What You See is Out of Focus
The words that you are reading right now are about two feet away from your eyes, give or take a few inches. That places your vision in an intermediate zone, too far away for regular "near" vision reading and too close for the "distance" vision you would need to drive a car. Even if you already wear corrective lenses, constantly focusing on that middle area, as so many people are forced to do each day, can lead to computer eye strain and sometimes a condition called computer vision syndrome (CVS). With the invention of computer glasses or computer lenses, CVS no longer has to be a problem.
Symptoms of Eye Strain
It's easy to tell when you are trying too hard to read a computer screen. Physically, you may lean forward to bring the words into near focus or you may turn your head to favor looking through the bottom of your eyeglass lenses to try to adjust your vision. Headaches from computer eye strain, neck pain and backaches can result, as you move your eyes and body to compensate for a screen that is not properly in focus. Do this often enough and, what feels like a long, hard day at the office, can become symptoms of CVS.
While wearing corrective lenses helps most people deal only with near or far vision difficulties, computer glasses or computer eyeglasses are made especially to concentrate on that special halfway vision point exclusive to computers. Wearing glasses for computer work puts the focus directly where it needs to be, neither too close nor too distant, making reading what's on a computer screen less tiring for the eyes and body.
Helpful Additions for Computer Glasses
Another element in an office setting that can contribute to the symptoms of computer vision syndrome is lighting. Bright overhead lights give no consideration to the individual computer user and may bounce and scatter light off the front and back of eyeglass lenses, adding to eye stress.
For this common problem, many eye care professionals recommend an anti-glare or anti-reflective (AR) solution when wearing glasses for computer work. By adding an anti-reflective feature and an extra contrast-controlling tint to the lenses, glasses for computer work become a strong defense against computer eye strain. The best way to know if computer eyeglasses are right for you is a consultation with your optometrist or ophthalmologist.