Are You Being As Good To Your Eyes As You Should?

First thing's first. Does it seem a bit hypocritical to expect you to read a long eye straining article about eye strain? I'd hate for you to have a worse headache by the end of this article, so here's what I'm going to do.

Mac OS X Users: Hold down the "Command" button (aka the Apple button) and then press the "plus" button. Notice an increase in the font? Press it again. Do it. Now the text is at an even more comfortable size. To undo this, hold down the command button and press the "minus" button.

Mac OS X Users: Hold down the "Control" + "Option" + "Command" buttons and then press the number "8". That will invert your colors. I use this sometimes when I'm tired of looking at a white background with black text on a webpage. I find a black background with white text much easier on my eyes. To undo that color mode, press the same key sequence. (For fun, you can go to the Apple store and press that key combination and walk away, you'd be surprised how few people know that one. Now you're one step closer to being a Mac expert.) Also, you can just reduce the brightness on your own monitor.

Windows Users: In Internet Explorer, select "View", then "Text" and choose "Larger". That's better isn't it?

Enlarging the font is the best way to reduce eye strain.

Windows Users: Enable "Clear Type". Right click on a blank area of your Desktop and choose "Properties". Choose the appearance tab. Click "Effects" Check the box: "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts". In the drop down box, select: "Clear Type".

Linux Users: You're just going to have to go blind. I'm so sorry. But you can leave a comment letting me know how to enable visual enhancements in your particular distribution of Linux.

Your computer monitor. Is it an LCD monitor? Or is it a CRT monitor?

A CRT monitor is the kind that's big and bulky, with a glass screen. If you have a CRT monitor, unplug it and throw it away, then go buy an LCD monitor, right now.

For those of you less impressionable CRT users, just know this. CRT monitors tend to be harder on your eyes. One reason is due to refresh rate. You may not notice this, but CRT monitors flicker faster than you consciously notice. The slower the flicker, the harder it is on your eyes. Personally, I can see when a monitor is set to 60hz (60 flickers per second). It makes my eyes want to explode. Lots of people have their monitors set to this without even knowing. Imagine sitting 3 feet from your CRT television and watching it that way. Your mother would be disappointed to see you do that.

If you have a CRT monitor, go into your computers display preferences, and change it. Maybe to 80hz, or higher if it will let you. One way that many people can actually SEE the screen flicker caused by a CRT is to look away from your screen, but keep the display in your peripheral vision. I know I'm able to notice it then. Not everyone can though. Regular LCD users are more susceptible to this in my unscientific "pull that fact of of my rear" opinion.

Quick Note: CRT monitors use more energy too. Running a CRT monitor for a year costs an average of $17. LCD's cost around $5.

Another Way To Keep This Article From Straining Your Eyes

• Stick your arm out.
• Point your finger at your computer screen.

Can you easily touch it from where you're sitting? If not, then you're sitting too far away. If you're sitting more than an arms length away, scoot up or scoot your monitor closer to you.

Now we can start the article and I won't feel guilty. Ever find yourself rubbing your eyes after using your computer for awhile? Get headaches after prolonged computer use? You could be suffering from: CVS (Computer-related Vision Syndrome). There is a syndrome for everything isn't there? The steps for stopping this are in your control though. Here are some ways to alleviate CVS.

BLINK!

I know that this may seem silly, but don't forget to blink (to some of you, I'm sure it's like reminding you to breathe). If you're sitting at a computer all day, your eyes focus tends to get more stationary. When your eyes focus gets stationary, you tend to blink less. Not blinking enough can quickly dry out your eyes.

Take Breaks

One thing that's really important, that I often forget to do, is to take breaks. Practice The 20/20/20 Rule. Every 20 minutes, look away from the screen for 20 seconds at something 20 feet away.

Bladder Break + Eye Break = A Healthy Productive You

That should be on a t-shirt shouldn't it. Personally, I never remember to 20/20/20 Rule. Here is what I did that helped me the most though. I started drinking a lot more water. Making sure I hit my 64 ounces a day. How did this help? It caused me to take more bathroom breaks. And bathroom breaks equal time you're not staring at your screen. It's also a healthy thing to get enough water a day, but that's a different article.

If you don't want to start drinking more water, you can take up smoking. But that's just stupid.

When Was Your Last Eye Checkup?

Well? When? If it's been more than a year, maybe you should go get them checked. Tell the doctor that you spend lots of time in front of a computer screen. Keeping your prescription up to date can do lots to stop those nasty headaches.

Implementing these suggestions will enable you to spend even less time with your friends and family and focus on things that are important to you. Work. And your computer.

I hope that isn't the case. That's a fantastic way to reduce computer related eye strain, go do something! When you get home from work, if you can, spend a little less time at the computer. If you're on your break at work, don't use that time to catch up on your celebrity gossip website, go talk to a colleague (preferably one who is easy on the eyes), go outside for a few minutes and get some fresh air. I know the suggestions in this paragraph are the most difficult to implement, but perhaps they are the most important to overall quality of life.