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JustinHoMi · Jan 22, 2007, 10:32 PM

I'm a computer professional... my business is computer support and programming, so I spend most of my day on the computer. Unfortunately my eyes really bother me while I'm looking at a display. I have trouble focusing on the screen and looking at the bright light on the monitor. I've been to a couple of doctors, but haven't really gotten any great advice.

Does anyone else deal with this or similiar problems? How do you deal with it? Are there any special glasses that you can get to help?

Thanks!
Justin

BRussell · Jan 22, 2007, 10:40 PM

To hell with "doctors." You've come to the right place for medical advice!

(Have you tried drops?

)

Atomic Rooster · Jan 22, 2007, 11:04 PM

Circumcision may help.

I'm not a doctor but I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night.

Seriously...

What about those screens you can buy for monitors?

Weezer · Jan 22, 2007, 11:22 PM

have you always had this, or is it a recent symptom? Is it only with computers? photophobia (light sensitivity) can be a symptom of several different things...

turtle777 · Jan 23, 2007, 01:17 AM

Originally Posted by BRussell

To hell with "doctors." You've come to the right place for medical advice!

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster

Circumcision may help.

I love MacNN

-t

JustinHoMi · Jan 23, 2007, 01:32 AM

What about those screens you can buy for monitors?

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that those were used to reduce glare. Since most LCD's don't use glass, glare isn't really much of a problem.

Originally Posted by Weezer

have you always had this, or is it a recent symptom? Is it only with computers? photophobia (light sensitivity) can be a symptom of several different things...

I guess some minor problems started abou 1.5 years ago, when I was programming full time. I had a cheap CRT display at work. My eyes would occassionally not focus properly when looking at shiney objects. It was very minor and only occassionally noticeable.

Then in January (1yr ago) I bought a 20" iMac, and since it was so pretty I ran the brightness all the way up. After a month I started to get headaches, and things started to look slightly out of focus. Things aren't blurry... I just sort of see double. It wasn't until I accidentally turned the brightness down that I realized that that was the problem. The symptoms were greatly reduced when I ran the brightness lower.

Since then, the double-vision and sensitivity to light has gotten a bit worse. I tried taking 10 days off of the computer to see if the problems would reverse themselves, but they didn't.

I don't see double when I'm looking at a computer monitor or text. I only see double when looking at real objects that have multiple dimensions. That's one reason I think it's a problem with focusing (other than the fact that on the rare occassion my eyes won't be able to focus on an object at all). It seems like by looking at a monitor for so many hours a day that my eyes have become lazy.

seanc · Jan 23, 2007, 03:15 AM

Sounds like you're short sighted to me. Go and get an eye test done.

USB HUB · Jan 23, 2007, 09:27 AM

you probably do need your eyes check but there is also anti-glare you can have put on glasses to tone down the glare. I've been doing this for 30 years and wear glasses. Also, don't stare at the screen too long .. that will cause things to move around

JustinHoMi · Jan 23, 2007, 05:11 PM

Well, I am near sighted and I do wear contacts. The problem originated when wearing glasses that were very scratched up. The glasses broke, so I've been wearing contacts for the last couple months.