How can I prevent/ease eye pain from using the computer for an extended period of time.
There is probably more you can do, but I’ve found these things to help my own eyes. Having glasses with an anti-glare coating as opposed to normal glasses will help quite a bit when looking at any monitor. I’m not sure if a no-prescription anti-glare pair of glasses would help or not if you have good eye-sight, but if you’re eyesight isn’t the best, you might want to ask your eye doctor about anti-glare glasses (let him/her know why you’re asking too – there might be a better option out there that I’m not aware of). Anothing thing to factor in is what type of monitor you’re using. CRT monitors (the large, thick ones) don’t have as crisp of an image as LCD (the thin ones) do, so your eyes will be more strained from looking at them. If you’re using a CRT monitor, consider investing in a new LCD. Also, adjust the lighting in the room you’re in to minimize the glare on the screen, and try to keep the light in the room at a reasonable level. If the room is too dark, you won’t be able to let
Make sure the monitor is far enough away. Some say 18 – 24 inches. I think 30 to 36 may work better. When your eyes focus on objects that are near, two things happen. Your eyes have to turn in closer toward your nose. This is called convergence. The second is the lens capsule in your eye changes shape to focus. This is called accommodation. These two conditions are the biggest contributors to eyestrain. The farther you can position the monitor from your eyes, the better. You should also make sure the area where you are working is reasonably well lit and make sure the monitor is clean and positioned to reduce any glare.
