Tips to Keep Your Eyes Healthy on Computers

Many of us using computers at work, computer eye strain has become a major job-related complaint. Studies show that eye strain and other bothersome visual symptoms occur in 50 to 90 percent of computer workers.

These problems can range from physical fatigue, decreased productivity and increased numbers of work errors, to minor annoyances like eye twitching and red eyes. 

Here are the 10 most useful tips to keep your eyes healthy -

1. Use proper lighting - Eye strain often caused by excessively bright light either from outdoor sunlight coming in through a window or from harsh interior lighting. When you use a computer, your ambient lighting should be about half as bright as that typically found in most offices.

2. Eat healthy - A good balanced diet rich in green vegetables and yellow fruits (Papaya, Mango) and plenty of fluids will keep your eyes healthy all your life!

3. Avoid Glare - To reduce the discomfort, make changes in your computer settings to maximum contrast and minimum brightness. Avoid keeping your computer against a light source/window.

4. Upgrade your display - Replace your old CRT with a flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD). LCD screens are easier on the eyes and usually have an anti-reflective surface. Old-fashioned CRT screens can cause a noticeable "flicker" of images, which is a major cause of computer eye strain. Even if this flicker is imperceptible, it still can contribute to eye strain and fatigue during computer work.

5. Adjust your computer display settings - Adjusting the display settings of your computer can help reduce eye strain and fatigue. Generally, these adjustments are beneficial: Brightness, Text size and contrast, Color temperature etc.

6. It's all in a blink - Computer users have an unstable tear film due to improper and infrequent blinking. A healthy person blinks approximately 16times/minute. So blink frequently, auto suggest yourself, to overcome the habit of staring at computer screen.

7. Lubricate - If you are experiencing mild dryness, irritation, watering in your eyes, wash them gently with clean water frequently. Lubricating drops too can be used.

8. 20-20-20 rule - Remember to look at distance of 20 feet every 20 minutes of computer work and blink 20 times.

9. Consider computer eyewear - For the greatest comfort at your computer, you might benefit from having your eye care professional modify your eyeglasses prescription to create customized computer glasses.

10. Eat healthy - A good balanced diet rich in green vegetables and yellow fruits (Papaya, Mango) and plenty of fluids will keep your eyes healthy all your life!