I tried it with my computer monitor (I'm a dual monitor user on the rare occasion that I'm not using my PDA; PC use is down to less than 5% of my computing time). I can say that I have less eye strain for sure when I use the soft lighting.
I tried to do a quick Google search but my PDA won't let me display any articles that talk about the light behind the display. Maybe someone with a real PC can find one and post a link -- I'm sure I've seen studies backing up the usage of the light behind the display, but I don't have any links for now.
On a tinfoil hat conspiracy sidenote: I was an eye glass wearer for a very long time. My vision deteriorated every year or two it seemed. I stopped wearing glasses a few years back and tried some of the eye exercises (as a friend recommended) and I was able to drop my driving restriction and I pass every eye test I've taken for the past few years -- without my glasses on. Anyone else have similar problems with glasses?
Get a good laser printer. (As far as I know laser is cheaper than inkjet per page, and you get a better resolution.) Print the pages you want to read. Read them with the monitor turned off.
When I spend a great deal of time looking at a monitor, I can't focus after a while. Either the font size goes up or I turn it off and get some sleep or read a book.
Your body is sending you a signal. Pay attention and heed its warnings or suffer the consequences later in life.
The radical sect of Islam would either see you dead or "reverted" to Islam.
Holy Christ. Have you tried a) sleeping more and b) getting outside? Might be a place to start.
-b
myselfmusic
The machine's wearing out.
Accept it.
I am prone to migraines and also have astigmatisms in both eyes. I work 40 hours a week in front of computers and then use a computer at home 20+ more hours a week. I used to wear contacts in high school and I found glasses let me work a lot longer and reduced the number of triggered migraines I got (for what its worth).
-everphilski-
I've been staring into the screen since 82, and I have perfect 20/20 vision.
Someone once told me, that it's because I "work out" my eyes. When I'm not seated in front of the computer, I'm out in the nature, either hiking or sailing. The eyes supposedly likes to look at things far away as well as close up. Being outside in the wide open should be a great contrast.
I have no idea if that's the true reason, but I thought I'd chip in - maybe someone has similar experience?
i know some people only use laptops, but i never understood such people, especially if you are devoting a lot of time in front of your laptop. if the time commitment is so extensive, then please consider buying a desktop computer. such a setup allows you more freedom and ergonomic choices: changing positions of screen and keyboard and other peripherals, such that you can find the most comfortable angles
additionally, you can change screens, keyboards, and other peripherals without throwing out the core of your workstation. so maybe you just won't help your vision, maybe your spine, wrists, and neck may thank you as well
put it this way: a laptop forces your body to conform to its design. a desktop is forced to conform to your body's design. i think the wear and tear on your body should get more of your respect. so lose the laptop, buy a real computer
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
...for your opthamologist.
- AMW
Second, turn the screen brightness down to a comfortable level (especially when in a darkened room). The brighter the screen, the harder on your eyes. Likewise, if it's too dark you'll strain trying to read it, but most users don't have a problem with screens that are too dark. Most often users max out their screen brightness without thinking about it.
Third, the light source in your computer environment is important. Laptop screens don't have enough power to stand up to natural light easily. Using it inside, I've found that overhead lights are harder on your eyes than lamps. If you can get a desklamp or floorlamp (you can get a nice one from Ikea for $8) that will be much better than ceiling lighting. Soft white bulbs are nicer on your eyes than bright white, flourescent, or halogen (even though they are environmentally wasteful).
Finally, reading from paper is light years easier than reading on the screen, especially if you have a large volume of text to go through. If you can afford it, and don't mind killing a few extra trees, go ahead and print out long articles and read them on paper. Your eyes will thank you.
The Rise and Fall of Online Community
the main problem with using computers for 10 years is that, invariably, your eyes age 10 years.
Aye. I've been doing the backlighting of my HDTV television now for about 4 years. Recently, while reading the AVSForums I came across this special light for the purpose called Ideal-Lume.
http://www.cinemaquestinc.com/ideal_lume.htm
So I bought one, and I do highly recommend it. Now, ideally you could probably get something similar elsewhere, it's just a flourescent tube with a 6500k bulb. I guess what makes it nice versus the ones at Home depot, is the cover over the bulb is clear(rather than white), plus it came with a plastic sleeve with half of it blacked out, that allows you to dim the bulb by turning it.
I started doing something similar with my computer, just pointing a light at the wall behind my computer, which keeps the ambient light high enough that my eyes don't hurt. Honestly, this I think is a good part of the key is making sure there is enough light in the room to work, while at the same time not having any glare on the screen. That means lot's of ambient light.
Five hours of sleep per night is NOT enough. Despite what you think and what you hear from your friends, you need more sleep. From wikipedia on sleep deprivation, "Lack of sleep may also result in irritability, blurred vision..."
Go to bed.
It's simple: I demand prosecution for torture.
Use a high refresh rate.
Don't the resolution so high you need the screen up close to your face to read it without squinting.
Keep the ambient light low so you can have the screen's brightness down low.
I use grey as the default background color rather than white.
The last two go together pretty well and I've found them to have a more noticeable impact on eyestrain induced headaches than the first two.
Your dad bought you your first computer in 1996... Does that make you 18? 19? That's right about the time that many genetically inherited vision problems start to kick in. You may even have been slightly myopic for years but had an astigmatism that compensated, and now your myopia is getting severe enough to be noticed.
Rather than blowing a ton of money on some ergonomic crap, just go see an eye doctor. They'll be able to tell you without any doubt what has caused your vision problems and how to deal with them (probably corrective lenses).
Welcome to the beginings of old age.
Mod parent up. This sounds like sleep deprivation more than anything. If you're only getting 5hrs of sleep per night then holy cow, of course you're going to have a hard time concentrating. Duh! Try unplugging for a while, taking breaks, and maybe, you know, getting a life and a girlfriend?
Damien
Your problem is that your body isn't accustomed to being in front of the computer so long.
:) Oh yeah, and beware of the cat.
But don't worry! I have a friend who might help you - he found out how to stay connected 24-hours a day! Log in at the CC network's BBS, and ask for Tsukasa. Good luck!
P.S. There are some side effects of using his method, but don't worry too much about it, you won't even feel them.
As someone with eye troubles since the first grade, and who now can't even read the big E on an eye chart...
Liquid Crystal Displays are enormously more gently on my eyes than are CRTs. So much so that at work I use a 14" LCD rather than a 27" monitor due to the strain from the monitor. If you do have CRT ensure the refresh rate is pretty high like 75Hz or up.
I definitely agree with LCD's help ing eye strain, and also turning the brightness down helps.. but those are personal preferences.
As far as science, my eye doctor told me that looking at close up things (e.g. reading a lot, or working on a computer) can cause two problems depending on a person genetic predisposition. in people like me: 1) astymagtism and near sightedness as the muscles pulling on your eye to focus on close up things cause your eye to deform or in other people 2) far sightedness as the muscles strain causes the muscle to stretch out and they loose their ability to focus close up over time. #2 is far more commone, and happens to most people as they age.
He proposed four things... 1) use large fonts 2) set your monitor about 30 inches away from your face 3) reading glasses that make you a little far sighted to allow your eyes to focus on close up things with less strain. He said that reading glasses don't have to be a prescription for people with normalish eye sight and you can pick them up at drug stores and at walmart and such. 4) always use lots of light in your work area.
There are 10 types of people in this world, those who can count in binary and those who can't.