If you are staring at the computer day after day, notably in a health information technology job, it's in your best interest to keep some of these tips handy to help reduce eyestrain. Whether you are entering a patient's personal information into a database or reviewing claims online (especially those with tiny codes and multiple numbers), you don't need to be left with an immense feeling of eye strain.
Take a Break
- Don't stare at the screen for long periods of time. Doing so will not only cause you to lose your concentration, but your eyes may grow tired, and you may find yourself entering someone else's medical information into the wrong field.
- At times, it's healthy to get away from your computer and take a short walk.
- Eat a healthy snack and drink lots of fluids to maintain focus.
- If your eyes begin to dry out, blinking may help, but eye drops or saline solution (especially if you are wearing contact lenses) will help tremendously.
Visit Your Eye Doctor
- When you are sitting and working in front of a computer screen for eight or more hours a day, your eyes will grow tired. You may actually feel a bit stressed if you're having trouble reading the important information on your computer screen (a common problem within the health information technology job field). A visit to your eye care professional should resolve this issue.
- Your physician might prescribe a pair of reading glasses to help minimize eyestrain. With great designer frames on the market these days, you're bound to find fashionable pair.
- If you're wearing contact lenses, inform your doctor of how many hours a day you're in front of a computer. A slight adjustment to your contact lens prescription could help immensely.
Adjust Your Workspace
- While it may be obvious, you should make sure that you're not sitting too close or too far away from the computer screen during work hours.
- If your computer screen is too bright, adjust its resolution. Filters can also be applied to the screen to help reduce the glare.
- Don't work in a dark room. While it might help you to see your computer screen better, after an hour or two, a room that's dimly lit can actually add to your tiredness.
- Don't slouch! While growing up, you probably always had an adult tell you to "sit up straight." Now is the time to do so. You don't want to suffer from back or neck stiffness on the job because you're leaning too close to the computer screen.
Photo Source: morgueFile
[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]
