Computer Glasses – The Eyes Have It

By Anais on February 28, 2013 • ( 1 )

I thought when I stopped sitting in front of the computer 8-10 hours every day that my eyesight would improve. It hasn’t been the case so I’m at the drawing board to determine if there is something or some way I could help my eyes to feel and see better.

The interesting part of this is my eyesight tests pretty good. Other than a little astigmatism, I have 20/20 vision. I’ve recently gone from using +1 reading glasses to +1.75 – not a huge correction. The problem is that how my eyes (and my whole head) feel under different uses varies wildly from day-to-day.

I recently read an article at Food Renegade titled “7 Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep.” The article has some good ideas for how to posture for a good night’s sleep. One of her ploys is to dim all the lights after sunset, including her computer monitor. She mentions a free computer software called f.lux (download it here.) F.lux changes the settings of your monitor according to the time of day and the types of interior lighting you have in your house. At night, it matches your monitor’s light to type of ambient light in your room. I downloaded and installed the software and so far I think it’s made a big difference in how my eyes (and my whole head) feels working on the computer in the evening.

The author also talks about (and shows a picture of herself wearing) Gunnar glasses. She says the glasses were “…specially designed to reduce the eye-fatigue associated with working on a computer.” I’m on board with that so I navigated to the Gunnar website to read more. I ordered a pair and am trying them out now. This is what Gunnar says about their glasses:

The Problem:
You spend most of your waking hours glued to your computer screen, smart phone, tablet or TV monitor. As the hours go by, you subject your eyes to harsh, high intensity blue light and glare from your screen. Constant viewing of digital screens can create visual stress, eye fatigue, dry eyes, irritation, and even headaches, leading to an obvious conclusion – staring at a computer for long hours can take a toll on your eyes.

The Solution:
GUNNARS increase contrast, comfort and focus while minimizing eye fatigue and visual stress for anyone who spends long hours staring at digital screens. GUNNAR eyewear is powered by i-AMP lens technology comprised of a proprietary lens material in an advanced geometry tuned for intermediate viewing distance and finished with custom formulated lens filters, tints and coatings.

After giving them a good try for about four days I am THRILLED with how all of these things are working out for me! I have to wear my +1.75 reading glasses over the top of the Gunnars but this is actually pretty comfortable. And the results, oh my! After working at my computer for at least half a day, I am not feeling any eye strain, no burning, squinting – none of the symptoms I would generally experience after even a short time looking at my computer screen.

So if you are experiencing computer-aided eye problems, I suggest you look into these things.

It is also good to try other non-invasive methods of helping your eyes feel better like taking eye health support supplements, when at your computer (or other electronic device), frequently adjust your visual field from the near of the screen, to something farther away, like the mountains or green grasses outside your window. Get an adequate amount of sleep. You’re worth it! And look forward to long and healthy eyesight.