Prevent Eyestrain with Desk Lights

Staring at your computer all day or trying to read fine print can strain your eyes over time. Eyestrain can include burning, sharp pains, dull pains, blurring, headaches, tightness, watering, double vision, and other sensations. You can call almost any eye discomfort while viewing something eyestrain. One way to relieve eyestrain is to make sure that you light your work area well. Strategic placement of your desk lights and other light sources can give you the illumination you need to work efficiently without hurting your eyes.

Factors Contributing to Eyestrain

At most work areas with a computer, eyestrain is usually caused by:

• Glare - Direct glare comes from light shining directly into your eyes. Reflected glare is glare reflected off your computer screen from other light sources.
  
  
• Low light
  
  
• Size of the type on your computer screen or documents
  
  
• Contrast (brightness) between what you're working on and the rest of the room
  
  
• Distance between you and your screen or other projects
  
  
• Your vision
  
  

Desk Lights, Vision Correction, and Other Solutions

You can reduce eyestrain in your office in a few different ways:

• Desk Lights - You'll use your desk lamp best when you pair it ambient light. Working with a desk lamp in a dark office will only add to your eyestrain because it will increase contrast rather than decrease it. You need enough light so that you can see your computer monitor, your keyboard, and any reading material on your desk. Your monitor is probably bright enough, so you should use a desk lamp that lights your documents and keyboard, but doesn't throw too much light on your monitor. Put your lamp on your left if you are right handed and vice versa, so that you don't cast shadows on your work. A good desk light should cut down on glare, reduce contrast, and eliminate low light issues.
  
  
• Shift your Computer - Eyestrain is more commonly caused by viewing your computer or other projects too closely rather than from too far away. Move your computer and reading material as far away as you can while still being able to read it clearly. Keep your documents and computer about the same distance from you so you don't have to keep refocusing your eyes when you look back and forth.
  
  
• Take a Break - On the other hand, you can tire your eyes by focusing on the same thing for too long. Every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
  
  
• Get your Eyes Checked - Looking at a computer rarely causes nearsightedness, but straining to see things on your computer might be an indication that you need a new prescription. Bifocals can cause eyestrain when you have been looking at your computer monitor for extended periods. Ask your eye doctor about a separate set of glasses or bifocal contacts for when you work on your computer.
  
  
• Move your Monitor - Because some eyestrain is the result of dry eyes, lower your monitor to induce blinking to keep your eyes lubricated. Lowering your monitor can also reduce strain if you wear bifocals because you will not have to tip your head back to see your computer screen.
  
  

Rearranging your office and finding the most appropriate desk lights for your work can do wonders for your eyes. The best way to test if something about your office is causing your eyes to strain is to look away and see if you feel immediate relief. If you do, there's a good chance that you contrast is too severe, the light is too low, or your computer monitor is too close.