Why do my eyes hurt after working at the computer?
I sit in front of a monitor 8 hours a day, and by the end of the day my eyes start aching, and everything gets kinda blurry. Is that normal or should I do something about it?
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★ Best answer
The 20-20-20 rule is totally legit, it actually works. i'll just add from my own experience - when i worked as an engineer, even that didn't always help if the monitor was set up poorly. check your screen brightness, it should be roughly the same as the surrounding light, not glowing like a spotlight. also the distance to the monitor matters - usually it's 50-70 cm, no closer. if the screen is hung too low, you end up looking down, which puts extra strain on your eyes and neck.
but the main thing is really the breaks. after an hour of work it's better to take 5-10 minutes to look away, gaze out the window, blink a bit. when people work, they blink less often, so their eyes dry out. if it gets really bad, eye drops like Artelac help, just don't overdo it with them.
if the blurriness doesn't go away after resting, you should see an ophthalmologist. you might need glasses for computer work - as you get older that often becomes necessary.
It's computer vision syndrome - your eyes get tired from constantly focusing on the screen without breaks. The 20-20-20 rule helps: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, plus turn down your monitor brightness and blink more often - usually when people concentrate, they forget to do that.
The main thing is not to think that this will go away on its own or that you just need to "get used to it." I know tons of people who brushed off eye pain and then ran into actual vision problems. Eight hours a day in front of a monitor is serious strain, and your body isn't sending you signals for no reason.
There's actually a lot that helps. First, breaks - they're not just some myth. I noticed myself that when I was doing the same type of work for long stretches, if I just got up once an hour, looked out the window, and stretched my back - it makes a huge difference. Second - monitor settings matter: brightness shouldn't be at max, especially if your room is a bit dark, and you need to turn down the contrast. Third - distance. The monitor should be roughly at arm's length, maybe a bit farther. If it's too close, your eyes strain way more.
It's also worth keeping in mind that when you're staring at a screen, you blink less - that's just a fact. Try blinking more consciously or use some eye drops (there are special ones that aren't expensive). Blurriness by the end of the day is basically from overwork, and it usually goes away if you give your eyes a break. But if it keeps happening for a week or two despite all these measures, you should just get your vision checked to be safe.
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