Computers

[Eva M]

I have severe dry eye, blepharitius and all the complications that usually go along. I'm a writer and I find that working on the computer makes my eyes burn. I've resorted to a pen and paper, but at some point I use the computer to enter changes and then I suffer for hours afterwards. Has anyone found anything helpful for computer viewing/writing? Do anti-glare screens work? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Stanza]

Hi, I do a lot of writing when I'm not at work, one tip someone gave me which I keep forgetting to do is to put the colour of the document (background) you're typing into from white to soft pink or any other softer colour. Sounded like a good tip. Doesn't help for internet surfing though...

I'm curious if anyone has any good anti-glare screens to recommend too, I try toning down the screen but it doesn't seem to go very low....

[kurt]

Maybe you just have a monitor that is hard on your eyes. Maybe get one good at reproducing text, with a wide viewing angle, and a good contrast ratio, like the Hewlett Packard LP2065 20-inch LCD (it has a 4:3 aspect ratio).

[bassfan]

I'm a writer and I find that working on the computer makes my eyes burn.

My view of a writer is one that works from home or at least not at the little cube I sit on the computer at all day. Assuming that is the case, I think your best bet is to get a good humidifier right next to you. It doesnt help me in my large open air environment however but I know it would otherwise.

You could try a break reminder program. I used to use one that made me take a 20 second break every five minutes. Its amazing how quickly five minutes can go, doesnt seem like I would type for five minutes straight...but I certainly do. Im not allowed to have unlicensed programs now at work, so that put the stops on that but im working with my ergonomics dept on that.

If you dont wear glasses, might want to try a pair of those onion goggles as well.

FWIW - i doubt an antiglare screen would have much positive effect on you...its just a matter of the environment you are working in an the fact that you're staring at a screen with decreased "blinkage" for so long.

bassfan

[david2404]

hi, I just wrote a thread complaining of similar problems. I work on a mac and there's certain things I've figured out which help a bit. Somone mentioned working on a coloured background, I think a lot of journalists do this. I know on a mac you can 'invert' the screen so that all the white becomes black and all that black type becomes white. Shortcut Ctrl-Option-Cmd-8. I just looked to see if you can do it on a PC. Someone asked the same question on this link. http://ask.metafilter.com/57240/Inve...olors-on-my-PC
I imagine it must be possible.

Also, again on a mac but there must be options for this on a PC...
to make the type on the internet bigger hold Cmd-Sht-+ or -
and to zoom in cmd-alt-sht-+ or -

And a flat screen make the world of difference.

[jazhou]

I am also struggling with my computer work. But I dont have problem watching TV. So I am thinking if there is something we can do to convert a big TV screen to a computer monitor. That way maybe we can get around the problem. Of course this will only work at home, not in an office environment. ????

[NYer]

Jazhou, I doubt that you sit as close to your TV as you do to your computer monitor. If you did, you'd have the same problem.

[jazhou]

Jazhou, I doubt that you sit as close to your TV as you do to your computer monitor. If you did, you'd have the same problem.

To answer your question, I dont think I need to sit close to the TV if the TV is big enough(I have a 42" TV)...... I never tried that, so I am not sure.... Just throw some ideas...

[bassfan]

tv

To answer your question, I dont think I need to sit close to the TV if the TV is big enough(I have a 42" TV)...... I never tried that, so I am not sure.... Just throw some ideas...

Its quite easy to hook up a computer to alot of the newer LCD/DLP/Plasma type tv's. If you have a laptop, you probably have a VGA out port where you would plug a monitor in. Either that or you may have an S-Video out, which is a round hole. If its a cheap older laptop, it may not have anything. If you have a desktop, then look at the one your monitor goes into. Then you have to figure out which input on the tv. Most have S-Video, if you have a "newer" tv it should have a straight connection from your VGA (monitor) output on your computer so it acts just like a monitor. Plug it in and then you might have to play with the settings. Right click on the desktop, click properties...then the settings tab. It may be in there or click the Advanced button on that screen.

hope that helps

bassfan

[Rebecca Petris]

This reminds me of my first year or so after LASIK, when I was still working in finance. I couldn't see worth beans and struggled terribly with computer use. If I had a presentation to do, and if the conference room was not booked up afterwards, I'd stay in there with my laptop hooked to the projector and work using the projector screen instead of the laptop screen. Always wished I could have rigged up something like that in my office.

[jazhou]

Its quite easy to hook up a computer to alot of the newer LCD/DLP/Plasma type tv's. If you have a laptop, you probably have a VGA out port where you would plug a monitor in. Either that or you may have an S-Video out, which is a round hole. If its a cheap older laptop, it may not have anything. If you have a desktop, then look at the one your monitor goes into. Then you have to figure out which input on the tv. Most have S-Video, if you have a "newer" tv it should have a straight connection from your VGA (monitor) output on your computer so it acts just like a monitor. Plug it in and then you might have to play with the settings. Right click on the desktop, click properties...then the settings tab. It may be in there or click the Advanced button on that screen.

hope that helps

bassfan

Thanks for the information. I have a new laptop, and it has a S-Video/TV-out Port. The tricky part is to find the cable that connects TV and the port. I think BestBuy should have the cable. Anyway I will give a try tonight. See if it can help people w/ dry eyes.

[IanJ]

Hi,

I suffer at the hands of my PC also.........

What I do is, some obvious, some not so:-

1. Avoid white backgrounds.

2. Use a dark wallpaper.

3. Turn the brightness down.

4. And the best tip - Don't run your apps full screen (maximized). Run them in a window as small as you can.

At work I use a PC all day long..........the LUCKY for me it's an app called AutoCad I use, which uses a black background therefore it's bearable. If I had to use Word, or Excel all day long then I don't think I could last more than an hour.

My eye doc is adamant that it's the lack of blinking that causes most grief with computers.

Ian.

[Rojzen]

Downward viewing angle can be crucial

After I became unable to use my desktop monitor, some years ago, I intuited that if I could look DOWN at my computer screen, my eyes wouldn't burn so badly, because they would essentially be partially closed as I looked downward.

Over the years, I have therefore consistently used a laptop at home, seated at a rather tall chair, all in order to decrease the aperture of my lids as I work. . .

If forced to use a desktop at work, I have always secured a LOW computer desk, and high-adjusting chair, to approximate the effect of looking downward at a laptop. . .My EEO/disability office has usually been willing to help on this, but that is a whole 'nother issue. . .

And I always buy a laptop with a wide, rather than tall screen. . .again, for the effect described above. . .

Keeping the eyelid aperture small, btw, is a well-understood way of slowing down tear evaporation. . .Accelerated tear evaporation, in turn, is closely associated with burning, in some patients. . .

[gz9gjg]

I have found that a light blue background helps reduce my eyestrain while working on the computer, and I agree that using smaller reading windows also helps - seems like I move my eyes more.

I also adjust my display fonts & sizes; for the Internet, using Internet Explorer (which I hate) and Windows XP (at least it's not Vista), I have found that many websites somehow "overrule" font sizes, styles & colors I choose; so I have to go to Tools==>Internet Options==>Accsessibility and check "Ignore Font Styles Specified on Web Pages" and/or "Ignore Font Sizes specified on Web Pages" and sometimes even "Ignore colors specified on web pages" to get the display comfortable.

I use Firefox on my personal computer, because it seems to make my computer less vulnerable to viruses and security problems. Internet pages displayed when using Firefox "obey" the settings I want, also.

Since I had LASIK, I have found fluorescent light sometimes bothers me, and I have to adjust CRTs to avoid certain frequencies.

But the best advice is: Take a break from your computer every 15 to 30 minutes, walk around, and deliberately look at things farther away.

Good luck,

Lynne

[dianat]

Our dear Dry Eye Zone "Eye Almighty" created these for us:

http://www.dryeyezone.com/reminders/index.html

If I were on the computer much of the day I would definitely lower my monitor and would use a humidifier in my work space.

D