Happy Living Tip: Distance Makes the Eyes Grow Stronger
November 8, 2007 by Sara Ost
Filed under Happy Living Tip, Your Body
Blinded by the death rays. Again.
Fact or Fiction: Sitting close to your computer monitor for extended periods of time (such as in the case of those with a full time job and/or internitis) can damage your vision permanently.
Fiction. And yet not. Sort of. (Just like James Frey!)
Here’s the fake part: though permanent damage called myopia (near-sightedness) can result from closeness (near-work), it is very, very rare. It seems to appear in a subset of some people, but scientists haven’t been able to pin down any definitive risk factors. In other words: chances are you won’t get near-sighted from near-work, but you can definitely get severe eyestrain. Eyestrain is basically the equivalent of a marathon for your eyeballs without the prerequisite preparation or training. Many of us push our pupils to the limits on a daily basis. If you notice cloudiness, soreness, or find yourself blinking a lot, you’re at risk of giving yourself eyestrain. The most common eyestrain symptoms include burning, vision trouble, and aches, and in some cases it can be debilitating.
Now, I know how addictive surfing the web can be, and the addictiveness of work really goes without saying. But every half hour or so, at least look up from your screen for a minute. Take a walk before and after lunch or break up your day into two-hour chunks with mini 4-minute respites from the monitor. Just so you know, near-work is defined as anything closer than 20″ to your face.
Wacky factoid of dubious certainty: a chi kung master I once spoke with (don’t ask, or do, or whatever) said that the reason we rub our eyes when they are tired is because our hands hold so much chi and we are giving our eyes a fresh burst of energy.
Photo: Greefus Groink (Flickr)
HT: Scott for SciAm
Bonus (you’re so welcome): double vision like you’ve never seen it…
Good points. I’ve been pretty myopic since 13, but I had a great eye doc, and he told me basically the same things, and that you just need to listen to your eyes. If they start to ache he said take a break from what you’re doing or change your focus…
Great pic BTW
I am definitely guilty of waiting until my vision is blurry to turn off the computer.
But I’m one of those 20/20 lucky ducks despite years of reading under the covers. 
Have you thought about LASIK?
Yes you are a lucky one … or good genes
I’ve though about Lasik, but my contacts don’t really bother me – I wear them for a week or 2 then put in new ones, and Lasik is a permanent surgery that they always seem to be improving … so I think I’ll wait 
Has anyone had lasik and how did it work? Do you have to repeat it later?