On average, a modern person spends about 50 hours a week looking at a computer screen. Is this related to eye fatigue, headaches, blurred vision and focusing difficulties, and what should be the distance from the eyes to the monitor so that these problems can be avoided or at least minimized?
Helpful tips
As comfortable as eye-to-screen distance may be, if you spend a lot of time at the computer, it's important to take regular breaks and exercise for visual relaxation. Here are some helpful tips to help you minimize the negative effects of spending too much time in front of a work screen.
- Make sure if you need glasses to look at the screen, you wear them.
- Blink regularly. During focusing, visual reflexes slow down somewhat, you will involuntarily blink less, as a result - dry,irritated and tired eyes.
- Remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break to look 20 feet (six meters) ahead of the monitor. During this short time, the eye muscles will receive the break they need, which will increase the speed of blinking.
- Try to keep the distance from the eyes to the monitor within 40 to 76 centimeters. Most people find 50 to 65 centimeter boundaries to be the most comfortable and optimal.
- Make sure the top of the monitor is at or slightly below your horizontal eye level.
- Tilt the top of the monitor away from you at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees. This will create the optimal viewing angle.
- Keep your screen free of dust and fingerprints.
- Try to position the monitor so that it does not reflect distracting reflections (for example, from a window).
- Use an adjustable chair that allows you to sit at the right angle and optimize your body position and eye-to-screen distance.
- Use an appropriate character size. This important factor largely determines what the distance from the monitor to the eyes should be.
Optimal computer position
How can you measure the scope of visual comfort by eye? Make sure the computer monitor is positioned about an arm's length from your normal sitting position. Top screen toolbarshould be approximately at the same horizontal level with the eyes. If it is too low, you may be at risk of developing neck pain. If it is too high, it can lead to additional strain on the eye muscles.
The monitor should be tilted vertically to avoid unnecessary glare from overhead lighting. The keyboard and mouse should be located directly in front of you on your desktop. If you place them at an angle, you will be at risk of developing unilateral neck and shoulder pain. An important role is also played by the distance from the eyes to the computer monitor.
Frightening trend
The amount of time we spend looking at screens has increased dramatically over the past few years. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle and lack of necessary physical activity. All this affects mental well-being, anxiety disorders increase. What distance from the eyes to the monitor will help to avoid problems and will not be able to negatively affect our vision in the future?
In fact, no one knows for sure whether prolonged use of digital devices causes permanent eye damage. One thing is for sure: irrationally long time spent at the computer definitely leads to increased eye strain and associated discomfort, which is also called computer vision syndrome.
Myopia Epidemic
About 7-8 hours a person spends on a full and he althydream. Approximately the same time he spends looking at various monitors: TV, computer, tablet or smartphone. All this is believed to contribute to an increase in the level of myopia, or nearsightedness. It is obvious that gradually the growth of this ailment is acquiring the level of an epidemic throughout the world.
Discomfort and side effects
There is no doubt that prolonged exposure to a screen causes eye strain. The monitor is an integral part of the workplace for many people, mainly for office workers. If placed in the wrong position, it can cause the operator to work in a variety of uncomfortable positions, which can lead not only to discomfort, but also to potentially dangerous injuries to the musculoskeletal system.
Other side effects of a poorly positioned monitor are eye irritation, blurred vision, dryness, stinging eyes and headaches. A common complaint among computer operators is discomfort in the neck and shoulders. The sheer number of such complaints indicates that the position of the monitor, including the distance from the monitor screen to the eyes, is an important factor in the organization of the computer workplace.
Requirements and norms: what you can do to protect yourself
What factors determine the correct position of a computer monitor? First of all, it is the viewing angle and viewing distance. In this regard, there are certain requirements and recommendations. The vertical viewing angle should vary between about 15 and 30 degrees. Some people doing visually demanding tasks may limit downward eye movements and use an angle of up to 60 degrees. When using large monitors (17", 19" or larger), make sure the top of the screen is not at a higher level than the user's eyes.
As for the distance of the eyes to the monitor, it is worth referring to the natural physical characteristics of vision. Looking at far distances does not cause eye fatigue, unlike the muscular effort required to focus on objects located at close distances. The shorter the viewing distance, the greater the muscle effort. The norm, which provides visual comfort for most computer users, is a viewing range of 40 cm to 70 cm.
