lcd screen eye strain free sample

Flicker-free monitors are specially designed to produce a single continuous light source. A typical monitor adjusts its brightness through flickering, introducing periods of low light between higher brightness. While a user may not be aware of the flicker, it can cause a number of issues, including eye strain. However, many monitors now use flicker-free technology to put less strain on monitor users’ eyes.

Research shows that the average American worker uses a computer for up to 7 hours a day for work, recreation, or both. Most of us have never realized the degree to which we’re regularly exposed to digital displays. That exposure takes a toll on the health of your eyes, as well as your overall health, over prolonged periods.

Unfortunately, continued exposure to computer monitors can be very harmful to your eyes, causing irritation and discomfort in the short term. It may also lead to more severe issues in the long-term.

Since your screen-centric lifestyles aren’t likely to change anytime soon, it’s vital for us to take proactive preventative measures to maintain the long-term health of your eyes. This includes making modifications to your workstation, as well as practicing healthy eye techniques and strategies.

However, the path to saving your eyes from long-term damage starts with the computer monitor you choose.  Choosing a flicker-free monitor – a display that maintains a steady stream of light – is one of the healthiest choices you can make to protect your eyes.

Before we talk about how the right computer monitor can protect your eyes, we need to first understand how digital displays can potentially degrade your vision over time.

Most computers on the market today are designed with LED backlighting, which enhances the computer screen’s clarity, brilliance, contrast, definition, and graphics. LED backlighting emits blue light waves that radiate at a brighter intensity than that of natural light or other light waves on the light spectrum. The light from a digital display is composed of what is known as HEV light (high-energy visible light). HEV light occurs in the violet/blue part of the visible spectrum.

Our eyes are not naturally equipped to protect against and filter out intense blue light, meaning that the higher energy of blue light waves can be particularly damaging to your lenses and retinas without taking the correct measures. (For example, switching from a screen to a projector.)

Consistent exposure to harmful blue light rays can cause eye fatigue, dryness, and irritation. It may also lead to digital eye strain or Computer Vision Syndrome, which encompasses a host of accompanying problems and issues, among them headaches, vertigo, and neck pain.

When selecting a computer monitor, you need to be aware of the potential for vision issues caused by blue light waves. Choosing a computer monitor designed to mitigate its harmful effects can be extremely beneficial in maintaining the long-term health of your eyes.

The harmful intensity and energy of blue waves isn’t the only thing you need to think about when selecting a computer monitor. Flicker also presents a genuine danger to the health of your eyes.

Monitors that use LED backlighting flicker through pulse-width modulation (PWM), which enables you to adjust the brightness of your screen easily. If you’re in a sunlit room, you’ll need a bright screen to help you see; when you’re working late at night, you may prefer to dim your screen accordingly.

PWM turns the backlight “on” and “off” quickly at a steady frequency, which decreases the brightness of the screen. This seems like it should be a good thing since you want to be able to fully control the brightness of your screen to adapt to fit your environment and your personal preferences.

The problem is that the computer screen flickers at a very fast rate imperceptible to the human eye as the backlight turns on and off. This flicker causes your pupils to rapidly move from larger to smaller, which in turn causes a multitude of eye issues, including eye strain and eye fatigue.

When you use a non-flicker-free monitor, you are exposing yourself to constant on-screen flickering, which—as we’ve discussed above—can jeopardize the health of your eyes over time. Studies reveal that after only 3 to 4 hours of use of a traditional computer monitor—one that’s not engineered with flicker-free technology – 90% of computer users may experience eye fatigue.

Short-term use of such a monitor may lead you to notice symptoms such as eye fatigue, irritation, eye dryness, short-sightedness, blurry vision, and headaches. Continued exposure could potentially cause irreversible damage to the retinal cells in your eyes.

Computer companies are beginning to address the concerns and dangers that digital displays pose to your eye health. When certain features are integrated into digital displays and computer monitors, your eyes can be successfully protected from digital eye strain.

However, implementing design changes that will have a positive impact on eye health has proven to be difficult. Many computer companies have attempted to design flicker-free monitors, but the end product fails to truly protect your eyes. In other words, not all flicker-free monitors are created equal—and some aren’t actually “flicker-free” at all.

For example, some companies have attempted to protect your eyes from on-screen flicker but have only created monitors that mask the issue or create the impression of being flicker-free.

Conventional computer monitors flicker at a fixed frequency with comparatively longer periods of time between the “on” and “off” states of the backlight. Consequently, the on-screen flicker of conventional computer monitors is very noticeable.

Some devices attempt to solve the problem of on-screen flicker by integrating PWD as well as high refresh rates. These modifications to the LED backlight actually result in an increase in the frequency of the on-screen flicker and shorten the period between the “on” and “off” states of the backlight.

Since these on-screen flickers are incredibly fast for the human eye to perceive or process, this gives a false impression that flicker has been eliminated. However, it fails to protect your eyes, as they still are forced to rapidly adjust to the “on” and “off” backlight states—only now at a faster rate.

It may seem like we’ve arrived at a catch-22. Non-flicker-free monitors have proven to harm your eyes, and traditional flicker-free monitors still, unfortunately, fail to solve this problem. So what’s the solution?

ViewSonic has used its 30 years of visual solution experience—along with a deep understanding of how traditional computer monitors harm your eyes—to develop a line of computer monitors designed to protect your eye health.

Engineered with flicker-free technology, ViewSonic’s line of monitors is created to reduce flicker and prevent eye strain, eye fatigue, and irritation as well as the development of Computer Vision Syndrome.

Start by setting your display to peak brightness. Turn on your mobile phone camera and point it at your computer screen. Now, with your phone’s camera focused on the screen, adjust the brightness to 50% and then eventually down to 0%.  As you lower the screen’s brightness, any flicker will become increasingly noticeable if it’s a non-flicker free monitor.

By conducting this test, you will be able to finally detect on-screen flickers that are usually imperceptible to the human eye. Once you see for yourself how much harmful on-screen flicker you’re exposed to on a daily basis, you’ll be inclined to purchase a more health-conscious computer monitor.

On-screen flicker isn’t the only problem computer users face. Companies have also tried to create monitors that protect your eyes from harsh blue light waves.

In addition to choosing a low blue light, flicker-free monitor, here are 6 other easy steps you can take right now to protect and maintain the health of your eyes.

Make sure your workstation is lit properly – it shouldn’t be too dim or too bright. The goal is to reduce glare and reflection so that you don’t need to strain your eyes and can maintain a healthy viewing experience

When your computer screen uses a cooler color profile, more harmful blue light can emanate. To protect your eyes, adjust the temperature profile to a setting that uses more warm tones and fewer blue ones.

Ensure a comfortable viewing experience by adjusting the contrast to a higher setting to reduce eye strain. When possible, use the night mode to adapt your workstation appropriately to a darker viewing setting.

Maintain a proper viewing distance at your workstation. You should not be situated too far or too close; according to the American Optometric Association, a healthy viewing distance means that your screen should be positioned 15 to 20 degrees below eye level, as well as 20 to 28 inches away from the eyes.

To remedy the constant exposure you receive to digital displays in everyday life, it’s critical that you take breaks to give your eyes time to recover, reducing the effects of eye strain. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, you should focus your eyes on a point 20 feet away from the computer screen for a total of 20 seconds.

If you find yourself leaning forward to peer at your screen or squinting to make out a word, it’s time toincrease the text size on your device. Your operating system will allow you to make changes to the size of the text you see across all programs, and may even allow you to choose a preferred typeface to aid you in reading.

Screens are everywhere today. If you work in an office, you use one to edit documents and create spreadsheets; if you work in a store or a restaurant, you use a digital point-of-sale system. When you’re off the clock, you use your devices to watch movies, text friends, and shop for clothes. Even when you’re driving, you’re looking at the GPS or passing by digital billboards.

To ensure that your eyes stay healthy, you need to stay aware of the potential dangers of continued exposure to computer monitors. The key is understanding how certain computer monitors can impact the health of your eyes, either positively or negatively.

Start by taking the flicker-free monitor test to find out what level of flicker you’re exposed to on a regular basis. If your test shows that your monitor performs poorly, or if you’re experiencing eye fatigue or other issues like headaches or neck pain, it may be time to consider a new monitor.

When selecting computer monitors for business purposes, ensure that the monitors you choose are flicker-free for optimum eye health and include integrated blue light filter technology.

Finally, when working, make small tweaks to your work habits to help your eyes feel better. Let yourself take short breaks periodically to refocus your eyes – and maybe do a few relaxing deep breaths while you’re at it.

For more information, visit ViewSonic to learn more about our innovative visual solution technologies, how to maintain an ergonomically sound workstation, and other healthy eye practices.

Eye fatigue, eye strain, tired eyes—Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) affects up to 90% of office workers according to Vision Source, an independent optometrist network in the U.S.

What can you do about tired eyes when you have a screen heavy job? I talked to several optometrists specializing in CVS to draw up a course of action. Topics include:

“Vision and computers go together like oil and water,” says optometrist Dave Kading, owner of Specialty Eyecare Group in Seattle. This is due to the way the eye muscles work.

Ocular muscles contract and engage for viewing objects close up, and relax when looking into the distance. It is human nature to hone in on what stimulates the brain; this is why it is easy to ignore eye fatigue symptoms during the work day. “Our focusing system can get very locked in place,” Dr. Kading explains. If you stare at a screen all day, he says, “it’s like standing on one leg with your knee bent in a squat position—I don’t care who you are, you will fatigue with time.”

Worse, we blink 50-75% less when engaged in screen work. Use a web cam to record yourself looking at a computer monitor. “You’d be surprised how horrible your blinking is,” he says, noting in particular the tendency to half-blink when gazing at a screen. “Our eyes are not able to release the proper oil components into the tear film, and like a car engine, this can lead to friction and irritation.”

Almost all eye doctors recommend using the 20 20 20 rule—for every 20 minutes of work, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The break frees the eyes from the locked position and lets them relax.

During the break, slow and mindful blinking of the eyes helps. “Blink hard nine times in a row before or after gazing into the distance,” recommends optometrist Bryan Holman, an Alabama-based specialist. “It helps the oil glands and stabilizes tear production.”

Position the center of your monitor 4-5 inches below eye level, at about an arm’s distance away, advises optometrist Shazeen Ali, an Austin, Texas-based practitioner.

The lighting around your monitor is just as critical. “Excessive bright light either from overhead lighting or sunlight from windows can also cause eyestrain,” she says. “Position your computer screen to minimize glare from these sources and avoid using high-intensity ambient lighting.”

At night, a full-sized floor lamp is a better option than a spotlight desk lamp. Placing an inexpensive LED bias lighting strip behind a monitor reduces eye strain when working in a dark room.

There are applications that automatically manipulate screen lighting so it fits best with the time or day other lighting factors. A few good ones to try out:

Discomfort from tired eyes pales in comparison to the long term risks posed by excessive screen time. Certain kinds of light can harm the eyes if overexposed. The blue-violet and ultraviolet wavelengths that electronic devices emit can potentially cause cataracts and retinal disease.

For more severe cases of eyestrain, each doctor recommends special computer eyewear with amber-tinted lenses that guard eyes from bad light wavelengths.

Doctors recommend using flat-paneled LCD screens which usually have an anti-reflective surface and tend not to flicker like old CRT monitors. “Even when flicker is imperceptible, it still can contribute to eye strain and fatigue during computer work,” Dr. Ali warns. “When choosing a new flat panel display, select a screen with the highest resolution possible and relatively large screen display size.”

This comes with a caveat—obviously a huge 4K monitor does not suit basic office use. For eye health, you will be fine with a computer monitor over 19 inches corner-to-corner, and capable of Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels).

With LED backlit computer monitors, you will find research that shows screen dimming features can induce detectable flicker. This occurs more often with monitors that use pulse width modulation (PWM) for brightness control. To address this, LED monitor manufacturers have developed flicker free technology with buzzword-sounding names that vary by vendor.

A few examples: ASUS Commercial Series uses a proprietary technology called ASUS EyeCare. Certain ViewSonic LED monitors use a different dimming technology called direct current (DC) to control flicker. BenQ monitors with ZeroFlickerTM achieve similar ends.

A combination of behavioral techniques and simple applications and tools can help reduce tired eyes from prolonged computer monitor usage—let me know in the comments what works for your eye fatigue.

Eye fatigue, eye strain, tired eyes—Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) affects up to 90% of office workers. Optometrists specializing in CVS draw up a course of action.

ASUS Eye Care technology is designed to reduce the risk of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) symptoms caused by spending prolonged periods in front of a display.

Blue light emissions, display flicker and glare are some of the factors that cause CVS. ASUS monitors featuring ASUS Eye Care Technology ensure comfortable viewing, while caring your eyes at the same time.

High-energy blue-violet light in the 415 – 455 nm band of the light spectrum is capable of damaging the human eye. It can be particularly harmful to the lens and retina, and exposure may result in myopia and macular degeneration.

The blue light emitted from monitors can cause eye strain, headaches and even sleep disorders. Children are more susceptible to eye damage because the crystalline lens in their eye is less effective in filtering blue light, raising the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Onscreen flicker is caused by the rapid on/off cycle of an LED backlight as it tries to maintain the brightness of the display. It is more noticeable when the display is set to dimmer settings.

Onscreen flicker bombards the eye with drastic brightness changes in milliseconds. These changes in light intensity cause the pupil to expand and contract, causing eye fatigue, strain and headaches.

Smooth, glossy surfaces tend to reflect light and cause unwanted glare. Along with being distracting, this glare can be the source of eye strain and fatigue.

Whether you’re looking for a monitor for work or play, ASUS has a wide range of monitors that cater to different needs. The latest ASUS monitors feature ASUS Eye Care or Eye Care Plus technologies to protect your eyes — ensuring safe and comfortable viewing experiences.

An integrated TÜV Rheinland-certified ASUS Blue Light Filter protects eyes from harmful blue light. Settings can be quickly accessed via the onscreen display (OSD) menu, and an intuitive slider makes it easy to adjust filter levels to suit any scenario or user preference.

TÜV Rheinland-certified ASUS Flicker Free technology uses Smart Dynamic Backlight Adjustment to reduce flicker. This technology helps prevent low brightness levels that lead to high-speed flashing of the LED backlight, which in turn helps minimize instances of eyestrain that can result when using the monitor for long periods. The result is a more comfortable extended viewing experience.

Taking a brief 10-minute rest every half hour or so, or adopting the 20-20-20 rule, can help prevent eye strain. The Rest Reminder feature lets you set pop-up reminders at 5-minute intervals, noting when it"s time to step away from the screen for a while.

Color Augmentation mode helps users with a color-vision deficiency differentiate colors. This mode lets you customize onscreen reds, greens, yellows and blues into hues that are easier to distinguish, improving the viewing experience.

The ASUS Anti-Glare Screen uses a rough matte surface to dissipate reflected light, making it easier for you to see what’s onscreen and reducing eye fatigue in the process. The panel effectively reduces reflections and glare caused by natural or artificial light.

All ASUS Low Blue Light Monitors feature an easily accessible onscreen display (OSD) menu that allows you to access four different Blue Light Filter settings onscreen.

TÜV Rheinland-certified ASUS Flicker Free technology uses Smart Dynamic Backlight Adjustment to reduce flicker. This technology helps prevent low brightness levels that lead to high-speed flashing of the LED backlight, which in turn helps minimize instances of eyestrain that can result when using the monitor for long periods. The result is a more comfortable extended viewing experience.

The ASUS Anti-Glare Screen uses a rough matte surface to dissipate reflected light, making it easier for you to see what’s onscreen and reducing eye fatigue in the process. The panel effectively reduces reflections and glare caused by natural or artificial light.

Sitting up straight decreases pressure on your neck and back. It’s also good practice to sit at least 20 inches, or an arm’s length, away from your computer screen, with the keyboard close and directly in front of you.

Having a balanced diet that includes green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, fish and carrots gives you Omega-3, Vitamins A, C and E — all vital for healthy eyes.

Staring at the computer all day is horrible for your eyes. All those brightly colored pixels clashing with the lighting around you while you stare at your screen for hours on end—it"s a recipe for eye fatigue, muscle strain, and headaches.

By adhering to a few simple guidelines and by making some physical adjustments to your workspace, you can avoid putting too much strain on your eyes. Here are some tips to make your workday healthier.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Look away from your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds at a time and focus on a fixed point 20 feet away. There"s even a free web app that alerts you after 20 minutes has gone by so you know it"s time to give your eyes a rest. It"s called Protect Your Vision and it"s compatible with Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Position your screen 20-30 inches away from your face, and make sure your eyes are level with the very top of your monitor. If you don"t have ability to adjust your screen"s height, stack some hardcover books beneath it. Raising or lowering your chair can also help. The key thing to remember is that you should be looking slightly down at your work. The center of the screen should be located between 15 and 20 degrees below horizontal eye level.

A good rule of thumb: Text should be three times the smallest size you can read from a normal viewing position. Again, that normal position should be 20 to 30 inches from your monitor. When it comes to color combinations, your eyes prefer black text on a white or slightly yellow background. Other dark-on-light combinations work fine for most people. Avoid low contrast text/background color schemes.

If you wear contacts, your eyes have to work harder when staring at a screen. Switching to glasses once or twice a week will help reduce the onset of eye strain. If you do wear glasses, consider asking your optometrist to add an anti-glare coating to your lenses. This will cut down on Some providers will even add it at no extra charge. Whether you wear corrective lenses or not, moistening eye drops are great for refreshing your eyes during the workday.

You want your monitor"s brightness to match your surrounding workspace brightness. To achieve this, look at the white background of this page. If it looks like a light source in the room, it"s too bright. If it seems dull and gray, it"s probably too dark. If you work in a shiny reflective office, applying a glare reduction filter to your screen can also provide relief.

Many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing digital screens for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of digital screen use.

The average American worker spends seven hours a day on the computer either in the office or working from home. To help alleviate digital eyestrain, follow the 20-20-20 rule; take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.

Viewing a computer or digital screen often makes the eyes work harder. As a result, the unique characteristics and high visual demands of computer and digital screen viewing make many individuals susceptible to the development of vision-related symptoms. Uncorrected vision problems can increase the severity of computer vision syndrome (CVS) or digital eyestrain symptoms. Viewing a computer or digital screen is different than reading a printed page. Often the letters on the computer or handheld device are not as precise or sharply defined, the level of contrast of the letters to the background is reduced, and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen may make viewing difficult.

Viewing distances and angles used for this type of work are also often different from those commonly used for other reading or writing tasks. As a result, the eye focusing and eye movement requirements for digital screen viewing can place additional demands on the visual system. In addition, the presence of even minor vision problems can often significantly affect comfort and performance at a computer or while using other digital screen devices. Uncorrected or under corrected vision problems can be major contributing factors to computer-related eyestrain. Even people who have an eyeglass or contact lens prescription may find it"s not suitable for the specific viewing distances of their computer screen. Some people tilt their heads at odd angles because their glasses aren"t designed for looking at a computer or they bend toward the screen in order to see it clearly. Their postures can result in muscle spasms or pain in the neck, shoulder or back.

In most cases, symptoms of CVS occur because the visual demands of the task exceed the visual abilities of the individual to comfortably perform them. At greatest risk for developing CVS are those persons who spend two or more continuous hours at a computer or using a digital screen device every day.

The extent to which individuals experience visual symptoms often depends on the level of their visual abilities and the amount of time spent looking at a digital screen. Uncorrected vision problems like farsightedness and astigmatism, inadequate eye focusing or eye coordination abilities, and aging changes of the eyes, such as presbyopia, can all contribute to the development of visual symptoms when using a computer or digital screen device.

Many of the visual symptoms experienced by users are only temporary and will decline after stopping computer work or use of the digital device. However, some individuals may experience continued reduced visual abilities, such as blurred distance vision, even after stopping work at a computer. If nothing is done to address the cause of the problem, the symptoms will continue to recur and perhaps worsen with future digital screen use.

CVS, or digital eyestrain, can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination. Testing, with special emphasis on visual requirements at the computer or digital device working distance, may include:

Testing how the eyes focus, move and work together. In order to obtain a clear, single image of what is being viewed, the eyes must effectively change focus, move and work in unison. This testing will look for problems that keep the eyes from focusing effectively or make it difficult to use both eyes together.

This testing may be done without the use of eye drops to determine how the eyes respond under normal seeing conditions. In some cases, such as when some of the eyes" focusing power may be hidden, eye drops may be used. They temporarily keep the eyes from changing focus while testing is done. Using the information obtained from these tests, along with the results of other tests, a doctor of optometry can determine the presence of CVS or digital eyestrain and advise treatment options.

Solutions to digital screen-related vision problems are varied. However, they can usually be alleviated by obtaining regular eye care and making changes in how the screen is viewed.

In some cases, individuals who do not require the use of eyeglasses for other daily activities may benefit from glasses prescribed specifically for computer use. In addition, persons already wearing glasses may find their current prescription does not provide optimal vision for viewing a computer.

Eyeglasses or contact lenses prescribed for general use may not be adequate for computer work. Lenses prescribed to meet the unique visual demands of computer viewing may be needed. Special lens designs, lens powers or lens tints or coatings may help to maximize visual abilities and comfort.

Some computer users experience problems with eye focusing or eye coordination that can"t be adequately corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. A program of vision therapy may be needed to treat these specific problems. Vision therapy, also called visual training, is a structured program of visual activities prescribed to improve visual abilities. It trains the eyes and brain to work together more effectively. These eye exercises help remediate deficiencies in eye movement, eye focusing, and eye teaming and reinforce the eye-brain connection. Treatment may include office-based as well as home training procedures.

Location of the computer screen.Most people find it more comfortable to view a computer when the eyes are looking downward. Optimally, the computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 4 or 5 inches) as measured from the center of the screen and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes.

Reference materials.These materials should be located above the keyboard and below the monitor. If this is not possible, a document holder can be used beside the monitor. The goal is to position the documents, so the head does not need to be repositioned from the document to the screen.

Lighting.Position the computer screen to avoid glare, particularly from overhead lighting or windows. Use blinds or drapes on windows and replace the light bulbs in desk lamps with bulbs of lower wattage.

Anti-glare screens.If there is no way to minimize glare from light sources, consider using a screen glare filter. These filters decrease the amount of light reflected from the screen.

Rest breaks.To prevent eyestrain, try to rest eyes when using the computer for long periods. Resting the eyes for 15 minutes after two hours of continuous computer use. Also, for every 20 minutes of computer viewing, look into the distance for 20 seconds to allow the eyes a chance to refocus.

Blinking.To minimize the chances of developing dry eye when using a computer, try to blink frequently. Blinking keeps the front surface of the& eye moist.

Prevention or reduction of the vision problems associated with CVS or digital eyestrain involves taking steps to control lighting and glare on the device screen, establishing proper working distances and posture for screen viewing and assuring that even minor vision problems are properly corrected.

Don"t take a vision problem to work. Even if glasses are not needed for driving, reading or other activities, they still may offer benefits for a minor vision problem that is aggravated by computer use. A mild glasses prescription may be needed to reduce vision stress on the job. It"s a good idea for computer users to get a thorough eye exam every year.

Glasses should meet the demand of the job. If glasses are worn for distant vision, reading or both, they may not provide the most efficient vision for viewing a computer screen, which is about 20 to 30 inches from the eyes. Tell the doctor about job tasks and measure on-the-job sight distances. Accurate information will help get the best vision improvement. Patients may benefit from one of the new lens designs made specifically for computer work.

Minimize discomfort from blue light and glare. Blue light from LED and fluorescent lighting, as well as monitors, tablets and mobile devices, can negatively affect vision over the long term. Special lens tints and coatings can reduce the harmful impact of blue light. Minimize glare on the computer screen by using a glare reduction filter, repositioning the screen or using drapes, shades or blinds. Also, keeping screens clean; dirt-free and removing fingerprints can decrease glare and improve clarity.

Adjust work area and computer for comfort. When using computers, most people prefer a work surface height of about 26 inches. Desks and tables are usually 29 inches high. Place the computer screen 16 to 30 inches away. The top of the screen should be slightly below horizontal eye level. Tilt the top of the screen away at a 10- to 20-degree angle.

Use an adjustable copyholder. Place reference material at the same distance from eyes as the computer screen and as close to the screen as possible. That way the eyes won"t have to change focus when looking from one to the other.

Take alternative task breaks throughout the day. Make phone calls or photocopies. Consult with co-workers. After working on the computer for an extended period, do anything in which the eyes don"t have to focus on something up close.

If you"re experiencing the symptoms of eye strain, the best solution is to spend less time looking at screens. However, if you can"t afford to take your eyes off of your monitor, there are ways to reduce the effect they have on your eyes,

Your monitor is likely made up of lots of little Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). To preserve your eyes, these LEDs can be dimmed to reduce the light they emit.

PWM has been used in LED monitors for a long time, and it works well. Unfortunately, it can also cause flickering, which can strain the eyes. It"s especially noticeable when your monitor is at very low levels of brightness.

Monitors that are too bright can cause eye strain. While it"s fairly easy to adjust the brightness yourself, lots of new monitors come with automatic brightness adjustment. If you"ve used one of the backlit Kindles, you"ve seen this feature before.

If your monitor is glossy and tends to reflect a lot of light, your eyes are doing more work than they need to. Glare and reflections make it hard to focus and add to eye strain from monitors. Fortunately, it"s easy to find monitors with anti-glare coatings.

There are full-matte monitors, but these tend to look a little washed out. Semi-glossy and coated screens reduce glare without making it difficult to see details. These are perfect for offices or desks that get some sunlight or tend to reflect overhead lights.

Curved screens are increasingly common. It can take a while to get used to a curved monitor, as they curve around your head for a more immersive experience.

But are curved monitors better for your eyes? They feel strange at first, and you might feel like it"s actually making your eyes do more work. However, research tells us the opposite is true.

As your eyes shift from the center to the peripheries of a flat-screen, the distance between your eyes and the screen changes, requiring you to quickly refocus. If you regularly perform actions that require your eyes to move back and forth between the center and the side of your screen, it causes a lot of refocusing.

A curved screen keeps the focal distance more uniform, obviating the need for countless quick refocuses. As such, when you"re shopping for a curved vs. a flat monitor, be sure to check out the former for better eye focus.

Some monitor manufacturers are taking steps to reduce eye strain by limiting the amount of blue light emitted by their screens. BenQ, for example, has some cool blue-light filtering tech in their monitors:

Windows 10 has a built-in feature to do the same thing. Mac users can take advantage of a similar feature with Night Shift, while macOS Mojave offers a dark mode for your apps which also helps reduce eye-strain.

According to ErgoBuyer, the best viewing angle is between 20 and 50 degrees below horizontal. Interestingly, looking straight ahead at your monitor is good for your neck, but places additional strain on your eyes.

If it"s been a long time since you last upgraded your monitor, it might be time. Especially if you spend hours looking at your screen every day. Many of the features listed above might seem pretty minor. But they make a difference, especially if your old monitor only had one or two of them.

If you think you have eye strain, there are some symptoms to keep your eye out for (no pun intended). Knowing the early warning signs can help you tackle the problem before it gets too out of hand.

Blue light has gotten a bad rap, getting blamed for loss of sleep and eye damage. Personal electronic devices emit more blue light than any other color. Blue light has a short wavelength, which means that it is high-energy and can damage the delicate tissues of the eye. It can also pass through the eye to the retina, the collection of neurons that converts light into the signals that are the foundation of sight.

As an assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, I teach and conduct vision research, including work with retinal eye cells. I also see patients in the college’s teaching clinics. Often, my patients want to know how they can keep their eyes healthy despite looking at a computer screen all day. They often ask about “blue-blocking” spectacle lenses that they see advertised on the internet.

One way to think about blue light and potential retinal damage is to consider the Sun. Sunlight is mostly blue light. On a sunny afternoon, it’s nearly 100,000 times brighter than your computer screen. Yet, few human studies have found any link between sunlight exposure and the development of age-related macular degeneration, a retinal disease that leads to loss of central vision.

Human eyes are different than rodent eyes. We have protective elements, such as macular pigments and the natural blue-blocking ability of the crystalline lens. These structures absorb blue light before it reaches the delicate retina.

That doesn’t mean you should throw away those sunglasses; they provide benefits beyond protecting your eyes from the Sun’s blue light. For example, wearing sunglasses slows down the development of cataracts, which cloud vision.

Just because blue light isn’t harming your retina doesn’t mean your electronic devices are harmless, or that blue light doesn’t affect your eyes. Because of its wavelength, blue light does disrupt healthy sleep physiology. Blue-light-sensitive cells, known as known as intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, or ipRGCs, play a key role here, because they tell the brain’s master clock how light it is in the environment. That means, when you look at a brightly lit screen, these cells help set your internal clock for daytime-level alertness.

As for your tired eyes after a long day spent staring at your computer – another common complaint I hear from my patients – blue light isn’t solely to blame for that, either. A recent study demonstrated that cutting blue light alone did not improve people’s reported comfort after a long computer session any more than simply dimming the screen.

Mounting evidence suggests that, compared to reading a paperback, screen time before bed increases the time it takes to fall asleep. It also robs you of restorative rapid-eye-movement sleep, dulls focus and diminishes brain activity the next day. Holding your phone close to your eyes with the lights on likely exacerbates the problem.

Second, the products that my patients ask about do not block out much blue light. The leading blue-blocking anti-reflective coating, for example, blocks only about 15% of the blue light that screens emit.

First, turn off your electronic devices before bed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that bedrooms be “screen-free” zones for children, but we should all heed this advice. Outside of the bedroom, when you do look at your screens, lower the brightness.

As for eye strain, ensure that you have the appropriate glasses or contact lens prescription. Only an optometrist or ophthalmologist can give you this information.

You also need to take care of the surface of your eyes. We don’t just look at our computer screens, we stare at them. In fact, our blink rate plummets from about 12 blinks a minute to six. As a result, tears evaporate off the eyes, and they don’t accumulate again until we step away from the screen and start blinking. This causes inflammation on the eye’s surface. That’s why your eyes feel dry and tired after a day spent at the computer. I counsel my patients to take two steps to ensure that their eyes stay moist during long computer sessions.

First, follow the “20-20-20” rule. The American Optometric Association defines this rule as taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet in the distance. This will allow your eyes to blink and relax. There are many apps available to help remind you to follow this rule.

Second, use a lubricating eye drop before extended computer use. This tactic will reinforce the body’s natural tears and keep the eye’s surface hydrated. But, avoid those “get-the-red-out” drops. They contain drugs that cause long-term redness and preservatives that may damage the outer layers of the eye. I have found that artificial tears labeled “preservative free” often work best.

Based on my research, my advice is don’t believe the hype about blue light and don’t waste your money on products you don’t need. Instead, keep screens out of your bedroom and dim them before bedtime and keep your eyes lubricated. And don’t forget to blink!

Almost everyone these days is using a computer for work or play. We spend a lot of time staring at computer screens and this leads to several vision related problems. Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a very common problem detected among people working on computers. This happens due to prolonged computer usage which may stress your eyes and result in impaired vision. When you spend a long time looking at a computer screen, the muscles in your eyes, neck and shoulders can be become fatigued, causing pain and discomfort.  Here is what you need to know to tell your patients…

The most common symptoms of CVS include blurred vision, vision that seems to fluctuate, and squinting. Other indicators of CVS include dry eyes, headaches, and pain in the neck and shoulders. If left untreated, most of these symptoms will not improve on their own and may even get worse.

Position your computer screen so it is or slightly below your eye level, 10 degrees below your line of sight is ideal. Position the screen so that it does not reflect overhead light or outside screen. Also position the monitor close enough so you can read the text without having to learn forward.

Try to blink more often while working on your computer in order to avoid them getting dry. Dry eyes is the most common cause for blur or fluctuating vision on a computer. It is not always easy to remember to blink, so artificial tears used prior to computer use then hourly while at the computer can help.

If you’re using an old CRT monitor, then it’s time to replace it with a new LCD monitor to help avoid eyestrain. CRT monitors give off a lot of glare which is not good for your eyes.

Get a complete eye exam by a trained professional. Your doctor may prescribe a pair of computer glasses that are specially designed to prevent computer vision syndrome.

10-10: alternate looking at something distant, and something close for 10 seconds each. Repeat 10 times. Blink frequently during the exercise to lubricate your eyes.

Apart from the above recommendations, you can also minimize the symptoms of computer vision syndrome by giving your eyes a break from your computer at regular intervals. For example, you can use weekends as computer rest time when you greatly reduce your computer viewing time.

When you stare at a screen for hours at a time, whether it is a computer, TV, phone or tablet, you are exposed to blue light from the device. Alarmist headlines claim blue light from too much screen time is blinding us. But there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye.

The discomfort some people have after looking at screens is most likely digital eye strain. Most of us blink less when looking at screens,causing eye strain and dry eyes, says Rahul Khurana, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The good news is eye strain does not cause lasting damage and is easily preventable.

The best way toprotect your eyes against eye strainis to take regular breaks using the "20-20-20" rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You can also useartificial tearsto refresh your eyes when they feel dry.

Skip the glasses that claim to protect your eyes against blue light, because of a lack of evidence that they are effective. The Academy does not recommend any special blue light-blocking eyewear for computer use.

That is why Dr. Khurana recommends that you try to limit your screen time in the two to three hours before you go to bed. You can also try nighttime settings on your devices to minimize blue light exposure in the evenings.

Although people often associate blue light with computers and phones, the largest source of blue light is sunlight. Other sources include fluorescent light, compact fluorescent light bulbs and LED light. Blue light exposure from screens is much less than the amount of exposure from the sun. It"s also no more damaging than blue light from the sun, Dr. Khurana says.

Too much exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun increases the risks of eye diseases, including cataracts, growths on the eye and cancer. We know less about blue light. Its effects are still being researched.

The pandemic brought with it many intense changes, but the worldwide shift to an entirely digital lifestyle may have been the most jarring. Schools switched to online classes almost overnight and in-person meetings and brainstorms were swapped with Zoom calls. Most of us could only connect with our loved ones virtually. Even as some parts of the world begin to open up, there’s no escaping the screen, really. Many of our social interactions still take place behind one.

While our increased online presence has been an important way for us to stay connected, it has also impacted our health. For the past decade, I’ve been running an ophthalmology practice, and last year a growing number of patients have come to me complaining of achy eyes, headaches, and blurred vision.

Recent research explains why. Since Covid began, screen times have increased around the world, and doubled among children in the U.S. Another study conducted during the pandemic shows that people who spent more time in front of their screens had an increased risk of eye strain. Often, extended exposure to blue light and the glare from our electronic devices, coupled with the intensity of sustained concentration, can bring about some unpleasant symptoms. This is known as eye fatigue or eye strain.

If you’ve felt that nagging pain behind your eyes after staring at your digital devices all day, you’ve probably experienced it, too. Often, it manifests in the form of:

When you view something up close, a muscle inside your eye — known as the ciliary muscle — contracts and changes the shape of your lens to help you focus and see clearly. This function is called accommodation. After hours of being contracted, that muscle gets tired and begins to ache. As the muscle tires, you’re likely to experience one or more of the common symptoms of eye strain.

Eye fatigue isn’t limited to screen exposure; it can also happen if you’re reading a book for long hours. When you concentrate too hard on something, you blink less and that dries out your eyes and makes them more susceptible to eye fatigue. Blinking is important because it’s your body’s way of keeping the eyes lubricated. On average, people blink 15 to 20 times per minute, but when we stare at our computers, we end up blinking 66% less.

The other main culprit of eye fatigue is blue light. The devices we use — phones, tablets, laptops, TV, or even LEDs and fluorescent lighting — emit a strong blue light. You may remember the fun mnemonic we learned in school to memorize the colors in the visible light spectrum: ROYGBIV (or VIBGYOR in some parts of the world), which refers to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Our devices recreate this high-energy blue light artificially. That’s why constantly looking at our screens —especially in the dark or for long hours at a time— not only strains our eyes but has the potential to damage the retina, the tissue at the back of the eye that receives light. Vision-related issues are likely to be higher among students attending online classes or those with an existing eye disease.

Eye fatigue in and of itself is uncomfortable, but not (always) dangerous. Still, I’m sure none of us wants to have dry, achy eyes, a sore neck, or headaches. Even if you’re not currently suffering from these symptoms, it’s never too early to take steps to protect your vision.

Do this exercise: Open your laptop and sit at your desk. How close to your keyboard are you sitting? The monitor should be about 25 inches away from your face. Remember the ciliary muscle? That muscle has to work harder to focus on the screen when you’re any closer than 25 inches. Don’t go looking for a measuring tape. Instead, stretch out your arm and position your screen an arm’s length away.

If your screen is too close, you’re more likely to scooch forward in the chair to bring your eyes in alignment with the screen. This can make you round your back, lean into the screen and slouch your body, resulting in a sore neck or more frequent headaches.

This can help reduce glare, which often contributes to eye strain. You can also use a blue-light-blocking screen cover for your laptop or wear glasses that block blue light to help reduce any glare. This stops the harmful blue light from entering your retina — a thin layer of tissues at the back of your eye that senses light and helps you see things.

As you work, check your screen’s brightness and compare it to the lighting around you. When your screen is significantly brighter than your surroundings, your eyes must work harder to see it — so adjust it immediately. You are likely to experience this shift during the afternoon when it’s very bright or in the evening when it gets dark. You can also install extensions like F.lux that automatically adjust the brightness of your screen based on the time of day.

The blue light emitted from your phone screen impacts your circadian rhythm or the body’s natural way of keeping to a 24-hour clock. The circadian rhythm helps you regulate a wide range of functions, including your natural sleep cycle. Increased exposure to blue light in the evening can suppress melatonin, the hormone that signals that it’s time for bed. Melatonin helps you sleep, and even plays a role in preventing cancer.

Ample research has shown that sleep is critical to your physical and mental well-being — and your eyes play an important role in helping you wind down. One set-and-forget option is to choose the warmest possible setting for your screen from around 7 p.m. through the following morning.

When you’re working on a laptop, take a break every 20 minutes. Look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds to give your eyes a chance to relax. This relaxes that muscle inside your eyes that needs to contract to focus on things that are up close.

Sometimes, it can be hard to break away from your screen every 20 minutes. If you’re trying to get some focused work done and don’t want to be distracted, try investing in computer glasses that block blue light. For instance, if you wear prescription glasses, tell your doctor you’d like a pair of dedicated blue light-blocking computer glasses set for +1.50 above your usual prescription. This will magnify what you see or read on a screen and reduce eye strain.

Make sure you use these glasses every time you’re looking at a screen. Otherwise, they don’t offer much respite. When you choose a pair, do your research and buy a reputable brand since this market is not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S.

Dry eyes occur when tears aren’t able to provide the adequate lubrication your eyes need. Dry eyes can feel itchy and increase blurry vision or headaches. To prevent this, consult your doctor to use a simple teardrop such as the ones offered by Oasis, Refresh, or Systane. Further, avoid sitting in front of a fan or a space heater to minimize eye dryness.

Underlying conditions, such as uncorrected vision (a change in your eyeglass prescription) or dry-eye disease (a condition where tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes) can make you more susceptible to eye fatigue. If you already use glasses or lenses, make sure to get your eyes checked regularly. Even if you don’t have long-term eye conditions, go in for a full eye check-up annually.

Looking after your eyes also requires you to make certain lifestyle changes. For instance, pay attention to what you eat every day. A healthy diet can help strengthen your eyes to resist the detrimental effects of blue light. Aim for foods high in Omega-3 oils (e.g., nuts, seeds and fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon); green, leafy vegetables (e.g., kale and Swiss chard); and fruits and vegetables with beta carotene (pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.). These foods support macular pigments that block up to 80% of the blue light that tries to enter the retina.

Remember that prevention is key. Even if you don’t show symptoms or experience any eye fatigue, you can practice these steps to prevent any future complications and protect your eyes in the long run.

Are computers bad for your eyes?  And if so, what can be done about it?  These are questions that thousands of Australians ask every week.  The past ten years has seen enormous changes in the use of computer screens.

Once a desktop screen used only at work, the computer screen has been promoted to a mobile device that is with us 24/7.  The latest generation of teens and young adults stare at their smart phones, iPads and games consoles all day.  Coupled with this increased exposure is the increased intensity of light emitted from these screens. Is this harming our eyes?

This is one of those questions that anyone buying a new TV asks but most people are unaware that it’s a misleading question.  Technology manufacturers like to draw an artificial distinction between their LED and LCD monitors.  This cons us into believing that the LCD has been superseded by the LED, when in actual fact all that’s changed is the way the LCD monitor is backlit.

LCD (liquid crystal display) technology – to the uninitiated – involves sandwiching a liquid layer between two layers of glass and backlighting it. Older technologies backlit the screen using fluorescent light – called CCFL (or cold cathode fluorescent light). This produced light across all parts of the spectrum, with the peak in the green light part of the spectrum (see image, left).

More modern computers still use LCD screens but the backlighting used is more often LED (light emitting diode) technology. This has many advantages over the older fluorescent light technology.  It provides a thinner, lighter and more energy efficient display – generating less heat and consuming less power. However, the LED light spectrum is very different to the older fluorescent technology and emits a lot more light from the blue-violet end of the spectrum (see image, right).

UV light is invisible, but its very short wavelengths allow it to penetrate the delicate superficial tissues of our eyes and skin and cause oxidative damage. This is what leads to skin cancers as well as contributing to many eyes diseases particularly of the cornea and lens – i.e. cataract, pinguecula and pterygium.

Blue-violet light is visible light, but is on the part of the spectrum right next to ultra-violet. Blue-violet light has been shown to be toxic to the delicate structures of our eyes. It can penetrate deeper into the eye – as far as the retina – and it is emerging in clinical data that is has a negative effect on the health of our eyes, particularly for age-related macular degeneration.  The mechanism by which blue-violet light damages the retina is still being studied but it is thought to disrupt cellular metabolism at the back of the eye.  Blue blockers are glasses which filter out blue-violet light. The filter can be worn with or without a glasses prescription.

Not all blue light is bad!  At the greener end of the spectrum is blue-turquoise light.  Unlike blue-violet light this kind of blue light is beneficial to us.  This is the light that helps regulate our bio-rhythms, telling our bodies when to wake up in the morning and slow down before sleep. Blue light suppresses melatonin production in our bodies, so it is not healthy to be exposed to artificial blue light late at night as it prevents us our natural winding down mechanism from kicking in. This is a good reason why digital screen use should be avoided in the hours preceding sleep, regardless of whether blue-blockers are worn.

The negative effects of blue light on the eye are especially true for children. We previously wrote about kids’ eyes and computers here. (Link to clock-lock-block article).  The image below shows the relative intensity of light at various wavelengths for a typical L ED screen. It doesn’t matter what the device, if it’s modern, it’s typically emitting most light at the blue end of the spectrum.  This is bad news for our kids, who often spend hours per day on digital devices such as tablets and smartphones.

Take home message?  Exposure to blue-violet light should be limited as much as possible. Companies like BenQ now make all their screens with blue light filtering technology.  Children’s use of digital screens should be limited, to protect their particularly delicate eyes.  For the rest of us, blue blockers can provide protection from harmful blue-violet light but to get a good night’s sleep you should also limit screen exposure before bedtime.  And yes, that means TV too!