The
information revolution that has swept the world means people are spending more time on
computers at work, in schools, and at home - 3 million Australian households now own PCs.
A side effect of this trend is a
worrying increase in the incidence of people suffering eye strain problems.
By staring at a computer screen for
extended periods, we force our eye muscles to converge and remain static in a strenuously
acute angle.
Eye strain are symptoms of stress from
spending long hours in front of a terminal, such as;
| • |
Burning, sore eyes |
| • |
Blurred vision |
| • |
Headache |
| • |
Tired eyes |
Computer screen glare, inadequate room
lighting and poor ergonomics are all known to contribute to eyestrain. The
convergence of our eyes however is the main factor why we have computer-induced
eyestrain.
Try
this simple experiment
to experience eye convergence now: |
| 1. |
Hold a pencil upright
15cms in front of your eyes. Focus on the pencil for approximately 10 seconds. |
| 2. |
You should then
experience a cross-eye sensation which is convergence of your eye muscles. |
|
|
The muscles around our eyes are relaxed when we are looking
at objects far away. When viewing near objects such as a computer screen, they have to
regularly contract inwards to focus effectively. This is known as convergence, and over a
prolonged period is very tiring to the eye muscles, leading to fatigue and other eye
strain symptoms.
|
