Do you feel eyestrain or fatigued after only a few hours of working on the computer? Do you find that when you get up and move away from the computer for a short break you feel better, only to get sleepy again when you return back to the computer. This is common among computer users daily, especially the bifocal age computer users over 50. When your eyes get tired, so goes your body and mind. Learn how to re-energize your eyes so your body and mind stay alert.
Working at a desk top computer over fifty years of age with your general purpose prescription eyeglasses can be challenging on your eyes. The eye’s focusing ability is under a strain to keep the content on the screen clear. Just because you can see the computer screen clearly through the distant portion of your glasses doesn’t mean you are not taxing the eye’s focusing ability to maintain a sharp focus. Also, lifting your chin up to see through the mid portion of your progressive style lenses will have consequences on your neck and back due to poor ergonomics. The reason you are using a bifocal is to see at close reading distance clearly for extended periods of time.
Desk top computer use is usually more demanding beginning in the late forties or early fifties. Viewing through the distance portion of your eyeglasses to see just beyond the reading range to the computer screen puts a strain on your eyes by overworking the eye’s accommodative/focusing ability. The amount of lens power necessary to relieve the eyes from the stress is about half the amount of power necessary for you to read with.
A dedicated pair of computer glasses will always work wonders, or if you want to save money a clip-on computer reading lens with the correct power magnification will solve the problem. This additional mid-range power will change the upper distant portion of the glasses to arm’s length computer distance. The clip-on user can see the computer screen without lifting their chin up and having to reposition themselves closer to the screen. This will immediately ease eyestrain and back pain associated with poor visual and physical posturing.
The difference between using some magnification for the computer distance while in your late forties and older, versus not is demonstrated with this simplified example. Given a choice, would you rather walk two miles to work or ride a bike the two miles? You’ll get there either way, but you will spend a lot less energy using the bicycle. This is the reasoning and science behind using a dedicated pair of computer glasses or using a computer clipon lens.
Your bifocal add power allows your eyes to focus on reading with less accommodative (eye muscle and lens focusing ability) effort and greater comfort for long periods of time more efficiently. A dedicated pair of computer glasses or a computer clip-on will do the same thing for desk top viewing. Otherwise, looking at a PC monitor through the distant portion of your bifocal or progressive lenses is like walking versus riding the bicycle to work example; you my be able to do it but you eyes will get tired sooner. It has always been my belief that when your eyes get tired, so does your body. You now have a choice to beat sleepiness while working at the computer, and re-energize your eyes with better vision and with less physical stress on your posture.
You can visit your eye doctor and have him prescribe a special pair of computer glasses, or check out the clip-on computer reading glasses. Either way, working at the computer with the corrected vision will make you less sleepy.