How to avoid optical burnout

[Guest guest]

The pain of eye strain

Avoid optical burnout by grazing on greens and gazing away

BY Sibylle Preuschat

NOW | SEP 16 - 22, 2004 | VOL. 24 NO. 3

http://www.nowtoronto.com

 

Nowadays, studying and notetaking mean booting up as often as cracking the

books. But misusing your screen can cost when it comes to your eyesight.

The peepers are simply not designed to handle sustained periods of

relatively static close-up work. To keep them functioning well despite the

demands of your course load, be proactive.

 

When staring down computer monitors, do what you have to do to remember to

breathe, and blink every three to five seconds. Blinking – one of those

natural reflexes that tends to disappear when we're stressed and

over-concentrating – is crucial for eye lubrication and relaxation.

 

Set up your workstation so it suits your body, instead of trying to make

yourself adjust to desks and chairs that don't fit you. Our experts' tips

below give you the basics of good computer station ergonomics.

 

Locate your work space so you can easily look into the distance every two

to three minutes for a couple of seconds. Take a slightly longer vision

break every 15 minutes or so, and get out of your chair for stretching,

movement and eye relaxation once every hour.

 

Screen glare is very hard on your eyes, so use an anti-glare filter and set

up the room lighting to eliminate any other problem sources. Flickering

fluorescents compound the stress on your nervous system from a computer's

flicker. Full-spectrum incandescent lighting will reduce your eye stress

significantly, I've discovered.

 

Being around computers and other electric devices is dehydrating, so make

sure you're drinking plenty of water, too, as you work. Note that anything

with caffeine in it drains water from your body. Finally, keep in mind that

blueberries and lots of veggies, especially the green ones, will help your

eyes stay their healthiest.

 

What the experts say

 

" When your eyes are relaxed, they're lined up to see far away. It requires

effort to do things up close. The question is, how do you minimize that

effort? One of the principal things is having your computer screen at least

an arm's length away. If you can reach out and touch your screen it's

probably too close. Your head should be tilted down at 20 degrees to look

at your screen. Try to look away every 10 to 15 minutes, even for a few

seconds, to give your eyes a break. "

 

JOE CHAN , optometrist, Mississauga

 

" Posture is really important. Slumping cuts off energy going to the brain

and eyes. The torso and thigh and the thigh and lower leg should be at 90

degree angles to each other. Position the screen about 2 feet away, centred

in your visual field, just below your natural line of sight. Avoid putting

the screen to the side; the whole spine gets skewed. Close your eyes

whenever you're waiting for something to happen. If you wear glasses, use a

weaker prescription. At the optometrist they give you a prescription for

focusing at 20 feet. At the computer, you don't need that much correction.''

 

ELIZABETH ABRAHAM , founder, Vision Education Centre, Toronto

 

" Laptops aren't the most ergonomically correct tools. If you put one on

your lap, it's good for your arms and shoulders, it doesn't strain them,

but it's bad for your eyes and neck. If you put the laptop on a table

surface, that's good for your eyes and neck, but you have to hunch your

shoulders up to reach the keyboard. Connecting another monitor or keyboard

to a laptop is the best option. Use laptops as little as possible in

classrooms and libraries.'' TANIA LILLAK , certified kinesiologist,

ergonomics specialist, Toronto " Set up the computer so you can look at the

room behind it or down the hall or out the window. In a cubbyhole, put a

mirror on top of the computer and look into it to get that greater focusing

distance. Every two or three minutes, shift your gaze into the distance

once or twice. Eliminate glare. Everything you can see reflected into the

screen before you turn it on is a source of glare. Breathe regularly and

blink every three to five seconds. Stay aware of your total field of vision. "

 

MARTIN SUSSMAN , president, Cambridge Institute for Better Vision,

co-author, Total Health At The Computer, Topsfield, MA

 

" Compounds that support eye health are found in blueberries, spinach , kale

, broccoli , okra and other greens. Underneath the lashes are oil glands

that help lubricate the eyes. To ensure these work properly, we need to

support good circulation in the head. Blueberries and grape seed extract

strengthen capillary walls, and ginkgo biloba is particularly good for

micro-circulation. Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA from fish oil) and vitamins A

and D are good for nerve function and are all found in deep-water fish .

Eat (wild or organically farmed) fish two to three times a week, unless

you're pregnant and need to avoid mercury contamination. "

 

VIVIAN LEE , registered holistic nutritionist, manager, Canadian School of

Natural Nutrition, Toronto the end