As many office workers will tell you, staring at a flickering computer screen all day can cause painful eye strain and headaches. As well as causing discomfort, it can also affect your vision; particularly if you use a laptop.
The reason this happens is that your eye muscles get locked when you stare at a screen for long periods of time which can cause them to cramp up.
You can see this for yourself by suddenly looking away into the distance after looking at your computer screen for a long time. You will probably find that it takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust properly.
20/20 Optical Store, the award winning optician based in the heart of London, has put together the following tips to help eye strain sufferers:
1. Exercise your eyes by switching your focus between something close up and something far away. For instance, try looking out of the window and then at a piece of paper on your desk. Do this for a few times until you find that you can refocus instantly.
2. Try looking away from your computer screen for 20 seconds every ten minutes or so.
3. Rub your hands together and cup them over your eyes for some symptomatic relief.
If you find that eye strain starts to cause serious problems, 20/20 recommends that you make an appointment to see your optometrist because you might need to wear glasses.
