If you experience symptoms of ocular soreness, or eye strain, at the microcomputer you are not alone; it's the most common affliction among microcomputer users. The following will help you be conscious of the causes of distress and what you can do about it. A general condition among laptop users, especially those who wear contact lenses, are dry or itchy eyes. This is mainly due to the situation that we tend to blink only one-fifth as much when looking at a computer crt when compared with reading from paper. Combined with the modest humidity levels found in many offices, this results in a drying and irritation of the eyes. If you experience dry eyes, try lowering your monitor so that you are looking slightly down in order to promote blinking. Make
sure that exhaust fans from appliances and from the building's ventilation system aren't blowing immediately on you. If dryness and irritation remain, see your eye care specialist.
Your eyes are adapted for distance vision; they are most relaxed when you are "staring off into space". However, most of the output that you do in the office, whether it's reading from papers or the computer monitor, is done somewhat close to your eyes, and this can cause optic strain. This is because small muscles within your eyes have to maneuver to turn your eyes inward and alter the shape of the lenses to focus for close vision. When these muscles exhaust you can encounter symptoms of tired, sore eyes the same way that your back muscles will feel tired and irritated if you sit for too long in the same position.
When you look down, your eyes have a natural disposition to turn inwards and focus for near vision, since things that are lower in your field of vision tend to be closer to you. The opposite is true of looking straight forward or upwards - your eyes tend to turn outwards and focus
at a distance, and you will have to labor harder to focus on close objects with your head in this angle. This is why, when reading from a book or a newspaper, we tend to hold it
below eye level. If you read from a monitor or paper that is located at eye level or higher, it can contribute to eye strain.
While having your screen too close or too high can increase your chances of having ocular tension, having it too low or too far away can result in stiff postures as you lean forward to examine it.
