How to protect your eyes

Your eyes water, your eyelids twitch, the part of your forehead around your eyebrows seems to ache, and you notice a burning sensation when you close your eyes. You're suffering from eye strain. It's a common affliction that can occur after the eyes are taxed for a prolonged period-for example, after hours of close work or driving.

But you can reduce eye strain by taking simple precautions.

Reading

Hold the reading material about 30 to 40 centimetres away from your eyes. Ensure you have adequate soft light coming from a source behind or beside your left shoulder-use a lamp with a 60-to 100-watt bulb. Take a break every hour or so by looking at distant objects for three or four minutes. Follow the same guidelines for other close work, such as sewing, knitting and drawing.

Television

While watching television, the lighting in the room should be appreciably dimmer-by about 50 percent-than the illumination of the screen. Ensure that the lighting doesn't reflect on the screen or cause a glare. Don't watch in darkness-the contrast in light is too sharp. Avoid viewing from an angle. Sit in front of the set at a reasonable distance about four or five times the width of the TV screen-e.g., for a 50-centimetre (20 inch) screen, sit about two to two and a half metres away. Those with poorer sight may need to sit closer.

Despite what you may have been told as a child, television will not damage a child's eyes. In fact, children can focus up close without eye strain (fatigue) more easily than adults.

There is no evidence that this damages their eyes and it is a habit that usually disappears with age. Occasionally, children with near-sightedness sit close to the television in order to see the images more clearly. An ophthalmologist can diagnose this condition and correct it by prescribing suitable glasses.

Video display terminals

The lighting in the room should be soft and not as bright as the screen. Put the screen in a spot where there is no glare from the windows or lights. Sit at least 50 centimetres from the screen, and position it so that you look downward at it, at an angle of about 20 degrees. When you're working for a steady period, take occasional breaks from the screen and relax your eyes by looking at a distance for a few minutes.

If your eyes feel dry after a prolonged period in front of the screen-or after any other visual activity-try using an over-the counter teardrop product containing the wetting agent polyvinyl alcohol or methylcellulose.

Driving

On bright or hazy days, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from glare and harmful ultraviolet rays. If you're on a long trip, stop every few hours to rest your eyes and stretch.

Rest usually alleviates eye strain. But if you suffer prolonged discomfort or notice a market change in your vision, you should immediately have an eye examination.