Seattle, WA: 206-521-5676 Olympia, WA: 360-236-8748 Portland/Salem, OR: 503-768-9742 Info@SolutionsNW.com
How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain While Working on a Computer

How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain While Working on a Computer

by | May 11, 2022 | Ergonomic Home Office Design, Ergonomics Assessments, Ergonomics Solutions, Home Office Design, Office Design, Portland Ergonomics, Remote Workers, Standing Desks, Working From Home

How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain While Working on a Computer

How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain While Working on a Computer

American jobs have become more computer reliant and there is no sign of this slowing down. As great as technology can be for working, it also has a few downsides. For example, studies suggest that over half of computer users reported computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain (DES) in 2018.
Ergonomics Consultants, Office Assessments, | Solutions Northwest Inc.
Luckily, there are ways computer workers can avoid this uncomfortable phenomenon. Read on to learn how you or your employees can prevent eye strain while working on a computer with some tips from the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc.

Ways to Prevent Eye Strain

The most obvious way to prevent digital eye strain is by reducing the amount of time you spend looking at a screen. Less screen time means less eye strain. One should reduce as much additional screen time as possible, however this isn’t realistic if your job requires you to use a computer, tablet, or phone every day.

That is where the ergonomics experts come in, there are other ways to reduce the symptoms of digital eye strain and the ergonomics consultants at Solutions Northwest Inc. have some tips below.

Computer Glasses with Blue Light Filtering for Eye Strain

Although blue light occurs naturally, digital devices often emit much higher levels of blue light than is healthy for our eyes. Artificial blue light is not only linked to eye strain, but also to restlessness and insomnia.

Using blue-light blocking computer glasses can help filter out this harmful blue light and protect your eyes. They look just like regular glasses and can even be somewhat fashionable to wear. Wearing these can reduce your risk of digital eye strain, but they aren’t a stand-alone solution. Use blue light computer glasses in conjunction with the other methods discussed for the best results.

Related article: “Ergonomics Tips: Computer Glasses for Office Workers”

Take Breaks from Working

When working on a computer, it’s easy to forget to take a break. However, skipping breaks has depreciating returns and worse yet – it can cause workplace injury and digital eye strain.

Ergonomics experts advice workers to get up and walk around, drink some water, and take some time to stop looking at the screen. Consider concepts like the “20-20-20 rule.” For every 20 minutes you spend looking at any screen, take 20 seconds to look at an object 20 feet away from you.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule. If you find it hard to remember to do this every twenty minutes, just take frequent breaks. You may also want to consider downloading some apps that remind you to take your breaks.Remote Worker Ergonomics Assessment

Related article: “3 Free Apps that Serve as  Break Reminder at Work”

Implement Workspace Ergonomics

Perhaps one of the best ways to prevent digital eye strain and/or reduce symptoms is to create an ergonomically-friendly workspace.

For example, be mindful of the position of your desktop monitor. A desktop monitor should be about 18 to 25 inches away from you. Try sitting up straight and reaching your arm out to ensure your monitor is about arm’s length away from you. Furthermore, be sure to position the screen so your eyes look slightly down, rather than straight ahead, up, or way below.

The best way to implement workspace ergonomics is by investing in an ergonomics assessment for yourself or for your employees. With an assessment, an ergonomics consultant will implement a setup to reduce digital eyestrain and all other forms of workplace injury.

These assessments are available in-person and now as virtual ergonomics assessments as well.

Preventing Digital Eye Strain

Digital eye strain doesn’t have to become a major problem if you take preventative measure. Creating an ergonomic workspace is one of the best ways to prevent eye strain and reduce the risk of DES before its onset.  Ergonomic risks should never be ignored. If you or your company needs assistance in setting up proper ergonomics for workers, consider performing a professional ergonomic risk assessment.  We’d love to invite you to contact our experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. today to check up on the ergonomic risks of your employees.

Require a Virtual Assessment? The ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. are now offering affordable Virtual Ergonomics Assessments specifically for remote workers (all you need is access to e-mail or a smart phone).

At SolutionsNW.com we value the importance of a positive workplace culture. Part of a positive workplace is a safe workplace, Contact Us to schedule an ergonomics consultation or ergonomics assessment for your office today.

Subscribe to our ergonomics blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics evaluations available in: Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA, Olympia, WA, Vancouver, WA, Kent, WA Renton, WA, Beaverton, OR, Portland, OR, Salem, OR.
Virtual Ergonomics Assessment available nationwide!

Contact the Ergonomics Experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. Below:

Multiple Locations

Corporate Office: 120 State Ave. NE #397
Olympia, WA 98501
Business Hours: 8am-5pm M-F
Corporate FAX: 360-866-4773
Email: Info@solutionsnw.com

Olympia, WA

360-236-8748

Seattle, WA

206-521-5676

Portland/Salem, OR

503-768-9742

Contact our Ergonomics Experts

3 Ergonomic Gadgets Every Office Should Try

3 Ergonomic Gadgets Every Office Should Try

by | Jan 16, 2019 | Ergonomic Keyboard, Ergonomic Mouse

Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)

“The average American worker spends 7 hours a day on the computer.” – American Eye-Q 2015

If you’re like most American office workers, you likely spend a lot of time on the computer. In fact, “the average American worker spends 7 hours a day on the computer” says a 2015 American Eye-Q study.

Working on the computer for extended periods of time can take a toll on your body, especially if you aren’t proactive about researching what tools work best for your workstation.  

While it is always recommended to perform an ergonomics assessment of your workspace, this ergonomics blog will explore a few computer peripherals designed with computer ergonomics in mind.

Ergonomics Consultants | Solutions Northwest Inc.

Trackball Mouse

While no tools provide complete protection from carpal tunnel syndrome, the trackball requires much less movement and is considered by some to be a carpal tunnel relief gadget.

A trackball mouse, like a traditional mouse, is a pointing device. Unlike a traditional mouse, it remains stationary and has a ball on its top or side. In addition to the ball, a trackball commonly has one or more buttons that work like mouse buttons.

Operating the trackball with the three middle fingers reduces two ergonomics risk factors: static gripping and repetitive wrist movement.

Ergonomics experts recommend ambidextrous trackballs with a ball in the center rather than the side to minimize the risk of thumb tendonitis. Below are examples of a few ambidextrous trackballs:

Take a more in depth look at trackballs in our blog about switching to a trackball mouse.

Split Ergonomic Keyboards

There are many varieties of ergonomic keyboards such as split and contoured, but the split keyboard is a great way to reduce muscle strain and reduce the risk of carpal tunnel or other repetitive strain injuries.

Split keyboards that split into independent pieces are sometimes referred to as adjustable split keyboards. This type of split keyboard will allow you to move the keyboard into a comfortable position, allowing one to easily relax the wrist or entire hand.

When a split ergonomic keyboard is needed, we suggest taking a look at our article on the Kinesis Freestyle Pro.

Computer Glasses

You may have never heard of computer glasses, but with digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome being so common in today’s work place, products like computer glasses have started to gain interest among office workers.

Computer glasses look just like regular glasses and are usually around the $50 to $100 price range. Unlike regular glasses, computer glasses are designed with an anti-reflective coating to reduce screen glare and harsh light. Most of these glasses will also filter the blue light that your computer screen emits.

Filtering blue light should reduce negative symptoms of staring at a screen and make it easier to perform your daily computer work. Feeling headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, or even neck and shoulder pain can be reduced. In fact, your posture may improve as well because you won’t have to hunch closer to the screen as much.

For an in depth look at computer glasses, check out our blog article on the subject.

In conclusion

Remember to always consult with your doctor to rule out any possible underlying cause of pain. Whether you decide to try computer glasses, split keyboards, or a trackball mouse, be sure to communicate with your staff or co-workers to see if they’d like to try any of these products.

Additionally, be sure to perform an ergonomics assessment to ensure office safety. For more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit your ergonomics experts at SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.

Contact our Experts

Contact our Experts
Ergonomics Tips: Computer Glasses for Office Workers

Ergonomics Tips: Computer Glasses for Office Workers

by | Aug 11, 2018 | Ergonomics Solutions, Office Ergonomics

Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)Ergonomics Tips: Computer Glasses for Office Work“Americans (aged 16-44) spend 7.4 hours staring at screens every day.” – Internet Trends report

You may have never heard computer glasses, but with so many jobs requiring workers to stare at screens, products like computer glasses have started to gain interest among office workers and in industries that require a lot of screen time.  Jobs that require a lot of computer, tablet, or phone screen time may cause workers to experience eyestrain or eye fatigue, which is often associated with headaches, neck or back pain, sensitivity to light, dry or red eyes.

With digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome being so common in today’s work place, should you or your employees consider using computer glasses?
Ergonomics Consultants | Solutions Northwest Inc.
What are computer glasses?

Computer glasses look just like regular glasses and are usually around the $50 to $100 price range.

Unlike regular glasses, computer glasses are designed specifically to reduce eye strain associated with staring at a screen. Computer glasses are made with an anti-reflective coating to reduce screen glare and harsh light. Most of these glasses will also filter the blue light that your computer screen emits. Filtering blue light should reduce negative symptoms of staring at a screen.

Potential benefits of computer glasses

Computer glasses should make it easier to do your daily computer work. Feeling headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, or even neck and shoulder pain can be reduced. In fact, your posture may improve as well because you won’t have to hunch closer to the screen as much.

What if computer glasses aren’t for you?

If you try computer glasses and don’t notice any benefit, then you may want to consider doing some eye exercises instead. 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/

Additionally, you can try adjusting your screen to a more comfortable setting or just taking frequent breaks at work.

In conclusion

Remember to always consult with your doctor to rule out a possible underlying cause of pain. Whether you decide to try computer glasses or do eye exercises, remain proactive to prevent workplace injuries.

Hopefully these ergonomics tips can help you avoid digital eye strain 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.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.

 

Contact our Experts

Contact our Experts

Learn About Computer Vision Syndrome

Learn About Computer Vision Syndrome

by | Jan 6, 2018 | Oregon Health Blog, Portland Ergonomics

Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)

Avoid Computer Syndrome at the Office and Workplace

“The average American worker spends 7 hours a day on the computer and 58% percent of adults have experienced digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome as a direct result.” – (AOA) 2015 American Eye-Q

Whether you work on an office computer or use your smart phone to communicate, screen time is unavoidable for many American workers. In fact, “the average American worker spends 7 hours a day on the computer” (AOA).  As you may expect, too much screen time puts you at risk for eyestrain disorders like computer vision syndrome.

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a term to describe the discomfort or digital eyestrain one may feel after viewing a screen for long periods of time. According to the Mayo Clinic, “CVS is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion injuries you might get at work. It happens because your eyes follow the same path over and over.”  Symptoms include headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, fatigue, neck and shoulder pain.

Prep your workstation to avoid Computer Vision Syndrome

Now that you have a better idea about what computer vision syndrome is, how can you avoid it if your job requires screen time? Here are some tips our ergonomics experts at SolutionsNW.com have compiled to improve your work station:

  • Eliminate glare on your computer monitor – To reduce screen glare, dim any overly bright lights in the room. However, be sure to keep the room lit enough for reading or writing notes. Using glare reducing monitor overlays or tilting your monitor can sometimes reduce screen glare. It may be necessary to move the monitor and/or work surface to a different location or close the blinds if glare is coming in from the windows.
  • Avoid competing light sources – Make sure your monitor is not directly in front of a window, directly under a bright light, and there are no lights shining directly into your eyes.
  • Consider glasses – If you are having trouble seeing the monitor, it would be a good idea to consult your eye doctor. If you wear bifocals and use a computer regularly, you may want to ask about computer glasses in addition to your regular glasses.
  • Adjust your workstation properly – Your monitor height should ideally be adjustable, although this is not always necessary. The top of the screen should be at eye level for normal vision and reference materials should be as close to the monitor as possible to reduce excessive head and eye movement. If you wear glasses which require you to use the lower portion of the lenses to read the text on the monitor, try lowering the monitor a few inches below eye height.
  • Establish healthy habits – Take breaks from looking at the computer screen and learn how to do eye exercises. 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/

In Conclusion

Remember to remain proactive for a happy and healthy work environment. For some of these tips, you may need to speak to your office administrator or human resources director. Additionally, you may want to consider contacting an ergonomics expert to assess your work environment.

As always, be sure to share these tips with your co-workers or employees and for more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more detailed information.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.

Contact our Experts

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Protect your eyes when using a Smart Phone.

Protect your eyes when using a Smart Phone.

by | May 18, 2017 | Ergonomics, Health

Protect Your Eyes

By Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Solutions Northwest, Inc. – Arcata, California

What is Digital Eyestrain?
Whether it is the smart phone’s tiny screen, the tiny images and text, or the screen’s light, it is important to be cautious and aware of the risks of digital eyestrain.

According to Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends report: “the average American (aged 16-44) spends 444 minutes or 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.”

What are the symptoms?
Too much screen time can cause many eye-related symptoms such as discomfort, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, headache, fatigue, difficulty focusing, and shoulder and neck pain.

5 Ergonomics Tips to Reduce Your Risk:

  • Most smartphones have a feature to make letters on the screen bigger. The most common way to do this is starting with your fingers in a pinched position touching the screen and pulling your fingers apart until the letters are big enough. The letters should be at least as large as the green serial numbers on the front of a dollar bill.
  • Go into the phone settings menu and adjust the screen brightness level to about half. Most phones come with a factory brightness setting which is equivalent to looking at a light bulb.
  • When choosing a color scheme, the ones which are easiest on the eyes are a white background with black text or a black background with green text.
  • Use the phone in a position where there is not glare on the screen, reduce the screen glare to reduce eye strain.
  • Try some Eye Exercises that we have featured in a previous Ergonomics Blog.

For more guidance on all things Ergonomics, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.

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