Glasses For IT Workers
Computers are ubiquitous.Most of us seem to spend a large part of our days squinting at a monitor and with more of our shopping and entertainment being driven by the Internet, computer use is surely going to increase.For many that’s not a problem. If you spend more than two hours a day at a PC, then it’s likely that you will experience symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
CVS is the result of several factors.A decreased rate of blinking while you’re focusing on a computer screen is thought to be significant.Studies have shown that the blink rate goes down to 6–8 blinks per minute if you’re focused on a computer display (the normal blink rate is 16-20 per minute).This leads to dry eyes and can also put strain on the ciliary muscles. The most common symptoms of CVS include headaches, focusing difficulties, burning eyes, tired eyes, general eyestrain, aching or dry eyes, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and neck and shoulder pain.
CVS can also accelerate the early onset of a condition called presbyopia (usually associated with aging) where you experience difficulty reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions, or momentarily blurred vision when shifting between viewing distances.
The good news is that it is relatively simple to address these symptoms. Daft as it may sound, try blinking more often!Even if you don’t wear glasses, simple things like ensuring your computer screen is clean, correctly positioned, and set up properly will make a difference.
If you do wear glasses, then ensuring your lenses are clean and smear free will help to reduce glare and reflections. Anti-Reflective coatings on your lenses (available free of charge through suppliers like SelectSpecs.com) will eliminate reflections and enhance clear vision. Anti-Reflective coatings also make the lenses of your glasses appear almost non-existent, so your eyes look more natural.
Whether you wear glasses of not, you can improve your vision at work by having regular eye examinations, taking frequent breaks to give your eyes a rest every 20 minutes or so and avoiding glare or bright reflections on the screen.Change to an LCD display if you are using a CRT monitor.Get at least a 19 inch TFT screen with the highest resolution possible and a dot pitch of .maximum 28mm.There’s no “flicker” that you get with CRT monitors and they usually have anti-reflective screen surfaces.
The even better news is that If you you use a computer or VDU screen on a regular basis (i.e. for at least an hour most days), then according to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, your employer is obliged to pay for regular eye examinations. Your employer may have a pre-existing scheme or they may refund you the cost of an examination. If that examination reveals that you require glasses specifically for Display Screen Equipment use, your employer must also pay for budget glasses.