Headaches and eye problems

Working with a computer can cause eye complaints but not eye disorders. Such eye complaints are usually the result of tiredness of the eyes, and may include burning, pricking eyes and blurry sight at the end of the working day. Headaches are also a common complaint. Tired eyes and other complaints can have various causes, including:

• illegible text due to reflections from light on the screen, a font that is too small or a vibrating monitor
• too great a contrast between the screen and its surroundings (e.g. the surroundings are too light and the screen too dark, or the monitor is placed in front of a window)
• reflections from table tops or walls
• differences in distance between the monitor, document and keyboard, so that the eyes continuously have to refocus.

Headaches can also be the result of tension and cramped neck muscles. This can be due to the work posture, for example if you tilt or turn your head for a longer period of time to read a text.

Age is another important factor in eye complaints. Employees who wear reading glasses can experience problems when reading text from a screen because a monitor is further away than paper documents are. The easiest solution to this problem is to set up the work station so that the documents to be read and the monitor are placed at an equal distance from the eyes. If such a setup cannot be implemented, monitor glasses may be a good alternative. The reading distance in monitor glasses is tailored to the location of the monitor.

Work posture

A good posture is very important when working at a computer. A correct working posture can prevent symptoms and other problems in the posture and motor systems.