How does our eye capture images? It’s a lot like how a digital camera works. Light enters the eye and bends as it hits a part called the cornea. Then, the lenses change shape to focus this light onto another part called the retina. On the retina, special cells called photoreceptors convert the light into electrical signals. Finally, these signals are sent to the brain where they’re turned into pictures.
What’s the issue with vision? Well, staring at something like a monitor screen for a long time can make the muscles that change the lens shape get tired. If they don’t get to relax, they can take in too much lactic acid which can cause eye pain. A simple solution is to take breaks by looking in the distance to give these muscles a chance to recover. This fills them with fresh oxygen-rich blood, which reduces the lactic acid. Eyes are amazingly strong and they can recover well if we give them enough rest.
Long work hours in front of a computer can mess with the eyes. It makes it hard for them to adjust quickly and lower their muscle strain. Since it’s natural for our eyes to naturally switch focus between close and far objects, keeping them stuck close on a computer screen is unnatural. This makes the eyes lose their ability to focus on distant objects and they can lose their flexibility.
Why does this happen? Our eyes often have to move fast and short, like jumping between the monitor and the keyboard. Normally, an eye will gently move around 50 to 60 times a second, changing focus points. These little movements help the eye see clearer and reduce strain. But when we’re deep in work or concentration, we lose this habit.
What can we do to prevent this? Try to use at least a 15-inch computer screen, but 17 inches or more is even better. Also, try to match your monitor’s color with your desktop’s. Grey monitors often clash with today’s colorful software. Just make sure your background isn’t brighter than your monitor’s color. Dark monitors or lighter backgrounds can help keep your eyes healthy.
You should also adjust your screen’s brightness and contrast. Straining at a blurred screen or one that’s too bright can hurt your eyes. You can fix this by changing your display settings to suit your eyes. If you’re not sure how to do this, you can ask someone who knows more about it.
Finally, long computer use can lead to dry eyes and irritation. If this goes unchecked, it can lead to infections and even require laser eye surgery. This usually happens because we blink less when we’re focusing on a screen. To fix this, remember to take more breaks and let your eyes rest. You can also adjust the humidity to around 50% and set the room temperature to 18-24 degrees in summer and 20-26 degrees in winter.
