Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)
“Americans (aged 16-44) spend 7.4 hours staring at screens every day. That’s 147 minutes of television, 103 minutes on a computer, 151 minutes with smartphones, and 43 minutes on a tablet.” – Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends report
With so many jobs requiring us to stare at screens, it’s important to be aware of Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS. CVS is defined as “a condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer or other display device for protracted, uninterrupted periods of time.”
Computer Vision Syndrome Symptoms:
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Blurred vision
- Dry eyes
- Fatigue
- Neck and shoulder pain
Remember to always consult with your doctor to rule out a possible underlying cause. If you’re hoping to prevent workplace injury or to avoid developing any problems with you (or your employees) vision while using a computer screen, try some of these ergonomics tips below.
4 Tips to Avoid Computer Vision Syndrome:
- Exercise your eyes. Eyes are susceptible to static muscle load, which happens when you are staring at a computer screen. Eyes can be exercised to increase strength of focusing and convergence ability, build stamina, and enable you to change focus faster. Check out these 4 Simple Eye Exercises you can do at work: http://www.solutionsnw.com/2017/04/29/4-eye-exercises-rest-eyes-work/
- Blink more often. Blinking replenishes moisture to the eye. When staring at a screen, however, people tend to blink less. Consciously practice blinking more often to provide the eye with more moisture and consider artificial tear products.
- Adjust your screen’s settings. Poor lighting and glare can cause eyestrain and headaches. Always examine your device’s settings to lower the brightness, adjust contrast, and increase font sizes to a more comfortable level. Try a few of these tips to protect your eyes when using your smart phone.
- Take a break from the screen. You can do this while remaining at your desk, but give your eyes a rest by staring at a distant object at least once every hour. Consider reading about Eye Exercises that you can do while taking a break from the screen.
Hopefully these ergonomics tips can help you avoid Computer Vision Syndrome and any other negative effects that staring at a screen may cause. Be sure to share these tips with the rest office workers or employees. For more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.
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