25 ms·

Computer Vision Syndrome

318 points by ericbarnes 10y ago

dazmax 10y ago
Anyone know of a break-taking app that watches your activity and can wait until you've lost focus on your work before reminding you to take a break? Something like the alarms that wake you up at the right point in your sleep cycle. It would probably need to have a cut-off eventually, but I'd hate to be interrupted in the middle of tracing some complex logic if there's a perfect stopping point 10 minutes later.
- witty_username 10y ago
  http://www.workrave.org/ http://www.workrave.org/
  - codemac 10y ago
    I've found workrave to be great on linux, and I highly suggest it for anyone, you can configure how the breaks are laid out in just about any fashion.
  - mattm 10y ago
    How do you configure it for the situation mentioned in the parent comment?
  - dvtv75 10y ago
    Wow, talk about your Mystery Meat interfaces.
- pmoriarty 10y ago
  You could put the reminder in to a screensaver that activates after a certain amount of inactivity.
- kowdermeister 10y ago
  It's called a dog :)
  - matwood 10y ago
    You joke, but it's true. I've also started sitting in a large room in my house where it's easy to look and focus at a long distance. The more I think about it, the more of these issues that get solved naturally when working remote/at home.
  - iagooar 10y ago
    My dog does definitely NOT wait until I lose my focus ;)
  - athenot 10y ago
    Or children (when working at home). Or managers (when in the office). :) Joking aside, I view this as a necessary balance required in life. Even if my primary activity needs a lot of solo concentration, I must embrace the distactions as having value for reasons mentioned in the article. We are not ultra-specialized machines, even if we specialize in very narrow fields, we still live a life that comes with variety, diversity and in an environment filled with beneficial chaos.
- kranner 10y ago
  http://awaremac.com/ http://awaremac.com/ Not quite what you're asking but it tracks how long you've been working (or using keyboard/mouse) and simply displays that without interrupting you at any point. If it's an hour or more for me, when I happen to glance at it, I get up and take a walk or stretch.
- nateberkopec 10y ago
  Time Out for Mac has a "Pro" level feature which waits for a natural break: http://www.dejal.com/timeout/ http://www.dejal.com/timeout/ It's a very customizable tool - I've used it for months.
- T0T0R0 10y ago
  The of productivity overkill going on in this idea is painful to think about. The world can wait. Fuck it. Just slack off and waste some time. That's what I do. When my eyes feel bad, it's time to destroy an hour of the day, go for a walk and anyone who can't get on board with that can take a hike.
- dvtv75 10y ago
  Get a G-Shock watch and set the countdown timer to whatever duration suits you. Given the 20:20:20:20 rule I saw above, I figure a 20 minute countdown probably isn't a bad countdown. At school, I was taught that we have a short attention span of something like 10-15 minutes, so you could always do that. Every time the alarm goes off, go for a walk around the office. Not quite what you were asking for, I know.
  - thesmallestcat 10y ago
    Why a G-Shock?
excalibur 10y ago
YOU get SSI, and YOU get SSI... and YOU, and YOU. Disability checks all around! EDIT: Thanks for all the downvotes guys, it's good to know that humor has no place here.
- Cyclone_ 10y ago
  Yeah I guess those doctors are all just lying to us. Damn you science!
- unethical_ban 10y ago
  To be honest, humor really doesn't have a place at HN when not accompanied by an attempt at a real contribution to the discussion.
- richrichardsson 10y ago
  > it's good to know that humor has no place here. If you want to crack jokes, head to Reddit. I find the lack of that kind of rubbish here refreshing.
- mod 10y ago
  I find that HN has time for humor, it just can't be a cheap joke. (Think: top comment on most reddit threads) Basically any re-used joke like this Oprah thing isn't going to play well here. Also, as someone else mentioned, it needs to add to the conversation.
- dazmax 10y ago
  Too snarky. It seemed like you wanted to raise a potential discussion point without actually committing to discussing it. Just to score cynic points.
ojbyrne 10y ago
Surprised this article doesn't mention Bias lighting: http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-to-decrease-eye-fatigue-while-watching-tv-and-gaming-with-bias-lighting/ http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-to-decrease-eye-fatigue-...
- dazmax 10y ago
  Thanks, that was helpful. I had the general idea that this was good, but for some reason I'd never seen it spelled out.
- joezydeco 10y ago
  I'm a strong believer in bias lighting, and that it critically needs to be either incandescent or sunlight-based. Putting one flickering light source next to another (perceptible or not) causes more trouble, in my personal experience.
striking 10y ago
That's a pretty plausible explanation for why my eyesight has gone down the drain in the past couple years. And I'm young, I can't be losing my vision just yet. I suppose I should ask my optometrist about this.
- mrspeaker 10y ago
  I had 20/20 vision until I was 33, then over the next couple of years I noticed my site getting worse until I tried on a friends pair of glasses and everything went crisp. I asked the optometrist what would cause my eyes to go bad and she just said "How many hours a day do you look at a computer screen?"
rubidium 10y ago
Here's the 2014 article referenced (it's a good summary): http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/MPR/article-full-text-pdf/0905F9948599 http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/MPR/article-full-tex... After a particularly intense few weeks of work of computer-based work, I started getting double vision every time I tried to read or type at a computer screen. Initially it was rather disturbing. Recovery was 3 days away from screen time and time outdoors (focusing eyes on far away things). I've definitely reformed my habits to spend time looking out the window more. Also, flux is a requirement for any screen I use.
pmoriarty 10y ago
"He recommended I use a hot compress at least once a week for 10 minutes and to look away from the screen in a method called the 20-20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at an object at least 20 feet away and blink 20 times." Is there any evidence that this treatment actually works?
- paublyrne 10y ago
  I can give only anecdotal evidence. I do this reasonably regularly. It's mainly to combat meibomian gland dysfunction and works by heating up the oils in and around the glands so that the dry build-up clears, and the glands can function a bit more normally. They should be releasing oil throughout the day to keep the surface of your eye from drying out. I think you need to be careful not to overdo compresses, and associated massage, as the glands are also delicate and you can damage them, but for me it results in much more comfortable eyes and better vision when I do it semi regularly.
  - soylentcola 10y ago
    I've been doing this on and off for decades now, thanks to blepharitis and the associated gland dysfunction you mention. The fact that I stare at a screen all day certainly doesn't help and I've had to stop wearing contact lenses even though my prescription is quite strong and any sort of glasses screw up my peripheral vision. The downside to the compress (other than the one you mentioned) is the simple fact that I can't always just nuke my little eye-pad thing and lean back for 10 minutes several times per day at work. Even when I'm able to do it a few times per day as my eye doctors have suggested, any relief is relatively short-lived and doesn't treat anything long-term. It sucks because my eyes almost always feel irritated or dry and no manner of lubricating drops, antibiotic drops, or hot compresses have helped. I've tried a few less tested but ultimately harmless things like fish oil supplements (since they're cheap and effects seem to range from unnoticeable to possible systemic benefits in the long term). My takeaway has been that there's really no "cure" for blepharitis or chronic inflammation and meibomian gland dysfunction. All you can really do is minimize the things that exacerbate it and deal with it.
JoeAltmaier 10y ago
This is another pointless diagnosis of a cluster of issues centered on an activity. Instead of, you know, centered on the disease. Kind of like diagnosing bad software with "HeadUpButt Developer Syndrome". Cute, a cocktail party line, but not the same as medicine.
- mod 10y ago
  It's not a disease, though. It's a condition; one that results from a specific type of activity (extended close work, which is not what our eyes are intended to do).
  - JoeAltmaier 10y ago
    Thanks; I agonized over what word to use. 'Condition' sounds right.
- dazmax 10y ago
  Lots of human activity boils down to finding patterns and labeling them. Don't you think there could be some benefit to having a label on this cluster of issues, such as making it more efficient to find useful remedies? I do agree though that there's a danger with this kind of thing to think of it as some kind of single agent and oversimplify. I think we need to be careful to keep in mind the underlying nature of the meaning of these terms.
mod 10y ago
My retired optometrist friend recommended that I wear reading glasses with a very low power at all times while using the computer, and I do that now. They're .75x or 1x, I can't remember. I don't need them--nothing is blurry without them--but they help your lenses to relax by doing some of their work at close distances. The condition he wants me to avoid is called nearpoint stress, but sounds very similar to me (a layperson). It culminates in your eyes lenses becoming "stuck," unable to fully relax to focus properly on things at a distance. I guess the reason is that your cilliary muscles (that alter the shape of the lens) become overworked to the point of a spasm. One symptom of that is looking up from your computer and objects being blurry for a few seconds, but then coming into focus.
- Lxr 10y ago
  My optometrist prescribed exactly the same thing for the same reason. I sometimes have trouble seeing in the distance because of too much computer/phone use, and your explanation is spot on what he told me.
- stronglikedan 10y ago
  I just wish local drugstores sold sub +1.00 reading glasses. I've only been able to find them online, so it becomes a game of buy +0.25, +0.50, and +0.75, and then go through the hassle of returning two of them (likely at a loss). Optometrists may carry them, but they're so much more expensive than anywhere else. Anyone know of a better solution to find the strength that's right for me?
  - mod 10y ago
    I found a pair at the dollar store once (+1). My +0.75 pair I found walmart. That said, I often find the same thing as you, that nobody sells them. It's very hit-and-miss, so I just check the racks frequently and see what turns up.
- JustSomeNobody 10y ago
  You have to be careful with OTC reading glasses. If your reading PD is much more narrow or wider than about 57mm, then you're introducing prism. At the powers you've mentioned, it _shouldn't_ be a problem, but higher powers can cause headaches and eye strain.
djb_hackernews 10y ago
I have seen a few ophthalmologists seeking treatment for a condition resulting from computer use. I think CVS is a catch all that makes sense on the surface but doesn't really address the damage that has been done. There is some interesting research being done in this area, but it has taken a while for the eye health community to catch up. My story goes back over 4 years ago, one day like the flick of a switch I could barely keep my eyes open. Now I live with it but it is extremely uncomfortable and distracting and I no longer hack on anything outside of work. My issue isn't so much dry eyes but strained and fatigued eyes. Imagine the most tired and strained eyes you've ever experienced. Multiply that by 10 and that is how my eyes feel starting from the moment I wake up. Luckily I still have 20/20. Basically, let this be a warning not to take for granted your eye health.
- egonschiele 10y ago
  I was in a similar situation for a couple of years. Recently I started doing warm compresses on my eyes and it has made a huge difference. I also recommend changing one thing about your routine every week and keeping an eye pain diary. That will help you identify things that help. It takes some work, but as you said eye health is super important.
- abledon 10y ago
  Have you tried acupuncture?
dudeget 10y ago
one of the most essential pieces of software in my opinion: flux: https://justgetflux.com/ https://justgetflux.com/ and now that I've been running linux, redshift: http://jonls.dk/redshift/ http://jonls.dk/redshift/ I find it hard to use a computer without these now
- superJimmy64 10y ago
  I'll vouch for this as well. A cool test: a few hours into the later parts of a long night when your working on something, try removing flux. I was blown away by how clearly this app should be a necessity for all devs and possibly techies
  - rschuetzler 10y ago
    I have Flux on a 1 hour shift, so I don't notice the colors changing as it happens, but it absolutely makes a huge difference. Disabling it at 10pm after a few hours of 'flux-ed' viewing feels like staring directly into the sun.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- lloeki 10y ago
  flux&al adjust colour temp, but be very kind on the backlight any time of the day. Some screens are so stupidly bright it's like staring at a bright bulb all day long. If at all possible use a screen that adjusts backlight automatically according to ambient light. And no, you really don't need that much brightness, just don't turn it all the way down either!
  - Bartweiss 10y ago
    Do you know any good automatic-adjustment add-ons? I'd like to use the OS X option, but it seems to automatically adjust to ~2 notches above what I want. So something to use the same relative changes, but a lower absolute brightness, would be perfect. Right now I just do it by hand.
whamlastxmas 10y ago
It's hard to take articles like this seriously when they end with affiliate links.
AJ007 10y ago
I think there is something with reading angle too: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.13148/abstract http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.13148/abstrac... "Reading in a sitting posture at myopia onset predicted the greatest myopic progression to adulthood and reading face up on one's back the lowest. Reading with eyes on turned more downwards was slightly connected with greater myopic progression." I had some major vision problems a couple of years ago, to the point I didn't touch a computer for about 4 months. iPad and iPhone screens weren't bothering me so I got to keep working. My suggestion to people having severe problems is to strip apart every variable and test. A few things I have suspicions about which I have rarely seen addressed: - switching between low & high DPI screens - lights/screens which are not on the same frequency - viewing angle (referring back to the myopia study.) Prior to a standing desk I would always lean back in my chair - going back to when I was like 11 years old. From my opinion, if you took best practices and worst practices, and then like did all the worst ones you would be fucked pretty quickly. You could take someone in great health and give them chronic pain in weeks or a few month. Doctor's advice shouldn't be ignored, especially when something fatal may be occurring, but in many cases they may have no helpful advice. Ergonomic / RSI / Carpel tunnel issues apply here as well. I've mentioned before I had severe RSI with chronic, 24/7 pain for years, and exhaustive attempts to fix it eventually cured it. Unfortunately as I get older I've also had to acknowledge that our bodies get less and less capable of fixing themselves. At the least we can try really hard to do things which aren't aggravating the decline.
- orpheansodality 10y ago
  How did you eventually get over your RSI? I've been struggling through my own for a few years now and haven't had any real improvement.
  - dvtv75 10y ago
    I realize you weren't asking me, but as I had it many, many years ago I'll describe it, before I go into what I did. One day, I woke up and both hands felt a bit odd, painful and tingling all the time. The next day, I woke up and both hands were burning. I had no strength, and no fine control at all. When I did tense them, it felt like I was holding my hands under a running hot tap. I couldn't hold a fork to get food to my mouth, I couldn't even hold a key to get it into the lock to open the door. I was studying at the time, and obviously couldn't continue that. No doctor was able to help me, I was put on anti-inflamatories that were completely ineffective. I started drinking to deal with the pain, and within a couple of months I was drinking 3.2 gallons (12 liters) of beer a day, just to dull the pain. Once the pain died away, I was still left with some serious problems. Fortunately alcohol dependence was not one of them (I just stopped drinking). Any repetitive motion that lasted more than a few minutes would cause me a day or more of pain. I found I was unable to reliably hold things, and I could just lose my grip on whatever was in my hands. Many glasses and cups were smashed because I just couldn't hold them. So here's when I figured out what was wrong: many of my problems were related to a significant loss of strength. Because I had been unable to do anything for more than three months, I had lost much of the strength in my hands and forearms. Stamina, too. This meant that when I did anything repetitive, I was straining the muscles beyond their ability to cope. I sold my computers, and grabbed a pair of free weights I had lying around. The "free" part is important, because machines reduce the load on ancillary muscles. I started doing some very basic arm strength exercises (curls and reverse curls). However, training yourself is something I would recommend against - find a reputable physiotherapist and have them set you out a basic rehab program, and get a muscle balance assessment, too. You could find that you have other issues that are causing your problems - I still have serious muscle tension issues that I am working on, with the assistance of a physio. I studied personal training some years after, and I've found that it's so very easy to screw it up when you do it all yourself. I met one guy who thought he was just a paragon of bodybuilding - he was bench pressing well over 200 pounds, but his lat pulldowns were limited to just 30 or 40 pounds. His shoulders were rounded so far forward that you couldn't see any definition in his pecs. The main reason I recommend a physio rather than a Personal Trainer (PT) is that, as I said, you may have some biomechanical issues that need sorting out, and no matter how much a PT may claim they can do this kind of thing, they are not medical professionals. A PT would be helpful in making sure you you are biomechanically sound in implementing the physio's program, but there's no substitute for real medical help. I hope this helps you, good luck.
ksml 10y ago
I looked into break timers a while back, but I wanted something really simple that I didn't need to install. I wrote a blog post about how to make a simple break timer with OS X notifications and AppleScript: https://reberhardt.com/blog/2016/02/09/a-dead-simple-break-timer-for-mac.html https://reberhardt.com/blog/2016/02/09/a-dead-simple-break-t...
- ramk 10y ago
  Thank you, this worked. I just tweaked a bit to run through crontab and added a notification sound for the extra push :)
hawski 10y ago
From what I understand VR goggles have collimator to focus eyes of the user at infinity. I was wondering: are there collimator spectacles? Would they help? Would they interfere with text reading?
toyg 10y ago
This is one of those cases where it's important to remember that not all equipment is born the same when it comes to ergonomics, even when it features similar specs. I have a 2012 MBP Retina, in retina mode (scaled at half the native resolution).; I can look at it for hours and hours without any problem. I also have a larger 4K screen from Iiyama, also "in retina mode"; after about an hour staring at it, my eyes are so dry that they are forced to cry, and headaches are much more frequent when I stick to that. Somebody should do for monitors what Hermann Miller did for chairs.
- acallahan 10y ago
  I haven't seen them myself, but the TrueTone displays in Apple's newest iPad pro seems to put a lot of work into this, particularly in automatically matching the color temperature of the surrounding light. Some HN discussion about that: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11546490 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11546490
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
giberson 10y ago
I use to get headaches every day (the kind that seem to originate behind the bridge of the nose). One day in effort to reduce the ache (a desperation move I didn't know would work out not) I reduced the brightness level in my monitor to the lowest possible setting. It slightly helped me cope with the rest of the day at work, but I forgot to reset the monitor. The next day I didn't get a headache. Turning down the brightness to the lowest level is now something I do with every monitor I use. Coworkers always comment the first time the see my screen "how do you see anything on that?" But the truth is you adjust really fast and don't even notice it's so dark. Best of all, I don't get headaches anymore. This may not have been CVS, but I felt it was related to looking at screens all day so I wanted to share. I frequently hear coworkers complaining about headaches and recommend they decrease their screen brightness. They always provide their own reasoning for the headache cause that makes it unavoidable. I shrug because I can't make them try my suggestion. But it would be interesting to have someone else try and get some feedback if the solution works for others (identifying my problem as a work hazard rather than a personnel condition).
- sdenton4 10y ago
  Definitely works for me. I keep my monitors and phone at the lowest brightness in all but full sunlight, and pretty much don't get headaches anymore. (Well, now just on the days I miss my coffee...)
- dotancohen 10y ago
  Turning down the brightness had the opposite effect for me. My monitor at the time "turned down the brightness" by reducing the duty cycle of the backlight. This caused flickering that was imperceptible yet caused much eyestrain. Actually turning up the brightness, moving the monitor as far back as possible, and using yellow-tinted Gunnar lenses have made a huge difference for me. Edit: This is the technique used to modulate "brightness" by varying the duty cycle: http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/Controlling_LED_brightness_using_PWM http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/Controlling_LED_br...
  - sbierwagen 10y ago
athenot 10y ago
I don't know if this is good or bad but wearing contact lens while on the computer does help me notice much faster when my eyes dry up. That prompts me to blink and look around.
gr3yh47 10y ago
over the last 10 years of being on a computer for at least 10 hours a day my distance vision has been obliterated. i used to have 20/15 vision and now i have 20/50 vision. I'm positive the screens are the issue. My toddler nieces stand a foot away from tvs and every time i see it i beg their parents to not let them subject their developing eyes to that.
- TwoFactor 10y ago
  How do you know it was computers and not just age in general?
  - witty_username 10y ago
    IIRC there is no scientific consensus that computer usage causes near or far sightedness.
orbitingpluto 10y ago
My advice is don't mancave or cubicle if you have an option. Fight for that window seat at work. I'd rather have a window cubicle than a windowless office. Enjoy the view every couple minutes.
vermontdevil 10y ago
I occasionally see screens change shape from the typical rectangle to trapezoid. That's when I would just shut down and go outside or do something else. This effect could last the rest of the day/evening for me.
DanielleMolloy 10y ago
What about good old dark editor themes or, better: Inverting of screen colours? Staring at a bright computer screen for hours is a recipe for tired, red eyes. And all operating systems offer negative screen colours. On OS X it is an accessibility option and has the standard shortcut control+option+command + 8. Android and iOS also can do this. On iOS it's again an accessibility option, press the home button three times after it is activated and you will be able to read HN much longer (also, a black+blue HN is nice). I am using this option so much that I finally switched from Ubuntu to OS X on the desktop after an Ubuntu upgrade at that time eliminated negative screen colours (and hibernation, but this is a different story), and it was impossible to bring it back. I also like Flux darkroom, but after some time it gives you the feeling of being in a horror movie.
- unclebucknasty 10y ago
  I get an extreme ghosting effect after reading on an inverted color screen for even a minute or less. I don't generally hear others complain. Maybe it's rare.
Pica_soO 10y ago
Against dry eyes,a micro controller and two airbrush pistols with natrium-destilled water solution. Its a shame there is no ready made solution built into or upon glasses... PS: Huge glasses that cover the eyes also protect against moisture loss.
- dimino 10y ago
  Goggles. They may fog up, however.
dimino 10y ago
I feel incredibly lucky that I don't suffer from any of these symptoms, as I sit, and have sat, in front of my computer for ~14 of my available waking hours each day for the past... 10 years? 8 hours a day at work, and I then come home and game for 3 or 4 more, sometimes as much as 9 or10 additional hours, and have not yet felt anything as described here. I may do these exercises naturally, as part of my existing habits, because I'm fairly easily distracted.
- honkhonkpants 10y ago
  Give it a few more years.
collyw 10y ago
I am thinking my habit of drinking lots of water / tea / yerba mate helps. Means I get up and go for a piss every hour at least. Drinking lots of water is generally seen as a good thing.
- witty_username 10y ago
  Why is drinking water a good thing?
  - chris72205 10y ago
    Just staying properly hydrated.
- cmclaughlin 10y ago
  My eyes twitched for a couple months and I talked to my optometrist about it. He recommended exactly this - drink lots of water while using computers so I'm forced to take pee breaks. Also, quinine which is found in tonic water might help... with twitching and relaxing the eye muscles.
motyar 10y ago
In case you have this problem. Flexseed is very helpful.
methodover 10y ago
I'm sure it's not true but... Once I got a high refresh rate IPS monitor, a lot of my eye problems (dry, red, tired) went away. Hmm.
Globz 10y ago
Flux + EyeLeo is the way to go for me, I know my job already damaged my eyes but this helps reduce head aches and dry eyes.
- mamcx 10y ago
  Something like Eyeleo for osx?
  - abledon 10y ago
    found one for linux https://github.com/slgobinath/SafeEyes https://github.com/slgobinath/SafeEyes (written in python with gtk , so maybe use this? http://www.gtk.org/download/macos.php http://www.gtk.org/download/macos.php)
kazinator 10y ago
One thing I discovered through an ad hoc anecdotal experiment involving only myself, over a quarter century ago, was the effect of font size. As a CS undergrad I was working like crazy in the lab for many hours a day. The display-hardware was B&W X window terminals (cathode ray, of course) with 19" screens. I had this idea: if I make things easier to read even when my eyes are tired, I can boost my endurance, right? So I switched to using large fonts. This had exactly the opposite effect; my fatigue symptoms became worse, because I was able to ignore the status of my eyes and keep going (without even consciously realizing it). If the fonts are big enough, you don't even have to blink any more; you can still read if your eyes dry out, ha! A that point I experienced an "aha" moment, and tried it the opposite way: I used a smaller font than the default. Like magic, my fatigue symptoms soon went away. I hypothesized that this is because small fonts create a negative feedback. When your eyes start to lose focus, you cannot read the screen any more. Firstly, you are forced to blink more often to keep your eyes moist. Second, you have no choice but to relax and not squint or strain. When the feedback mechanism does break, you're forced to take a break simply because you cannot ignore the fact that you're having trouble reading what's on the screen. Since that time, I have always used small fonts and haven't had any problems. Plus, when CRT's started to disappear around the turn of the century, that was a fantastic change. Solid-state screens are much easier on the eyes.
Hydraulix989 10y ago
The person who advised developers to turn on the television in order to distract them all day obviously isn't a developer.
atourgates 10y ago
Eye Health (not unlike other areas of health) has a lot of FUD around it. A lot of the recent "awareness" of CVS is based off people who want to sell you blue light blocking glasses. This infographic is one of my favorite examples: http://vspblog.com/blue-light-infographic/ http://vspblog.com/blue-light-infographic/ There's lots of numbers and statistics there, but none of it is actually scientific. The closest you get is that "VSP Optometrists report a 50% increase in digital eye strain and the effects of blue light exposure." But I can promise you as someone on the receiving end of VSP's marketing to eye care professionals, that they're marketing the bejeezus out of their blue light blocking technology to their eye care professionals. So, if you're an optometrist and you have a financial incentive to sell blue-light blocking coatings, and you're getting tons of marketing about the epidemic of digital eye strain in your inbox and mailbox and the publications you read, of course you're going to notice an increase of its incidents in your patients. If you're experiencing discomfort from using your computer for hours every day, you should absolutely do things to alleviate that discomfort. But the thing that all this marketing and FUD leaves out, is that there's no evidence that blue light exposure (from digital devices) or CVS or digital eye strain or whatever they'll be calling it in a week causes any long-term damage to your eyes. From the American Academy of Ophthalmology[1]: "Staring at your computer screen, smartphone or other digital devices for long periods won’t cause permanent eye damage, but your eyes may feel dry and tired." [1]: http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage
- arbuge 10y ago
  "From the American Academy of Ophthalmology[1]: "Staring at your computer screen, smartphone or other digital devices for long periods won’t cause permanent eye damage, but your eyes may feel dry and tired."" I always believed this myself but I wonder what kind of research has been done to back it up. Intuitively, staring at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day for year after year would not seem to be a good thing. Indeed this article seems to claim different: "As you sit in front of the screen, your eyes dry out, and you stop blinking. Over time this leads to damage of the eye muscle that is used to focus on far away objects and damage to the tear ducts."
  - 10y ago
justinlardinois 10y ago
> Computer vision syndrome or CVS (not to be confused with Concurrent Versions System) It remains an open question which CVS is more harmful to software developers.
vdnkh 10y ago
I made a tiny website that implements the 20-20-20 rule via Notifications API. Another thing that has helped a lot: get a better monitor. https://johnbartos.github.io/eyebreak/ https://johnbartos.github.io/eyebreak/
carapace 10y ago
The irony of light grey body text on this article. Here is the "You Hate Your Readers' Eyes" quiz. Is your body typeface... * Sans-serif? * Thin? * Gray, the lighter the better? Good work! You hate your readers' eyes!
toomanybeersies 10y ago
One of the best things that's happened for my eyes in regards to looking at compute screens all day was getting upgraded from a 1366x768 laptop to a 13" Retina Macbook Pro. Even though the text is way smaller on my MBP, everything is so easy to read.
Houshalter 10y ago
I thought this would be about how computer vision is distracting AI researchers from other areas of AI. I guess computer vision has multiple definitions now.
fhackenberger 10y ago
I also had issues with my eyes, which fit the symptoms described. I solved it by wearing glasses with a varying dioptric up and below the centre. That way your eye has to re-focus as you look up and down on the screen. The glasses also have a tinted glass that's supposed to help. Mine are from the company starting with Gu... when searching for "computer screen glasses".
fenollp 10y ago
I have been using https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/deluminate/iebboopaeangfpceklajfohhbpkkfiaa https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/deluminate/iebboop... to invert webpages colors (as they are often very bright), it has worked mostly well.
deleted 10y ago
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otto_ortega 10y ago
I suffer of CVS big time, I had to apply tons of eye-drops every few hours due the dry and burning sensation on my eyes and some days I won't even catch much sleep because my eyes hurted so badly and keept me awake. What helped me a lot was a pair of Gunnar glasses (cristaline version) plus taking short brakes every 25min (Podoro Technique helps with this). The Gunnar glasses alone took me to cut down my use of eye-drops to 1 or 2 times a day. So I honestly recommend the glasses, but wait for the style you like to be on sale (I bought mines 30% off) and if you are not sure about the meassures of your head, go with the Sheadog ones, I have a big head, and those fit me perfectly and are very light weight.
- simplexion 10y ago
  This sounds like you are diagnosing yourself with something that may not exist.
  - otto_ortega 10y ago
    It could be that the name I give to the symptoms is not appropiate (even when who diagnosed me with CVS was an optimetrician not me...) nevertheless the symptoms are quite real... And, fortunatelly, I have found a solution that works quite well on coping with it.
husamia 10y ago
I bought a pair of Gunnar computer glasses
johnydepp 10y ago
I am not sure if this is the place to show code, but here's a small script which can help you remind about looking away from monitor and follow 20-20 rule (only for MAC-OS): while : do for run in {1..5} do sleep 1 tput bel echo "Eye Beep" done sleep 1200 done

318 points by ericbarnes 10y ago

Anyone know of a break-taking app that watches your activity and can wait until you've lost focus on your work before reminding you to take a break? Something like the alarms that wake you up at the right point in your sleep cycle. It would probably need to have a cut-off eventually, but I'd hate to be interrupted in the middle of tracing some complex logic if there's a perfect stopping point 10 minutes later.

witty_username 10y ago
http://www.workrave.org/ http://www.workrave.org/
- codemac 10y ago
  I've found workrave to be great on linux, and I highly suggest it for anyone, you can configure how the breaks are laid out in just about any fashion.
- mattm 10y ago
  How do you configure it for the situation mentioned in the parent comment?
- dvtv75 10y ago
  Wow, talk about your Mystery Meat interfaces.
pmoriarty 10y ago
You could put the reminder in to a screensaver that activates after a certain amount of inactivity.
kowdermeister 10y ago
It's called a dog :)
- matwood 10y ago
  You joke, but it's true. I've also started sitting in a large room in my house where it's easy to look and focus at a long distance. The more I think about it, the more of these issues that get solved naturally when working remote/at home.
- iagooar 10y ago
  My dog does definitely NOT wait until I lose my focus ;)
- athenot 10y ago
  Or children (when working at home). Or managers (when in the office). :) Joking aside, I view this as a necessary balance required in life. Even if my primary activity needs a lot of solo concentration, I must embrace the distactions as having value for reasons mentioned in the article. We are not ultra-specialized machines, even if we specialize in very narrow fields, we still live a life that comes with variety, diversity and in an environment filled with beneficial chaos.
kranner 10y ago
http://awaremac.com/ http://awaremac.com/ Not quite what you're asking but it tracks how long you've been working (or using keyboard/mouse) and simply displays that without interrupting you at any point. If it's an hour or more for me, when I happen to glance at it, I get up and take a walk or stretch.
nateberkopec 10y ago
Time Out for Mac has a "Pro" level feature which waits for a natural break: http://www.dejal.com/timeout/ http://www.dejal.com/timeout/ It's a very customizable tool - I've used it for months.
T0T0R0 10y ago
The of productivity overkill going on in this idea is painful to think about. The world can wait. Fuck it. Just slack off and waste some time. That's what I do. When my eyes feel bad, it's time to destroy an hour of the day, go for a walk and anyone who can't get on board with that can take a hike.
dvtv75 10y ago
Get a G-Shock watch and set the countdown timer to whatever duration suits you. Given the 20:20:20:20 rule I saw above, I figure a 20 minute countdown probably isn't a bad countdown. At school, I was taught that we have a short attention span of something like 10-15 minutes, so you could always do that. Every time the alarm goes off, go for a walk around the office. Not quite what you were asking for, I know.
- thesmallestcat 10y ago
  Why a G-Shock?

excalibur 10y ago

YOU get SSI, and YOU get SSI... and YOU, and YOU. Disability checks all around! EDIT: Thanks for all the downvotes guys, it's good to know that humor has no place here.

Cyclone_ 10y ago
Yeah I guess those doctors are all just lying to us. Damn you science!
unethical_ban 10y ago
To be honest, humor really doesn't have a place at HN when not accompanied by an attempt at a real contribution to the discussion.
richrichardsson 10y ago
> it's good to know that humor has no place here. If you want to crack jokes, head to Reddit. I find the lack of that kind of rubbish here refreshing.
mod 10y ago
I find that HN has time for humor, it just can't be a cheap joke. (Think: top comment on most reddit threads) Basically any re-used joke like this Oprah thing isn't going to play well here. Also, as someone else mentioned, it needs to add to the conversation.
dazmax 10y ago
Too snarky. It seemed like you wanted to raise a potential discussion point without actually committing to discussing it. Just to score cynic points.

ojbyrne 10y ago

Surprised this article doesn't mention Bias lighting: http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-to-decrease-eye-fatigue-while-watching-tv-and-gaming-with-bias-lighting/ http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-to-decrease-eye-fatigue-...

dazmax 10y ago
Thanks, that was helpful. I had the general idea that this was good, but for some reason I'd never seen it spelled out.
joezydeco 10y ago
I'm a strong believer in bias lighting, and that it critically needs to be either incandescent or sunlight-based. Putting one flickering light source next to another (perceptible or not) causes more trouble, in my personal experience.

striking 10y ago

That's a pretty plausible explanation for why my eyesight has gone down the drain in the past couple years. And I'm young, I can't be losing my vision just yet. I suppose I should ask my optometrist about this.

mrspeaker 10y ago
I had 20/20 vision until I was 33, then over the next couple of years I noticed my site getting worse until I tried on a friends pair of glasses and everything went crisp. I asked the optometrist what would cause my eyes to go bad and she just said "How many hours a day do you look at a computer screen?"

rubidium 10y ago

Here's the 2014 article referenced (it's a good summary): http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/MPR/article-full-text-pdf/0905F9948599 http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/MPR/article-full-tex... After a particularly intense few weeks of work of computer-based work, I started getting double vision every time I tried to read or type at a computer screen. Initially it was rather disturbing. Recovery was 3 days away from screen time and time outdoors (focusing eyes on far away things). I've definitely reformed my habits to spend time looking out the window more. Also, flux is a requirement for any screen I use.

pmoriarty 10y ago

"He recommended I use a hot compress at least once a week for 10 minutes and to look away from the screen in a method called the 20-20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at an object at least 20 feet away and blink 20 times." Is there any evidence that this treatment actually works?

paublyrne 10y ago
I can give only anecdotal evidence. I do this reasonably regularly. It's mainly to combat meibomian gland dysfunction and works by heating up the oils in and around the glands so that the dry build-up clears, and the glands can function a bit more normally. They should be releasing oil throughout the day to keep the surface of your eye from drying out. I think you need to be careful not to overdo compresses, and associated massage, as the glands are also delicate and you can damage them, but for me it results in much more comfortable eyes and better vision when I do it semi regularly.
- soylentcola 10y ago
  I've been doing this on and off for decades now, thanks to blepharitis and the associated gland dysfunction you mention. The fact that I stare at a screen all day certainly doesn't help and I've had to stop wearing contact lenses even though my prescription is quite strong and any sort of glasses screw up my peripheral vision. The downside to the compress (other than the one you mentioned) is the simple fact that I can't always just nuke my little eye-pad thing and lean back for 10 minutes several times per day at work. Even when I'm able to do it a few times per day as my eye doctors have suggested, any relief is relatively short-lived and doesn't treat anything long-term. It sucks because my eyes almost always feel irritated or dry and no manner of lubricating drops, antibiotic drops, or hot compresses have helped. I've tried a few less tested but ultimately harmless things like fish oil supplements (since they're cheap and effects seem to range from unnoticeable to possible systemic benefits in the long term). My takeaway has been that there's really no "cure" for blepharitis or chronic inflammation and meibomian gland dysfunction. All you can really do is minimize the things that exacerbate it and deal with it.

JoeAltmaier 10y ago

This is another pointless diagnosis of a cluster of issues centered on an activity. Instead of, you know, centered on the disease. Kind of like diagnosing bad software with "HeadUpButt Developer Syndrome". Cute, a cocktail party line, but not the same as medicine.

mod 10y ago
It's not a disease, though. It's a condition; one that results from a specific type of activity (extended close work, which is not what our eyes are intended to do).
- JoeAltmaier 10y ago
  Thanks; I agonized over what word to use. 'Condition' sounds right.
dazmax 10y ago
Lots of human activity boils down to finding patterns and labeling them. Don't you think there could be some benefit to having a label on this cluster of issues, such as making it more efficient to find useful remedies? I do agree though that there's a danger with this kind of thing to think of it as some kind of single agent and oversimplify. I think we need to be careful to keep in mind the underlying nature of the meaning of these terms.

mod 10y ago

My retired optometrist friend recommended that I wear reading glasses with a very low power at all times while using the computer, and I do that now. They're .75x or 1x, I can't remember. I don't need them--nothing is blurry without them--but they help your lenses to relax by doing some of their work at close distances. The condition he wants me to avoid is called nearpoint stress, but sounds very similar to me (a layperson). It culminates in your eyes lenses becoming "stuck," unable to fully relax to focus properly on things at a distance. I guess the reason is that your cilliary muscles (that alter the shape of the lens) become overworked to the point of a spasm. One symptom of that is looking up from your computer and objects being blurry for a few seconds, but then coming into focus.

Lxr 10y ago
My optometrist prescribed exactly the same thing for the same reason. I sometimes have trouble seeing in the distance because of too much computer/phone use, and your explanation is spot on what he told me.
stronglikedan 10y ago
I just wish local drugstores sold sub +1.00 reading glasses. I've only been able to find them online, so it becomes a game of buy +0.25, +0.50, and +0.75, and then go through the hassle of returning two of them (likely at a loss). Optometrists may carry them, but they're so much more expensive than anywhere else. Anyone know of a better solution to find the strength that's right for me?
- mod 10y ago
  I found a pair at the dollar store once (+1). My +0.75 pair I found walmart. That said, I often find the same thing as you, that nobody sells them. It's very hit-and-miss, so I just check the racks frequently and see what turns up.
JustSomeNobody 10y ago
You have to be careful with OTC reading glasses. If your reading PD is much more narrow or wider than about 57mm, then you're introducing prism. At the powers you've mentioned, it _shouldn't_ be a problem, but higher powers can cause headaches and eye strain.

djb_hackernews 10y ago

I have seen a few ophthalmologists seeking treatment for a condition resulting from computer use. I think CVS is a catch all that makes sense on the surface but doesn't really address the damage that has been done. There is some interesting research being done in this area, but it has taken a while for the eye health community to catch up. My story goes back over 4 years ago, one day like the flick of a switch I could barely keep my eyes open. Now I live with it but it is extremely uncomfortable and distracting and I no longer hack on anything outside of work. My issue isn't so much dry eyes but strained and fatigued eyes. Imagine the most tired and strained eyes you've ever experienced. Multiply that by 10 and that is how my eyes feel starting from the moment I wake up. Luckily I still have 20/20. Basically, let this be a warning not to take for granted your eye health.

egonschiele 10y ago
I was in a similar situation for a couple of years. Recently I started doing warm compresses on my eyes and it has made a huge difference. I also recommend changing one thing about your routine every week and keeping an eye pain diary. That will help you identify things that help. It takes some work, but as you said eye health is super important.
abledon 10y ago
Have you tried acupuncture?

dudeget 10y ago

one of the most essential pieces of software in my opinion: flux: https://justgetflux.com/ https://justgetflux.com/ and now that I've been running linux, redshift: http://jonls.dk/redshift/ http://jonls.dk/redshift/ I find it hard to use a computer without these now

superJimmy64 10y ago
I'll vouch for this as well. A cool test: a few hours into the later parts of a long night when your working on something, try removing flux. I was blown away by how clearly this app should be a necessity for all devs and possibly techies
- rschuetzler 10y ago
  I have Flux on a 1 hour shift, so I don't notice the colors changing as it happens, but it absolutely makes a huge difference. Disabling it at 10pm after a few hours of 'flux-ed' viewing feels like staring directly into the sun.
deleted 10y ago
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lloeki 10y ago
flux&al adjust colour temp, but be very kind on the backlight any time of the day. Some screens are so stupidly bright it's like staring at a bright bulb all day long. If at all possible use a screen that adjusts backlight automatically according to ambient light. And no, you really don't need that much brightness, just don't turn it all the way down either!
- Bartweiss 10y ago
  Do you know any good automatic-adjustment add-ons? I'd like to use the OS X option, but it seems to automatically adjust to ~2 notches above what I want. So something to use the same relative changes, but a lower absolute brightness, would be perfect. Right now I just do it by hand.

whamlastxmas 10y ago

It's hard to take articles like this seriously when they end with affiliate links.

AJ007 10y ago

I think there is something with reading angle too: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.13148/abstract http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.13148/abstrac... "Reading in a sitting posture at myopia onset predicted the greatest myopic progression to adulthood and reading face up on one's back the lowest. Reading with eyes on turned more downwards was slightly connected with greater myopic progression." I had some major vision problems a couple of years ago, to the point I didn't touch a computer for about 4 months. iPad and iPhone screens weren't bothering me so I got to keep working. My suggestion to people having severe problems is to strip apart every variable and test. A few things I have suspicions about which I have rarely seen addressed: - switching between low & high DPI screens - lights/screens which are not on the same frequency - viewing angle (referring back to the myopia study.) Prior to a standing desk I would always lean back in my chair - going back to when I was like 11 years old. From my opinion, if you took best practices and worst practices, and then like did all the worst ones you would be fucked pretty quickly. You could take someone in great health and give them chronic pain in weeks or a few month. Doctor's advice shouldn't be ignored, especially when something fatal may be occurring, but in many cases they may have no helpful advice. Ergonomic / RSI / Carpel tunnel issues apply here as well. I've mentioned before I had severe RSI with chronic, 24/7 pain for years, and exhaustive attempts to fix it eventually cured it. Unfortunately as I get older I've also had to acknowledge that our bodies get less and less capable of fixing themselves. At the least we can try really hard to do things which aren't aggravating the decline.

orpheansodality 10y ago
How did you eventually get over your RSI? I've been struggling through my own for a few years now and haven't had any real improvement.
- dvtv75 10y ago
  I realize you weren't asking me, but as I had it many, many years ago I'll describe it, before I go into what I did. One day, I woke up and both hands felt a bit odd, painful and tingling all the time. The next day, I woke up and both hands were burning. I had no strength, and no fine control at all. When I did tense them, it felt like I was holding my hands under a running hot tap. I couldn't hold a fork to get food to my mouth, I couldn't even hold a key to get it into the lock to open the door. I was studying at the time, and obviously couldn't continue that. No doctor was able to help me, I was put on anti-inflamatories that were completely ineffective. I started drinking to deal with the pain, and within a couple of months I was drinking 3.2 gallons (12 liters) of beer a day, just to dull the pain. Once the pain died away, I was still left with some serious problems. Fortunately alcohol dependence was not one of them (I just stopped drinking). Any repetitive motion that lasted more than a few minutes would cause me a day or more of pain. I found I was unable to reliably hold things, and I could just lose my grip on whatever was in my hands. Many glasses and cups were smashed because I just couldn't hold them. So here's when I figured out what was wrong: many of my problems were related to a significant loss of strength. Because I had been unable to do anything for more than three months, I had lost much of the strength in my hands and forearms. Stamina, too. This meant that when I did anything repetitive, I was straining the muscles beyond their ability to cope. I sold my computers, and grabbed a pair of free weights I had lying around. The "free" part is important, because machines reduce the load on ancillary muscles. I started doing some very basic arm strength exercises (curls and reverse curls). However, training yourself is something I would recommend against - find a reputable physiotherapist and have them set you out a basic rehab program, and get a muscle balance assessment, too. You could find that you have other issues that are causing your problems - I still have serious muscle tension issues that I am working on, with the assistance of a physio. I studied personal training some years after, and I've found that it's so very easy to screw it up when you do it all yourself. I met one guy who thought he was just a paragon of bodybuilding - he was bench pressing well over 200 pounds, but his lat pulldowns were limited to just 30 or 40 pounds. His shoulders were rounded so far forward that you couldn't see any definition in his pecs. The main reason I recommend a physio rather than a Personal Trainer (PT) is that, as I said, you may have some biomechanical issues that need sorting out, and no matter how much a PT may claim they can do this kind of thing, they are not medical professionals. A PT would be helpful in making sure you you are biomechanically sound in implementing the physio's program, but there's no substitute for real medical help. I hope this helps you, good luck.

ksml 10y ago

I looked into break timers a while back, but I wanted something really simple that I didn't need to install. I wrote a blog post about how to make a simple break timer with OS X notifications and AppleScript: https://reberhardt.com/blog/2016/02/09/a-dead-simple-break-timer-for-mac.html https://reberhardt.com/blog/2016/02/09/a-dead-simple-break-t...

ramk 10y ago
Thank you, this worked. I just tweaked a bit to run through crontab and added a notification sound for the extra push :)

hawski 10y ago

From what I understand VR goggles have collimator to focus eyes of the user at infinity. I was wondering: are there collimator spectacles? Would they help? Would they interfere with text reading?

toyg 10y ago

This is one of those cases where it's important to remember that not all equipment is born the same when it comes to ergonomics, even when it features similar specs. I have a 2012 MBP Retina, in retina mode (scaled at half the native resolution).; I can look at it for hours and hours without any problem. I also have a larger 4K screen from Iiyama, also "in retina mode"; after about an hour staring at it, my eyes are so dry that they are forced to cry, and headaches are much more frequent when I stick to that. Somebody should do for monitors what Hermann Miller did for chairs.

acallahan 10y ago
I haven't seen them myself, but the TrueTone displays in Apple's newest iPad pro seems to put a lot of work into this, particularly in automatically matching the color temperature of the surrounding light. Some HN discussion about that: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11546490 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11546490

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

giberson 10y ago

I use to get headaches every day (the kind that seem to originate behind the bridge of the nose). One day in effort to reduce the ache (a desperation move I didn't know would work out not) I reduced the brightness level in my monitor to the lowest possible setting. It slightly helped me cope with the rest of the day at work, but I forgot to reset the monitor. The next day I didn't get a headache. Turning down the brightness to the lowest level is now something I do with every monitor I use. Coworkers always comment the first time the see my screen "how do you see anything on that?" But the truth is you adjust really fast and don't even notice it's so dark. Best of all, I don't get headaches anymore. This may not have been CVS, but I felt it was related to looking at screens all day so I wanted to share. I frequently hear coworkers complaining about headaches and recommend they decrease their screen brightness. They always provide their own reasoning for the headache cause that makes it unavoidable. I shrug because I can't make them try my suggestion. But it would be interesting to have someone else try and get some feedback if the solution works for others (identifying my problem as a work hazard rather than a personnel condition).

sdenton4 10y ago
Definitely works for me. I keep my monitors and phone at the lowest brightness in all but full sunlight, and pretty much don't get headaches anymore. (Well, now just on the days I miss my coffee...)
dotancohen 10y ago
Turning down the brightness had the opposite effect for me. My monitor at the time "turned down the brightness" by reducing the duty cycle of the backlight. This caused flickering that was imperceptible yet caused much eyestrain. Actually turning up the brightness, moving the monitor as far back as possible, and using yellow-tinted Gunnar lenses have made a huge difference for me. Edit: This is the technique used to modulate "brightness" by varying the duty cycle: http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/Controlling_LED_brightness_using_PWM http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/Controlling_LED_br...
- sbierwagen 10y ago

athenot 10y ago

I don't know if this is good or bad but wearing contact lens while on the computer does help me notice much faster when my eyes dry up. That prompts me to blink and look around.

gr3yh47 10y ago

over the last 10 years of being on a computer for at least 10 hours a day my distance vision has been obliterated. i used to have 20/15 vision and now i have 20/50 vision. I'm positive the screens are the issue. My toddler nieces stand a foot away from tvs and every time i see it i beg their parents to not let them subject their developing eyes to that.

TwoFactor 10y ago
How do you know it was computers and not just age in general?
- witty_username 10y ago
  IIRC there is no scientific consensus that computer usage causes near or far sightedness.

orbitingpluto 10y ago

My advice is don't mancave or cubicle if you have an option. Fight for that window seat at work. I'd rather have a window cubicle than a windowless office. Enjoy the view every couple minutes.

vermontdevil 10y ago

I occasionally see screens change shape from the typical rectangle to trapezoid. That's when I would just shut down and go outside or do something else. This effect could last the rest of the day/evening for me.

DanielleMolloy 10y ago

What about good old dark editor themes or, better: Inverting of screen colours? Staring at a bright computer screen for hours is a recipe for tired, red eyes. And all operating systems offer negative screen colours. On OS X it is an accessibility option and has the standard shortcut control+option+command + 8. Android and iOS also can do this. On iOS it's again an accessibility option, press the home button three times after it is activated and you will be able to read HN much longer (also, a black+blue HN is nice). I am using this option so much that I finally switched from Ubuntu to OS X on the desktop after an Ubuntu upgrade at that time eliminated negative screen colours (and hibernation, but this is a different story), and it was impossible to bring it back. I also like Flux darkroom, but after some time it gives you the feeling of being in a horror movie.

unclebucknasty 10y ago
I get an extreme ghosting effect after reading on an inverted color screen for even a minute or less. I don't generally hear others complain. Maybe it's rare.

Pica_soO 10y ago

Against dry eyes,a micro controller and two airbrush pistols with natrium-destilled water solution. Its a shame there is no ready made solution built into or upon glasses... PS: Huge glasses that cover the eyes also protect against moisture loss.

dimino 10y ago
Goggles. They may fog up, however.

dimino 10y ago

I feel incredibly lucky that I don't suffer from any of these symptoms, as I sit, and have sat, in front of my computer for ~14 of my available waking hours each day for the past... 10 years? 8 hours a day at work, and I then come home and game for 3 or 4 more, sometimes as much as 9 or10 additional hours, and have not yet felt anything as described here. I may do these exercises naturally, as part of my existing habits, because I'm fairly easily distracted.

honkhonkpants 10y ago
Give it a few more years.

collyw 10y ago

I am thinking my habit of drinking lots of water / tea / yerba mate helps. Means I get up and go for a piss every hour at least. Drinking lots of water is generally seen as a good thing.

witty_username 10y ago
Why is drinking water a good thing?
- chris72205 10y ago
  Just staying properly hydrated.
cmclaughlin 10y ago
My eyes twitched for a couple months and I talked to my optometrist about it. He recommended exactly this - drink lots of water while using computers so I'm forced to take pee breaks. Also, quinine which is found in tonic water might help... with twitching and relaxing the eye muscles.

motyar 10y ago

In case you have this problem. Flexseed is very helpful.

methodover 10y ago

I'm sure it's not true but... Once I got a high refresh rate IPS monitor, a lot of my eye problems (dry, red, tired) went away. Hmm.

Globz 10y ago

Flux + EyeLeo is the way to go for me, I know my job already damaged my eyes but this helps reduce head aches and dry eyes.

mamcx 10y ago
Something like Eyeleo for osx?
- abledon 10y ago
  found one for linux https://github.com/slgobinath/SafeEyes https://github.com/slgobinath/SafeEyes (written in python with gtk , so maybe use this? http://www.gtk.org/download/macos.php http://www.gtk.org/download/macos.php)

kazinator 10y ago

One thing I discovered through an ad hoc anecdotal experiment involving only myself, over a quarter century ago, was the effect of font size. As a CS undergrad I was working like crazy in the lab for many hours a day. The display-hardware was B&W X window terminals (cathode ray, of course) with 19" screens. I had this idea: if I make things easier to read even when my eyes are tired, I can boost my endurance, right? So I switched to using large fonts. This had exactly the opposite effect; my fatigue symptoms became worse, because I was able to ignore the status of my eyes and keep going (without even consciously realizing it). If the fonts are big enough, you don't even have to blink any more; you can still read if your eyes dry out, ha! A that point I experienced an "aha" moment, and tried it the opposite way: I used a smaller font than the default. Like magic, my fatigue symptoms soon went away. I hypothesized that this is because small fonts create a negative feedback. When your eyes start to lose focus, you cannot read the screen any more. Firstly, you are forced to blink more often to keep your eyes moist. Second, you have no choice but to relax and not squint or strain. When the feedback mechanism does break, you're forced to take a break simply because you cannot ignore the fact that you're having trouble reading what's on the screen. Since that time, I have always used small fonts and haven't had any problems. Plus, when CRT's started to disappear around the turn of the century, that was a fantastic change. Solid-state screens are much easier on the eyes.

Hydraulix989 10y ago

The person who advised developers to turn on the television in order to distract them all day obviously isn't a developer.

atourgates 10y ago

Eye Health (not unlike other areas of health) has a lot of FUD around it. A lot of the recent "awareness" of CVS is based off people who want to sell you blue light blocking glasses. This infographic is one of my favorite examples: http://vspblog.com/blue-light-infographic/ http://vspblog.com/blue-light-infographic/ There's lots of numbers and statistics there, but none of it is actually scientific. The closest you get is that "VSP Optometrists report a 50% increase in digital eye strain and the effects of blue light exposure." But I can promise you as someone on the receiving end of VSP's marketing to eye care professionals, that they're marketing the bejeezus out of their blue light blocking technology to their eye care professionals. So, if you're an optometrist and you have a financial incentive to sell blue-light blocking coatings, and you're getting tons of marketing about the epidemic of digital eye strain in your inbox and mailbox and the publications you read, of course you're going to notice an increase of its incidents in your patients. If you're experiencing discomfort from using your computer for hours every day, you should absolutely do things to alleviate that discomfort. But the thing that all this marketing and FUD leaves out, is that there's no evidence that blue light exposure (from digital devices) or CVS or digital eye strain or whatever they'll be calling it in a week causes any long-term damage to your eyes. From the American Academy of Ophthalmology[1]: "Staring at your computer screen, smartphone or other digital devices for long periods won’t cause permanent eye damage, but your eyes may feel dry and tired." [1]: http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage

arbuge 10y ago
"From the American Academy of Ophthalmology[1]: "Staring at your computer screen, smartphone or other digital devices for long periods won’t cause permanent eye damage, but your eyes may feel dry and tired."" I always believed this myself but I wonder what kind of research has been done to back it up. Intuitively, staring at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day for year after year would not seem to be a good thing. Indeed this article seems to claim different: "As you sit in front of the screen, your eyes dry out, and you stop blinking. Over time this leads to damage of the eye muscle that is used to focus on far away objects and damage to the tear ducts."
- 10y ago

justinlardinois 10y ago

> Computer vision syndrome or CVS (not to be confused with Concurrent Versions System) It remains an open question which CVS is more harmful to software developers.

vdnkh 10y ago

I made a tiny website that implements the 20-20-20 rule via Notifications API. Another thing that has helped a lot: get a better monitor. https://johnbartos.github.io/eyebreak/ https://johnbartos.github.io/eyebreak/

carapace 10y ago

The irony of light grey body text on this article. Here is the "You Hate Your Readers' Eyes" quiz. Is your body typeface... * Sans-serif? * Thin? * Gray, the lighter the better? Good work! You hate your readers' eyes!

toomanybeersies 10y ago

One of the best things that's happened for my eyes in regards to looking at compute screens all day was getting upgraded from a 1366x768 laptop to a 13" Retina Macbook Pro. Even though the text is way smaller on my MBP, everything is so easy to read.

Houshalter 10y ago

I thought this would be about how computer vision is distracting AI researchers from other areas of AI. I guess computer vision has multiple definitions now.

fhackenberger 10y ago

I also had issues with my eyes, which fit the symptoms described. I solved it by wearing glasses with a varying dioptric up and below the centre. That way your eye has to re-focus as you look up and down on the screen. The glasses also have a tinted glass that's supposed to help. Mine are from the company starting with Gu... when searching for "computer screen glasses".

fenollp 10y ago

I have been using https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/deluminate/iebboopaeangfpceklajfohhbpkkfiaa https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/deluminate/iebboop... to invert webpages colors (as they are often very bright), it has worked mostly well.

deleted 10y ago

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otto_ortega 10y ago

I suffer of CVS big time, I had to apply tons of eye-drops every few hours due the dry and burning sensation on my eyes and some days I won't even catch much sleep because my eyes hurted so badly and keept me awake. What helped me a lot was a pair of Gunnar glasses (cristaline version) plus taking short brakes every 25min (Podoro Technique helps with this). The Gunnar glasses alone took me to cut down my use of eye-drops to 1 or 2 times a day. So I honestly recommend the glasses, but wait for the style you like to be on sale (I bought mines 30% off) and if you are not sure about the meassures of your head, go with the Sheadog ones, I have a big head, and those fit me perfectly and are very light weight.

simplexion 10y ago
This sounds like you are diagnosing yourself with something that may not exist.
- otto_ortega 10y ago
  It could be that the name I give to the symptoms is not appropiate (even when who diagnosed me with CVS was an optimetrician not me...) nevertheless the symptoms are quite real... And, fortunatelly, I have found a solution that works quite well on coping with it.

husamia 10y ago

I bought a pair of Gunnar computer glasses

johnydepp 10y ago

I am not sure if this is the place to show code, but here's a small script which can help you remind about looking away from monitor and follow 20-20 rule (only for MAC-OS): while : do for run in {1..5} do sleep 1 tput bel echo "Eye Beep" done sleep 1200 done