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Computers and Eyes: Need Advice

jeffy777

jeffy777

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I work with computers constantly since I'm a full time web designer/master, programmer, and other stuff, but I have really bad eyes (near sighted and easily irritated). A few months back, I had a hemmorage in my left eye that was probably caused by strain. Lately they've been really bothering me again, strained and bloodshot, but I have jobs that need to go on and deadlines to meet.

So does anyone know if there is any setup I can use that is easier on the eyes? A particular type of monitor? Brigthness level? Would a projector be better?

I'm really thinking about getting a projector as this seems that it would be easier on the eyes, but I'm not positive about that.

Right now I have a 19inch CRT (Aquaview9LS) and a laptop. The laptop scrren seems to bug my eyes out a lot more.

I know that taking breaks is probably the best thing, but I tend to be a workaholic, so I need a setup that is going to be the easiest for these weary eyes of mine.

Any advice or resoures would be greatly appreciated. I know choosing another profession would be a good tip, but that isn't likely to happen, unless I go blind..... :shock: Then I'll probably just play blues guitar all day ;)
 
set it as dark as possible, that's what i do
 
jensked said:
Did you go and see a eye-doctor? I think he might know more than we do :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, they just tell me to limit my time on the PC.
 
I am assuming that you have glasses?? If so have a separate set for pc work (different "strenght") it will make a world of difference as the requirements for eyes when looking at a monitor are different as when normally just looking...

Anyway an optician (or preferebly an eye doctor) can help you with the prescription to those.
 
Isn't there some type of screen or filter that reduces eye strain?
 
is your monitor set to the correct refreshrate (85hz or 100hz) ?
the default windows setting is normaly 60hz which is very bad for your eyes :?
 
the most important advice i can give you is that make sure you are atleast 2 ft away from the screen.

From your head to the screen, make sure you are 2 feet away. It really helped my eye strain when i went from a CRT that was 1 foot away from me vs now which is a 19" LCD set with low brightness and contrast.

Oh and make sure you dont stare at it too long. every 15-30 mins or so, look at something far away, something preferbly green like leaves and trees. (studies has shown a certain green can induce calmness in the mind).

My eye doctor told me that tireness can be caused by eye muscle imbalance, which means your eyes try very hard to focus and therefore tire the muscles out. So my optometrist suggested eye exercises that entails looking at close objects(1 ft away), then quickly look up at something far away... do this for 20 mins.


I'l tell you more once i go to med school.
 
Buying a LCD or a projector will help alot. CRT's are the worst. Try to place your sceen as far as possible, but not so far that you have to try to see everything clearly. Also, try not to have large resolution (above 1200*x for example, depends on size of screen). Having 2 screens will also help, bc you move your eyes more and is very handy when you're a web/graphic designer.

Greetz Johan
 
My advice is to make sure that you have health insurance that will cover you if your vision gets bad - and hope it gets better. 8)
 
Thanks for the tips all. Some are very practical (like the carrotts, hehe) others will cost me money, but I think getting a big honkin' LCD would help.

Any suggesstions on the biggest LCD I can get that won't cost me my soul, but would still be high quality? I definitely can't spend over a grand. Maybe in the $500-$700 range?

Something like this perhaps:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001211

I don't know that much about LCDs, so I really don't know what to look for in one. I have a 19inch CRT now, so would say a 21 inch LCD make a big difference for me? Or would I need to go bigger? I want it to be as easy to read as possible, so I'm not going to use a super high resoultion. I like 1024 x 768 right now for readability on this monitor.

So any and all tips on this will be appreciated.
 
^Problem with LCD is that you can't choose a resolution. It has 1 native resolution. If you do choose another resolution, everything will be deformed. But I think that a 21.3" LCD with 1600x1200 will be very readable (my laptop screen has the same resolution while only being 15"). I think 2 (smaller) screens are better, but 1 large screen can be very nice too.

And another tip. Don't sit in the dark when watching tv/sitting behind you computer. Light your room very good.

And getting an LCD won't solve everything. They're (way) easier on the eyes, but still stress them.

Greetz Johan
 
I'd save the $200 and get this 20" from Dell instead. Your laptop also uses an LCD screen though, so I don't know how much just using a larger one will help. LCD screens still have flicker, since their backlight is a pair of small fluorescent tubes, but not all models are irritating to those sensitive enough to it. How old is the laptop, by the way?

Another thing you could try is using some incandecent bulbs for lighting instead of only using fluorescents.
 
My laptop is about a year old: a Dell Inspiron 1000

So would the native res on that 20" Dell be 1600 x 1200? I'm afraid that will be too hard for me to read since I currently use 1024 x 768 on my 19in CRT and anything harder would find me straining (I'm very nearsighted).

I don't know what to do, but anything easier would be so nice....... :cry:
 
jeffy777 said:
My laptop is about a year old: a Dell Inspiron 1000

So would the native res on that 20" Dell be 1600 x 1200? I'm afraid that will be too hard for me to read since I currently use 1024 x 768 on my 19in CRT and anything harder would find me straining (I'm very nearsighted).

I don't know what to do, but anything easier would be so nice....... :cry:
Click to expand...

The bigger the screen, the bigger (smaller icons) the resolution gets. You CAN choose another resolution, but everything will get malformed (looks really funny). As I said before, just get 2 screens, this way you have the resolution you want and alot more space to work on (you can put your toolboxes on another screen). And nomatter how good technology is nowadays, when you have the same screen in 19" or 21", the 19" one will be of better quality (it's hard to make an LCD bigger).

Edit: just found a site from Apple with info about eyes & vision.
http://www.apple.com/about/ergonomics/vision.html

Greetz Johan
 
Have a Guiness! Or maybe two!


The obvious thing to do is to stay away from computers. If that is your livelihood, it comes down to what is worth more to you: health, or that job.

I have similar problem (architecture drawings on computer), but I have limited my time in from of the box.

Like someone said, see a doctor.
 
Do you wear glasses??

I have been recommended to get anti-glare coating on my since it will help tremendously but that is only if you actually wear glasses.
 
i got one of those screen filter thingy. Its kinda useless. not sure if it actually works. i had it on for awhile but to me it made no difference. so now im back with the original screen.

and i wear glasses too
 
jeffy777 said:
My laptop is about a year old: a Dell Inspiron 1000

So would the native res on that 20" Dell be 1600 x 1200? I'm afraid that will be too hard for me to read since I currently use 1024 x 768 on my 19in CRT and anything harder would find me straining (I'm very nearsighted).

I don't know what to do, but anything easier would be so nice....... :cry:
Click to expand...
Yes, the native res on the Dell is 1600x1200, but you can raise the DPI setting in windows to increase the size of text, toolbars, the taskbar, and other things. My sister did that for her tablet PC, since the screen has a native res of 1400x1050 but is only a 12" screen.
 
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