Glasses, computer screens and tired allergy eyes

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Permalink Reply by CameraClicker on April 9, 2009 at 6:32pm

When you are wondering if your eyes are still focusing, look at the text in the application or look at the name/logo on your monitor.

If you are working on a computer for any length of time, remember to blink, frequently. It keeps your eyes from drying out.

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Permalink Reply by Beverley Pohlner on April 11, 2009 at 2:53am

Drying out [they tell me that's my problem!] I wonder if some screens remit more and cause more eye problems than others?
I have to use eye drops but it,s not always because of the computer..maybe age has something to do with it!!!
Thanks for bringing this up Susan.

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Permalink Reply by CameraClicker on April 11, 2009 at 9:37am

Found this at a doctor's office today:

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Permalink Reply by ann Kennedy on April 11, 2009 at 11:26am

I have this prob mega as I have sjogrens syndrome, my eyes get SO weary, I was going to ask a similar question about Laptops, do they let out the dangerous rays or are they exempt! I heard they were. If they are not is there a screen shield like for PC's.
It seems we both need an answer to this.
xxAnn

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Permalink Reply by ann Kennedy on April 11, 2009 at 11:28am

Oh forgot to mention a tip I saw, place the monitor below eye level. Dont have it directly ahead so that you dont strain to keep eyes open.
Saw that in a sjoggie book.

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Permalink Reply by CameraClicker on April 11, 2009 at 1:53pm

Old style monitors, the ones that are shaped like a sculpted cube contain a cathode ray tube which sprays a stream of electrons across and down the monitor one row at a time. Phosphor is excited by the electrons and glows for a short period. Color monitors employ three streams, one for each color.

Cathode Ray Tubes are heavy, they have a collection of masks and filters at the end used to show the picture and there is a piece of glass thick enough to withstand an impact even though there is a vacuum inside the tube. For years parents told their children not to sit too close to the TV because of radiation, then the computer monitor came along and millions sat right in front of the monitor, all day, every day. Some companies capitalized on people's fears and sold a piece of plastic that was supposed to stop the radiation, but really, if the parts in the tube that are designed to do that, can't, what hope does a piece of plastic have? Flicker is a problem with this kind of monitor but a higher refresh rate usually reduces or eliminates our perception of flicker.

Flat screen monitors, both desktop and notebook, typically use Liquid Crystal Display technology instead. Light is provided by fluorescent tubes at the edges of the monitor and reflected by a reflector behind the display. The picture you see is determined by the amount of light the Liquid Crystal passes. There are colored filters which provide the same three colors, red, green and blue. You can see the individual pixels with a magnifying glass or if you get a drop of water on the monitor. Flat screen monitors don't flicker, which is a bonus. They also don't use an electron stream. They may still emit electromagnetic fields, but so do most things that run on electricity. There are a few people who claim to be adversely affected by the new energy saving compact fluorescent bulbs. The tubes in the monitor are similar technology.

The nice thing about the LCD and LED displays is that they do not require exact adjustment of mechanical pieces to focus, so unlike CRT monitors they remain in focus over their life time.

Having spend most of my work hours and many after work hours looking at a monitor of one sort or the other, the only real problem I have experienced with either type of monitor, is glare from ambient light, which makes me wonder why all the monitors being sold now have a very shiny screen. I go out of my way to make sure my monitors have a mat surface since it is much easier on the eyes.

Monitor position affects your posture, if you tend to hunch over, raise the monitor, your back will thank you.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Khan on April 11, 2009 at 3:20pm

thanks all.... it looks like, as we all grow more and more attached to our computers, we'll have to find a solution, one way or the other.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Copeland on April 14, 2009 at 10:01am

This is a very common problem. I am in my mid 30s and always had perfect vision. But I recenly was given a perscription for "Computer Glasses". They are basically reading glasses with a very mild perscription. The eye Dr said to wear them as needed when using the computer to reduce eye strain.

She also told me that your blink rate gets really low when you stare at a computer screen, and recommended drops calles "Soothe XP". I'm sure any lubricating eye drop will help just as much.

Finally, I've also read that you should do little exercises to frsshen up your eyes. Hold your finger as close to your eyes as you can get it and still focus on it clearly, then shift you focus to a distant object (if you do it right, you will see "two" fingers in the foreground), then back to your finger. This changes your f-stop so to speak and keeps your eyes from getting strained by focusing at the same focal length for hours on end.

Hope that helps - in any case, you're not alone!


Jeff


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Permalink Reply by Susan Khan on April 14, 2009 at 1:09pm

yeah, 3 days was a little excessive, but i knew the interview was going to come out and i wanted it updated.... and i only do this "part time" so i don't always get to edit right away. (plus, i'm a procrastinator.... lol)

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