🚀 go-pugleaf

"Greasy, grimey gopher guts, and me without my spoon," lamented
"Dinty W. Moore" <dinty@charter.net>, who went on in
<thq74dk4j3hb40@corp.supernews.com> to bemoan: 

> I am 45, write books for a living off and on, and when I'm deep in
> the throes of a deadline it is not uncommon for me to stare at my
> computer screen for four or five hours at a spell.  The problem is,
> I am 45, and eyestrain and tiredness are making my normal writing
> pace very hard to sustain.  Anyone else experiencing this as their
> eyes age?  Any strategies to cope?

I am 42.  I stare at computer screens, day in, day out, and
have been for many, many years.  I wear contact lenses, and
work in buildings that are air-conditioned or heated.  The
air is dry.

I do not suffer from eyestrain, and here is why, I feel,
that is so.

1.  Glare reduction.  I shut down the banks of lights
directly overhead, and turn on offset lighting around my
work area.  I also employ glare-proof screens.

2.  LCD display versus CRT.  Half of my computer work is
done before an LCD.  LCDs do not emit radiation, which may
or may not be a factor in eye strain.

3.  Higher frequency monitor setting.  The standard frequency
setting for monitors, for some reason, is 60Hz.  I can actually
see the flicker of the screen at this setting, although many
cannot.  Needless to say, it -is- slow, and may be a source
of strain.  Set your monitor rate to 75-80Hz (do this through
the Properties of your Display menu), if you can. 

4.  Frequent breaks.  Every few hours, (even as often as
every hour), stop looking at your screen for 10-15 minutes.


5.  Eye exercises.  Hold up a pencil, and focus, one eye
at a time, on its tip for a slow count of 20.  Then immediately
shift focus to a far distant object (it helps to do this
outside, so you can look at a mountain, or a tree) and bring
THAT into focus for a slow count.  Alternate eyes, and repeat
several times.   "Cupping" ... close your eyes, and place
your cupped hands over your eyes.  Press the edges of your
hands against the ridges of bone, your eyesockets and forehead,
in a circular pattern/motion, gently massaging the bone and
tissue (without stretching the eyelid tissues). Vary the pressure
on the bone from your hands.  Do this for several minutes.
Rapid blinking, to help moisturize your eyes.

6.  Cold compresses.  During your breaks, put a cool eye pad
or cucumber slices over your closed eyes.  It helps reduce
any potential swelling of the muscles that hold your eyes
focused.

7.  Eye drops.  Use sterile saline, or the soothing drops contact
lense wearers use to lubricate their lenses.


> 
> I wear progressive bifocals, and it has occurred to me that maybe I
> need special "reading" glasses set for the distance from my nose to
> the computer. Anyone else tried this strategy?

This is a good possibility.  Have you checked with your
opthamalogist and your optometrist, letting them know
that you do spend a considerable amount of time in front
of a display, and asking their advice?



-- 
gekko

Roger Ebert is the only film critic to have ever won the Pulitzer 
prize.