An Uncomfortable Fact:

With the vast number of hours everyone spends nowadays watching screens, eyestrain has escalated. Even young children complain of sore, itchy eyes — and writers are especially susceptible.

Here are nineteen ways to protect your irreplaceable windows to the world.

1) Look Away From Your Screen

Constant focusing on screens strains the eyes. Make an effort to glance away several times every hour. Is an internet page taking longer than usual to load? Look at something else while you wait.

2) Take Breaks

Every twenty to thirty minutes, leave your computer to walk around, grab a beverage, or interact with a pet. Your eyes will thank you for it.

3) Blink

Long periods of concentration can create such an intense atmosphere that you forget to blink. Result: dry, gluey eyes. Take blink breaks. If you’re a touch typist, close your eyes whenever possible while you type. You can do the same while waiting for slow webpages and downloads.

4) Monitor Air Moisture

Humidity below 45% can dry your eyes to the point that extra blinking doesn’t help. If you don’t have a hygrometer, consider buying one; then place it wherever you spend the most time. Humidifiers and aromatherapy diffusers help create a comfortable environment for eyes and sinuses. A cold-air steamer or a pot of water simmering on the stove will do the same.

5) Ditch the CRT Monitor

If you have a CRT — a bulky monitor that looks like an old-fashioned TV — switch to a flat-panel LCD monitor with the highest resolution/lowest dot pitch possible. (Does anyone still have a CRT nowadays?)

I have an Asus Eye Care monitor and love it.

6) Get Rid of Fluorescent Lights

Even though you can’t see it, fluorescents flicker. This can strain your eyes or cause headaches in susceptible people. Try LEDs instead. If eliminating the fluorescents isn’t a viable option, choose full-spectrum bulbs.

7) Adjust Contrast and Brightness

Lower the contrast and brightness of all screens, including your television. Cellphones also offer brightness adjustments. You might have to tweak more than once until you find the optimum settings.

8) Install f.lux to Decrease Blue Light

f.lux — free for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone/iPad, and Android — adjusts the color of your computer’s display. Tell f.lux what kind of lighting you have and where you live. Then forget about it. f.lux will do the rest, automatically.

9) Use the Warm Color Scheme on External Monitors

Warm colors are easier on the eyes than the manufacturer’s default for most monitors.

10) Avoid Glare

Tilt your screen for a comfortable viewing angle, eliminating reflections from windows and shiny or light-colored objects. Many devices allow installation of anti-glare screens.

11) Avoid Overly Bright or Dark Conditions

If your computer is near a bright window, your eyes work harder to focus. However, a dark room also strains your eyes, because they need to adjust for huge ambient light variations. Your work area should be about half as bright as a typical office environment. You might need to install window shades or curtains, and switch to lower-intensity lighting solutions.

12) Sit Farther Away

When working on a computer, ensure that your screen is 20 to 24 inches away. This might require special glasses if you wear prescription lenses, and an external monitor for your laptop.

13) Look Straight at Your Display, Not Up or Down

Besides the obvious ergonomic advantage for your neck and back, your eyes also benefit from correct screen placement.

14) Save the Contact Lenses for Social Occasions

Use glasses instead of contacts. If you normally wear progressive lenses or bifocals, which are typically adjusted for a 14- to 16-inch distance, ask your optometrist to write a separate prescription for computer glasses.

15) Try Eye Exercises

Search quality internet sites like WebMD.com and MayoClinic.org for eye exercises.

16) Investigate Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses

Several companies manufacture stylish glasses with or without magnification. Your optometrist can also prescribe them for you.

17) Consider Castor Oil

Pure organic castor oil alleviates dry eyes for many people. Apply two or three drops to a Q-Tip and smooth over eyelids. Blot away any excess below the eyes with a Kleenex.

18) Wash Eyelids With Unscented Baby Shampoo

Crusty eyelids may be a symptom of blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids.

As a temporary measure until you can visit your doctor, try making a warm compress by wetting a clean washcloth with hot tap water. Close your eyes and apply the cloth, holding it gently over the lids to loosen the crusts. Then wash eyelids with a drop of unscented baby shampoo mixed with clean water (easiest done in the shower).

Your doctor may recommend antibiotics and artificial tears, and/or suggest continuation of the baby shampoo treatment, avoidance of eye makeup, and removal of contact lenses.

19) Use the Built-In Capabilities of Windows and Apple Systems

Windows:

• Press the Windows key (the one that looks like a checkered flag).
• Type night light to open the feature in System Settings.
• Play with the settings until you find what works best for you.

Apple:

• Tap on Settings.
• Then on Display & Brightness.
• And finally on Night Shift.
• Adjust schedule and color temperature.

Ongoing Problems?

See a doctor to ensure you don’t have allergies or a condition such as dry eye syndrome.

Disclaimer

The material provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace proper medical diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Always consult your physician and other appropriate health-care providers before taking any medications, natural remedies, or supplements; or before changing your diet. Discuss all plans, symptoms, and medical conditions with your doctor.

Any use of the ideas contained herein is at your own discretion, risk, and responsibility. The author assumes no liability for any of the information presented. There are no representations or warranties, either express or implied.

You should not begin or discontinue medical treatment based on information contained in this, or any other, article.