Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnewsj!jwi
From: jwi@cbnewsj.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: My eyes are sore ...
Summary: Experience, not references
Message-ID: <1990Aug1.132134.4515@cbnewsj.att.com>
Date: 1 Aug 90 13:21:34 GMT
References: <12453@rouge.usl.edu>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 47

> (Peter C. Bahrs) writes:

> After several hours at the machine looking at text, high res graphics,
> and movement, my eyes tell me to take a break.

> What can be done?  Buy a higher resolution monitor?  I am looking for
> some research references to optical solutions for eye strain.  In particular
> topics such as add on computer screen devices and/or eye 'goggles'.

There are several problems here, and eyestrain due to resolution is
only one of them.

1.	You are forcing your eyes to remain at a fixed focus about 18"
	away. Normal rest focus is about 6 feet away. You need to look
	away from the screen every few minutes and change the focus 
	distance. Look across the room, close up, and several distances
	inbetween. Take at least a 15 minute break every two hours.

2.	You can solve part of the above close focus problem by
	wearing glasses with prisms built into them to let your
	eyes remain at rest focus and still see the screen. This 
	may give you severe adjustment problems the rest of the
	time. In any event, have your eye doctor check to make
	sure that your "normal" eyesight doesn't require prisms.

3.	Another problem with looking at the screen for a long time
	is that you often forget to blink. As a result, your eyes
	dry out and become irritated. Your eye doctor can perscribe
	plain saline artificial tears that can be used for relief.
	DO NOT use commercial preparations wnless you determine
	from reading the label that they can be used continuously --
	most can only be used every four hours.

4.	Arrange lighting so that you don't get glare. If you must
	have flourescent lights, get "daylight" tubes (expensive).
	If possible, use bullet fixtures with elipsoidal reflector
	incandescent bulbs so that you avoid glare altogether.

4.	And of course, a glare screen (poloroid type, expensive)
	and a higher resolution tube will help too, but not as much
	as taking a break and changing your lights.

Jim Winer -- jwi@mtfme.att.com -- Opinions not represent employer.
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