With today’s dependence on electronics for work, play, and just about anything to do with productivity, you may often find yourself staring at screens for more than 10 hours a day. With this in mind, it’s important to protect your eyes by minimizing harsh whites and enlarging text size in common programs, regardless of how old you are or how good your eyesight might be.

To lessen the long-term damage computer screens could cause to your eyes, or if your vision isn’t strong enough to read tiny text on your screen, try these tips for PC or Mac computers to make things easier on your oculars. Most of these tricks are simple enough that you won’t have to reinvent (or buy) the wheel. Running Windows 8? These tips apply as well.

1. Attack the problem at its source—drop your monitor brightness. Your screen is the culprit, so why not adjust it to fit your ergonomic needs? Your monitor should come with a how-to guide that will show you how to adjust brightness, contrast, color, and other features, allowing you to tweak these levels and reduce eyestrain. If you can’t find a guide, a brief search on Google for the screen’s manufacturer manual should prove fruitful. If you’re still unable to find any documentation for your monitor or television, all models come with buttons that allow the user to explore menu options that are often hidden. Experiment with these, and you should be able to reduce your monitor’s brightness levels in no time.

2. Invest in a pair of computer readers. Computer readers are glasses that have protective coatings on their lenses designed to lessen the harsh whites that screens can emit. Most readers have a magnifying effect, so you’re practically getting a two-for-one deal. Some companies such as Foster Grant produce readers as cheap as $30. If you’re looking for something a little more high-end and you’re willing to drop the cash, Gunnar Optiks makes a line of sturdy readers that are not only protective but stylish as well. Gunnar’s prescription program lets you combine vision correction with protection. Be wary, however, as the cheaper models can bite holes in your wallet; non-prescription Gunnar models range from $60 to $100.

3. Use the magnifiers. Microsoft is aware that sometimes computer text isn’t the easiest to read. Found with almost all versions of Windows, Magnifier is a versatile program that can enlarge certain parts of the screen wherever your mouse or keyboard cursor is located. If you have a Mac, use the included Zoom software to make reading text a little easier on the eyes.

4. Increase your browser display size. Most screens nowadays come in wide-screen format, and that doesn’t adapt well for documents. Browsers often display websites in a column fashion as well, leaving wide, empty margins. Remove the margins and zoom in on your page by holding down Control and scrolling up with your mouse until the page fits your monitor nicely. On the Mac side, you can increase most browser window sizes by pressing Command and + a few times.

5. Lower the desktop resolution. Your resolution is what makes up your screen in vertical and horizontal “lines.” The more lines the screen has, the smaller images and text will appear. By right-clicking on your desktop in Windows, you can adjust your screen resolution to a lower setting and make those images and text blocks pop. On a Mac, you can find a list of supported resolutions under the Apple logo, System Preferences, and then Display.

6. Increase the Windows text size. Windows 7 has an option to change the text and other items on-screen under the Display option under the Personalize menu, found by right-clicking on the desktop. This option is just limited to three settings: smaller, medium, and larger. Fortunately, an adjustment here should bode well for anyone trying to save their eyesight.

7. Give your eyes a break. Staring at a screen for too long certainly isn’t healthy and can give you computer vision syndrome, or CVS (not the pharmacy). If you find yourself locked onto a screen for too long, look away from the screen, focus on an item in the distance for approximately 10 to 20 seconds, and then focus on an item closer to you. Repeating this a few times should keep your eyes from getting tired.

8. Go outside! Being inside all day not only messes with your sleeping rhythms, it can also have an effect on your eyes. Expose your eyes to different levels of light. This can also kill the monotony of a day’s work at the office!

Whether you have poor or eagle-eyed eyesight, these steps can certainly help you keep the effects of long-term screen exposure at bay. They won’t prevent eyestrain completely, but combining all these steps will significantly save your eyes so you can keep staring at screens for several years to come.

8 Vision-Saving Tricks for Computer-Related Eyestrain The Saturday Evening Post

A woman having her eyes checked for Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Nearly 15 million Americans over 40 have an eye disease that blurs objects directly in front of them—including faces, roadways, and printed words. Not so long ago, few treatments existed for the troublesome condition that doctors call age-related macular degeneration or AMD. Groundbreaking research, however, is giving way to new therapies (and new hope) for slowing the disease, restoring lost vision, and overcoming vision limitations.

The following information from the American Academy of Ophthalmology provides the latest clinical advances and vision-saving measures for both forms of AMD: wet (characterized by damage and swelling from leaky blood vessels in the back of the eye) and dry (damage not associated with swelling).

Dry AMD

The most exciting new approaches for dry AMD (the most common form) include:

• Experimental medicine-secreting implants that protect dying cells;
• New drugs under development that aim to prevent damage to the retina;
• Clinical trials of medicines intended to slow the progression of dry AM; and,
• Second Sight, a prosthesis system now in U.S. clinical testing. The Second Sight implant attaches to the outside surface of the eye and connects to an electrode placed in the retina. A camera mounted on a pair of glasses communicates with the implant. The device is already used in Europe.

Wet AMD

About 10 percent of Americans with AMD have the wet form—the kind responsible for the most severe vision loss. Fortunately, new and highly effective therapies for wet AMD can dramatically reduce damage and stabilize vision with injectable drugs including:

• Avastin® and Lucentis®, shown to reduce visual acuity loss in most patients and improve vision in some; and,
•  Eyela®, which received FDA-approval in late 2011 for treating AMD with less frequent injections.

“As ophthalmologists, we know all too well the devastating impact AMD can have on people,” said David W. Parke II, MD, CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Fortunately, the past few years have been marked by significant improvement in understanding the causes of the disease, which in turn has led to better treatment options. Ophthalmologists can now endeavor to more effectively treat multiple forms of AMD and thereby provide new hope to our patients.”

AMD and Nutrition

Nutrition might hold one key to slowing the progress of AMD. The landmark study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) showed that people at high risk for developing wet AMD or late-stage dry AMD who take a dietary supplement with specific, high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene along with zinc, can decrease by about 25 percent their risk of macular degeneration progressing to advanced stages. The daily supplements also reduced the risk of vision loss for those at risk by about 19 percent. Patients should talk with their ophthalmologist to learn if supplements are recommended for them. A second study, AREDS2, is now underway to evaluate whether adding the supplements lutein and zeaxanthin and the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA to the AREDS formula can provide further protection against late-stage AMD. (Results of this study are expected in 2013.) 
Other studies have shown that eating dark leafy greens as well as yellow, orange and other brightly-colored vegetables and fruits rich in lutein and zeaxanthin may reduce risk for developing macular degeneration. Eating fish and seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids has also been linked to lower risk of AMD.

Hi Tech Devices and Low Vision Services

If vision loss does occur, a variety of adaptations and devices can enable continued ability to read, use a computer and perform almost all routine activities. Recent innovations in consumer electronics − including tablets, e-readers and smartphones − can supplement traditional low-vision aids. For many patients with moderate to severe visual impairment, low vision rehabilitation clinics can provide needed assistance in enhancing visual function.

Free Eye Exams

Ophthalmologists acknowledge that this is an exciting time for research and treatment options for AMD, however, they would like to remind people that the first line of defense to help prevent unnecessary vision loss from age-related eye diseases is an eye exam. EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people age 65 and older. Click here for more and to see if you qualify.

Protecting Sight for Life The Saturday Evening Post

“For an entire year, I painted an apple a day to help raise awareness and funds for the Spondylitis Association of America—and just to have fun! Apples symbolize that health and healing are possible despite dealing with a difficult and painful disease,” explains Visscher, who is one of approximately 2.4 million Americans living with AS.

AS can’t keep Jenna down.  She is a power writer for The Fight Like a Girl Club and WEGOHealth.com, and her daily blog, “The Feeding Edge,” urges people to “Be part of the Story, Be part of the Cure!”

An Apple a Day The Saturday Evening Post

Post: What’s the difference between PRK and LASIK?

Price: Both improve vision by reshaping the eye’s covering or cornea with a cool ultraviolet light beam. The difference lies in how the surgeon reaches the inner layer of the cornea in order to treat it. PRK involves removing tiny bits of the cornea’s top surface that gradually grow back. With LASIK, surgeons make a corneal flap that can be repositioned after treatment. LASIK is the more comfortable and convenient option. But when a thin cornea rules out LASIK, PRK is often the treatment of choice.

Post: How do newer lens implants work?

Price: Standard lens implants such as those used in cataract surgery replace the eye’s natural lens. But the implantable contact lens (ICL), or Visian lens, leaves the crystalline lens in place. ICLs are situated in front of or behind the colored part of the eye and can be removed if necessary.

Post: Who is a good candidate for an ICL?

Price: ICLs are especially beneficial for those with moderate to severe astigmatism or nearsightedness. For instance, research shows that ICLs provide better visual acuity than LASIK for people who can only read the top few lines of an eye chart. These lenses are also excellent options for those with very dry eyes that can worsen after laser surgery, and when the cornea is too thin for LASIK, which, as mentioned, requires making a flap in corneal tissue.

Post: Does vision-correcting surgery offer more than an improved appearance and convenience?

Price: Certainly. LASIK and lens implants improve functional vision compared to glasses and contacts, especially when people engage in outdoor activities or exercise. Safety is another big plus of “unaided” visual correction because people don’t need to change and clean their contacts—not just when camping, but in day-to-day living. Additionally, people who require thick lenses due to severe astigmatism often experience less visual distortion with these surgeries than with glasses or contacts.

Post: What about cost and insurance coverage?

Price: The costs of PRK and LASIK are similar and some policies offer partial coverage. ICLs run about $2000 more, an amount generally paid out-of-pocket. Most practices offer payment plans.

Of course, do your homework. Talk to friends who had vision correction. And before scheduling your procedure, ask your surgeon how often he or she has done it.

Francis Price, M.D., is medical director of Price Vision Group in Indianapolis and founder of the Cornea Research Foundation of America (cornea.org).

Optical Options for Getting Rid of Glasses The Saturday Evening Post

My sed rate is back to normal, and I am doing much better. However, I am having “crinkling” of the retina. My eye doctor says this is not due to the Hydroxychlor. Can you tell me what might cause the crinkling to develop? My vision is now slightly blurred. Thank you for any comments.

M
Tennessee

“Crinkling” of the Retina The Saturday Evening Post