Today's useless fact - I stare at a computer monitor all day. What can I do to reduce eye strain?

Get an eye exam and ask your optometrist this question. You may need glasses or contacts to work at your optimum at a computer. One of the most common complaints from all day computer users is dry tired eyes. If a refractive problem is not causing this symptom, the next most common cause is dry eye. When we work at a computer screen, we concentrate intensely on the images. When this is done, we often forget to blink. This usually doesn't bother the user in the morning but gradually builds up through out the day and becomes more significant in the 2nd half of the work day. One solution is to take breaks. But, who does this! Another tactic is to keep a bottle of artificial tears on hand and put a drop in right after lunch whether it's needed or not. Use another drop a half hour later and again if needed. It's easier to prevent dry eye than to play catch up once the symptoms set in. Put the drops in before the symptoms hit you and it you will be more successful at avoiding this problem. The critical flicker rate for human eyes is around 60 hz. (We can't see anything flickering on and off at a rate above 60 hz.) Another thing to keep in mind beside glare reduction and lighting conditions is font size. Our eyes can't perform at peak efficiency levels when we are forced to read the smallest font size that can be seen by the human eyes. For peak efficiency the font size should be three times that size that is barely viewable. A basic rule of thumb, one should be able to back up three times the normal working distance from the computer screen and it should still be readable. If you can't do this, increase the size of your font. That's why it's so hard to read those cheap novels with their little print. There are other pitfalls and problems that could cause computer problems, but these are the most common ones. Don't work so much and play more golf. Check out the links in our Dry Eye category for more.