Adjusting Your Monitor to Reduce Eye Stress

Did you know that the optometrist recommended exposure to a computer monitor is only two hours? Now don't take my word for it, but a discussion between my optometrist and I resulted in that statement. If this is true, then our eyes might as well be gouged out right now. These days it is ridiculously simple to spend much more time on the computer. The average time spent on a computer is 4-7 hours, which is a lot more than the recommended two hours. With all the advancements in technology, it doesn't look like people will be slowing down their computer use anytime soon. For this reason, it is important for us to take steps to adjust our monitor to reduce stress on our eyes.

A simple yet effective step to take is to be at least two feet away from the computer screen. This gives your eyes plenty of grace space between you and your monitor. Because of this, it is important to make sure that all words and images are clearly visible. Make the proper contrast adjustments to your monitor so you are able to read them without straining your eyes. If you need to, feel free to increase the font size or decrease the resolution to produce a larger image.

Although it isn't scientifically proven, it is believed by many computer enthusiasts that a LCD monitor dramatically reduces the strain on your eyes. The picture quality produced by a LCD monitor is superior to that of a regular CRT monitor. Older CRT monitors with low refresh rates can produce a "flicker" effect which is dramatically stressful to the human eye. In addition to less eye strain, a LCD monitor is much more appealing so it is definitely worth investing in one.

Making proper adjustments to your room plays a big role in eye strain. Having a glare on the screen due to the sun results in progressive eye strain. A simple solution to this is just lower your windows blinds or invest in an anti-glare screen. In addition to proper monitor positioning to avoid glares, it is important to position your chair as well. Make sure you are at a comfortable eye level with the monitor to avoid uncomfortable eye angles and constant pivoting. By nature, humans generally gaze slightly downward so this is a relatively useful position as well.

In conclusion - it is important to configure your monitors to reduce stress on your eyes. After all, we only have two eyes and taking every step to reduce damage to them will benefit all of us in the long run.