Computers and your eyes

As the number of people working on computers continues to grow each year, the number of people encountering temporary vision problems due to computer use also increases. Computers do not harm your eyes, but often cause temporary problems. The reason is that when you look in the distance, your eyes are relatively relaxed. But when doing near work, such as reading your computer screen, muscles in your eyes have to work harder to keep a clean near focus.

These muscles get tired after extended use, resulting in eyestrain, neck pain, blurry near vision, headaches or difficulty changing focus. Dry eyes also can occur because we tend to blink less as we concentrate on our computer screen.

Reducing and relieving these problems can be accomplished by implementing simple solutions:

• look into the distance every 15 minutes to relax your eye muscles
• make a conscious effort to blink several times during the break period
• use eye drops if your eyes become dry

You also can reduce eyestrain from your computer by moving the screen away from direct lighting, tilt the monitor screen or use a glare screen. If you wear eyeglasses, antireflective coating may be added to your lenses to reduce the effects of glare from the screen.

Computer users many times will benefit from a special prescription with an "in-between" focal point. Talk with your eye care professional if you think you are a candidate for this type of prescription.

We offer computer eyewear in our Optical Store. Talk to your Park Nicollet eye care professional about solutions available to you. Call 952-993-3150 to schedule your appointment.