Computer Vision Syndrome
Computer vision syndrome: welcome to life in the 21st century
It almost sounds dystopian, but we promise you it is a real problem and its on the rise. Ask anyone who spends the majority of their day deskbound and they will probably tell you that they have experienced a computer screen headache at least once. The reasons they come about are myriad, but there are a few essential causative factors:
- Your eyes prefer to rest at a distance that is further than your computer screen.
- Lighting of the surrounding environment: a bright office combined with improperly adjusted monitor settings creates a strain that is too much for the eyes to bear.
- The refocusing effect: shifting between the computer screen and objects around the office is stressful to the eyes.
The computer screen is a headache trigger
In all likelihood, your headache is probably a manifestation of more than just the computer screen: perhaps your posture is poor or you haven’t had the right amount of caffeine that day; your diet was off or you didn’t get an exercise. The computer screen then becomes a trigger for the headache; in this instance, you want to stop looking at it but you have so much work to do!
Tips for dealing with computer vision syndrome
- If possible, control the lighting of the external environment
- Adjust your monitor properly
- Pay attention to ergonomics and posture
- Take a break once per hour
- Avoid refocusing your eyes too often
Exercising power over the factors that are within your control will make a big difference in your experience with headaches at work.
Chronic headaches are not normal
It is important to note that if you are having regular headaches that affect you significantly, you may want to check with a health professional. At our office in Dunedin, we correct subluxation to improve nerve function and focus on dispelling muscle tension that could be contributing to headaches. Give us a call and let’s start breaking the hold of headaches on your life today!
Dr. Chris Hayes, D.C.