Health watch
Eye sighs
It’s not easy to be a computer geek or software professional. There are health hazards linked to being wedded to the computer. You are susceptible to eyestrain, eye fatigue, dry eyes, light sensitive, blurred vision, loss of focus, double vision, headaches, neck and shoulder pain. This is nothing but what ophthalmologist term as computer vision syndrome or CVS.
How do you recognize you have CVS?
* Red, watery, irritated eyes
* Tired, aching or heavy eyelids
* Problems with focusing, objects seem blurred
* Muscle spasms of the eye or eye lid headache
* Backache
Why does CVS occur?
Healthy eyes can easily focus on a printed page. However, characters on a computer screen don’t have this contrast or well-defined edges. These characters are brightest at the centre and diminish in intensity toward their edges. This makes it very difficult for our eyes to remain focused on these characters. Instead, our eyes tend to drift out to a point called the “resting point of accommodation” and then strain to regain focus on the screen. This continuous flexing of the eye’s focusing muscles creates fatigue and the burning tired-eyes feeling.
What can you do about it?
* You can ask your doctor to prescribe computer eyeglasses (or VDT glasses).
* An anti-reflective coating (AR) is also highly recommended on all computer eyeglasses. An AR coating prevents glare and reflections on the front and back of the lenses that would interference with focusing on the screen.
* Place the computer terminal below the level of your eyes, so that you look down at it. Looking up at the screen causes your upper lid to lift and expose more of the ocular surface to the drying effects of a low humidity air-conditioned environment.
* Constant conscious blinking when working on computers can also help to make the eyes comfortable.
* Another useful rule to remember is the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 min, one should look away from the screen into the distance (20 feet) for 20 sec to rest the eye muscles.