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| Rest your eyes |
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Step away from the screen for 15 minutes during each 2-hour period or for 10 minutes per hour of intensive work. |
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Stare out the window at some lush greenery. If you're in the middle of an urban jungle, gaze at a green plant or soothing green object instead. |
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Position your computer monitor properly |
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Place the computer straight in front of you if you're looking at it most of the time. The recommended viewing angle of the screen centre is 3 to 4 centimeters below eye level. |
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If possible, prop copy documents upright beside the screen to avoid having to constantly refocus your eyes, and having to swing your head back and forth between the materials and the monitor. |
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| Make your computer screen more reader-friendly |
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Choose a typesize you can read easily while sitting back comfortably in your chair. |
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Black characters on a white background are easiest to read. |
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Invest in a flat screen monitor. A high resolution screen is much easier on the eyes. The images have sharper edges, which makes things appear clearer. |
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| Reduce lighting and glare |
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Check your workspace for sources of glare. |
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Reposition your monitor so it does not reflect shiny walls and light sources. |
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To reduce glare, adjust the brightness of your screen to match the brightness of other objects in the room. |
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Try a glare reduction filter for your screen. |
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Use curtains, blinds or special anti-glare screens to eliminate distracting reflections. Cut off excessively bright lights. |
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| Blink more |
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You tend to blink less frequently when using a computer. This leads to dryness and irritation. |
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Make a conscious effort to blink to rehydrate those eyes. |
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If dry eyes become a problem, try using lubricant eye drops. |
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| More eye-friendly tips |
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Ask your optometrist if you need computer glasses. Specially prescribed computer glasses can help your eyes focus on the screen. |
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Remove contact lenses. Wear your glasses instead of contact lenses when doing computer work. Contact lenses can make CVS symptoms worse because you don't blink enough to keep your eyes hydrated. |
