Discovering Vision Therapy Blog

Three Realistic Ways to Avoid Computer Eye Strain

A news reporter was talking to me about several of Dr. Kellye Knueppel’s recommendations for preventing computer eye strain, one of which included stopping every 15 minutes and looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

“That sounds simple,” the reporter said to me.  “But who really does it?”

It’s a fair response.  As a writer, I find myself hunkered down in front of a computer for over eight hours per day.  This post alone will require more than 20 minutes of pretty intense concentration as I review the text.

However, we are all entering into a new era of computer usage, and while computers are advancing at cyber-speed, our own visual system is not.  Unlike the processing speed of a microchip, our visual systems are not adapting at an exponential rate. 

So what can we do?  Do we just blow off Dr.  Knueppel’s recommendations (download the flyer at the bottom of this page to see them in full detail), and go on willy-nilly with our lives?

Well, you can.  I, on the other hand, will be doing my utmost to avoid computer eye-strain.  I’d like to pass along a few realistic strategies I use to execute the following tips:

1. Every 15 minutes, look at objects at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.  Okay, this one is tough.  I often forget to stop and look (Dr. K recommends ‘active looking’) at the neighbor’s tree for 20 seconds.  However, I do make myself take frequent breaks.  Getting up to stretch the legs, using the restroom, grabbing a cup of tea.  The key here is to refocus your eyes:  Fixing muscles in one set position will only add to the strain.

2. Center yourself in front of the computer screen.  Not exactly an easy task if you tend to slouch or slump, or lean on an armrest.  However, if you have an ergonomically correct chair, this becomes an easier proposition.  My chair has a lump positioned right at the lip of the seat, between my legs.  It’s designed to keep me from slumping (otherwise, ouch), and it also helps me maintain my centered position.  If you’re typing, keep your fingers on “home row” will also keep you centered.

(The idea behind centering is to give your eyes the best chance to work equally.)

3. Have a friend do an audit.  If you’re like me, you tend to adapt to your surroundings, and eventually become oblivious to any issues.  My wife will walk into my work space and ask why my lights are so dim, for example, and I’ll realize that I forgot to turn them up.  To keep yourself eye-strain free, have a friend or family member go through your workspace with the checklist below, and take a look at your setup.  They may spot some things that are, ahem, escaping your vision.

Those are just a few “realistic” tips for starters.  It’s pretty simple:  Either we change our visual habits, or computer eye strain will change us. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my 15-minute break…

(Photo by bark )

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The Vision Therapy Center has helped over 2,000 people overcome vision problems since 1995, and has Wisconsin vision therapy offices in Brookfield and Madison.