Health Risks After Staring at a Computer Screen for Too Long – Sitting all day at a desk while staring at a computer screen has become daily bread for many office workers. Not only does it make the mind tired, there are a number of risks and health problems that may arise after working in front of a computer all day.
Research shows that 50-90% of people who work in front of a computer screen experience various health problems below.
Health risks after staring at a computer screen all day
A group of diseases that may come to you after working all day staring at a computer screen is called CVS, aka Computer Vision syndrome. In principle, CVS is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), namely injury/pain in the wrist due to repetitive movements that you might get from typing for too long. Meanwhile, health problems due to CVS mostly affect the eyes and the neck to head area.
CVS occurs due to the focus and movement of your eyes being focused on only one direction repeatedly for a long time, namely looking at the computer screen (plus maybe only moving to the cellphone screen occasionally). The longer your vision is focused on just one point, the more serious the health problems you will feel will be.
People who spend two hours or more continuously in front of a computer screen or digital display device every day are at risk of developing CVS.
The most common symptoms that arise after staring at a computer screen for too long include:
- Eyes tense
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Dry and red eyes ( eye irritation )
- Pain/pain in the neck, shoulders, back
- Sensitive to light
- Inability to focus on objects that are far away
If these symptoms are not treated immediately, this will affect your activities at work.
What causes this condition?
When you work at a computer, your eyes have to focus on one point for a long time continuously. You are also required to refocus on the screen whenever distractions appear. Your eyes move back and forth and right and left when reading text on the screen. You may also have to look to the side to peek at the file that needs to be logged, then look back.
Your eyes always react quickly to every change in the image on the screen so that your brain can process what you see. All this work requires a lot of energy from the eye muscles.
In addition, the way a person uses a computer screen is different from reading a manual or drawing on plain paper. The reason is, while looking at a computer screen, people tend to rarely blink, look at the screen at a distance or angle that is less than ideal (the table is too high or the type of chair is not compatible with their desk), position the screen in such a way that it reflects light from outside (making the eyes dazzle ). ), the computer screen lighting settings are not suitable for vision, or the work area is too dark .
Various health risks that arise after staring at a screen for too long can also be influenced by previous eye problems. For example, you have nearsightedness and need glasses, but don’t wear them at work or your glasses prescription is wrong/not updated. This can certainly worsen eye problems that arise after staring at a computer screen all day at the office.
In addition, working on a computer will become more difficult as you get older because your eye lenses naturally become less flexible. Around the age of 40, people will experience presbyopia, a condition where the eyes lack focus to see near and far objects.
However, there is no evidence that computer use can cause long-term damage to the eyes.
How to prevent and overcome the health risks of staring at a computer screen for too long
- Reduce light reflection. Change the lighting around you to reduce the effect on your computer screen.
- Rearrange your desk. The best position for your monitor is slightly below eye level, about 50-70 cm from your face, so that you don’t have to stretch your neck and your eyes don’t strain to see what’s on the screen. Additionally, place a stand next to your monitor, and place the book or print sheet you’re using on the stand so you don’t have to look at the screen and back at your desk while you type.
- Give your eyes a break. Follow the 20-20-20 rule, which is to look at the screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. Blinking frequently also helps keep the eyes moist.
- Make settings on your screen. Adjust the brightness , contrast and size of the text on your screen.
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