Ahmed Maher Egypt Local time: 13:27 Member (2010) English to Arabic + ...
May 18, 2010
Hi,
Although I use the best LCD screen, I still stop working and shut down my computer because of my tired eye.
Is this the same problem with you when you keep working for long hours, is there a new technique to keep our eyes from computer screens, or shall I use a medical glass while working?
Thanks,
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Maaike van Vlijmen United Kingdom Local time: 12:27 Member (2009) Italian to Dutch + ...
screen colour
May 18, 2010
Hi Ahmed,
I installed this yesterday: http://www.stereopsis.com/flux/
It adjusts the colour of your screen, depending on the time of day (you enter where you live) and the light you use in your room.
I like it!
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Wordeffect France Local time: 13:27 Member (2009) French to English + ...
A real problem with computers!
May 18, 2010
Hi Ahmed,
Yes, tired eyes can be a real problem. Glasses might help, but there are other ways to relieve the strain:
Do you type on a white background? If so, try setting "Display" (if using Windows) via the Control Panel, so that the working window is a restful shade of pale blue or green, but not too bright (mine is a greyish turquoise).
Type big - large clear fonts make a real difference. Computers are normally set up by default to type at 10 point size, but I usually use 12, or when I'm having a bad day, 14 or even 16: nice big fat letters, and I can read them at a glance.
Look away from the screen regularly, too. Just looking out of the window for a couple of minutes and following lines up and down (trees, edges of buidlings) or from side to side (telephone wires, roofs, horizon) with your eyes is a helpful exercise. Or just sit with your eyes closed, but then you might fall asleep!
But nothing beats getting away from the computer altogether! Can you print out at least part of the document and do some translating every day, in the afternoon maybe, the old-fashioned way on paper? It's much more relaxing. Your productivity overall mght even improve.
Best wishes, Alison
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GerSi Slovenia Local time: 13:27 Member (2010) German to Slovenian + ...
the cause can be the source of light also
May 18, 2010
Hi Ahmed and Maaike,
if the screen is in best condition, think about the light in your working area. If the lighting is poor and soft (yellow for example), the eyes get very tired. Especially if you often work at night.
Make sure that the whole room is lightened from different angles. One lamp at night is not sufficient.
I always use at least two (one for the whole room, and one to light my working area).
Insufficient amount of sleep can also be the cause.
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Years ago I had a relationship with an ophtalmologist. As her clinic was very close to a large bank's main quarters, it provided her with an endless stream of patients whose eye problems were caused by working on a computer all day long, five days a week.
According to her, surprisingly, the worst problem is not the monitor/screen itself, but... the mouse!
The eye needs lubrication, which is done with tears. Okay, the lacrimal glands secrete them, but the eyelids must spread those tears over the eyeball. So we have to blink often in order to spread this lubricant. Our brain "automatically" makes us wince now and then, so this is a natural effect. However the act of clicking the computer mouse "fools" the brain into thinking I've blinked already, no need to do it again now. So mouse-clicking computer users tend to blink less than they would otherwise, which causes poor eye lubrication, and hence tired eyes.
So her advice was that computer users should intently - not only instinctively - blink more often for this lubrication to occur. To help, there are lubricant eyedrops available everywhere, however one should first consult with an eye doctor for two reasons: 1) to make sure that the eye weariness is not caused by anything else that should be treated - as the eyedrops could mask the symptoms; 2) to determine the most compatible eye lubricant for them (e.g. possible allergy to some ingredient in the formula).
Considering this, the monitor is more of a convenience for your work. Recently my 20" LCD monitor had some trouble, so while it's being repaired I'm using my old 15" CRT one. After I got the right resolution set on the CRT, my eyes don't get tired from using it... because long ago I trained myself to blink more often when I am at the computer.
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imatahan Brazil Local time: 08:27 Member (2009) English to Portuguese + ...
Kifak
May 18, 2010
Hi, Ahmed,
I have hypermetropia, and it makes my eyes easily tired. The main symptom is sleepiness.
The doctor told me to get away from the computer fr about 10 or 15 minutes before returning.
Also I have to use some lubricant eyedrops.
But taking care of your monitor colours and the intensity of your environment light is very important too.
صباح الخير
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Lingua 5B Bosnia and Herzegovina Local time: 13:27 Member (2009) English to Croatian + ...
Good light, eye lubrication, taking brakes..
May 18, 2010
... all these help as prevention.
Definitely, I also use an appropriately arranged lighting in my workroom, from different angles and perspectives of the room. You may also use soft soothing colors on your furniture and your surrounding, such as white, soft green etc.
Careful with eye drops, they may indeed cause irritation, and consequently infection. Never use them without talking to an eye doctor first.
Here is one good eye exercise originating from yoga:
1. stand still, keep your body still yet relaxed enough
2. move your eyes up and down while not moving the body ( 10 times)
3. move your eyes right and left while not moving the body( 10 times)
4. move your eyes making circles clockwise, as if writing a wide circle around the room ( 10 times)
5. move your eyes making circles counter-clockwise ( 10 times)
6. rub your palms together strongly and vigorously until they become hot ( you may use some herbal cream on your palms to achieve this bio heat easier)
7. put those hot palms on your wide open eyes at the length of 3 mm
8. stare at your hot palms at this close distance for as long as the palms are hot ( at least 2-3 minutes)
9. repeat the steps 6-8 at least one more time
This exercise lasts for only 5 mins, but it's very handy and efficient ( against eye strain, migraines, etc).
[Edited at 2010-05-18 11:54 GMT]
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Suzan Hamer Netherlands Local time: 13:27 Member (2007) English + ...
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a widget or something to remind us...
May 18, 2010
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
So her advice was that computer users should intently - not only instinctively - blink more often for this lubrication to occur.
I've often noticed I get so lost in translating or editing that I forget to breathe or breathe very shallowly. I wonder if there isn't something you could download that every so often would remind you to breathe. You know just a voice that would say (at intervals you set/specify yourself): "Breathe." After reading this, I guess it would be handy to have a voice to remind you to blink too...
[Edited at 2010-05-18 12:29 GMT]
Be nice too if you could specify the voice /personality of the voice...
[Edited at 2010-05-18 12:30 GMT]
Or would it just be annoying to have a voice interrupting your train of thought?
[Edited at 2010-05-18 12:31 GMT]
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Suzan Hamer wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if there was a widget or something to remind us...
Sure! You could have a timed strobe that would strike a xenon light (like a camera flash) on your face every so many seconds, then you'd wince by brute force. But that would be self-cruelty.
Blinking is part of the training for working long hours at the computer. Unfortunately, as a computer is not part of Nature, there is no natural reminder.
However compare it to swimming, where a a most important part of the training is inhaling air while your mouth/nose are out of the water, otherwise you'll drink gallons of it! That's the way Nature reminds you of doing it.
For mouse-clicking, there is no natural reminder to blink.
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Valeria Sciarrillo Italy Local time: 13:27 Partial member (2010) English to Italian + ...
Maybe you could set an alarm
May 18, 2010
...that periodically reminds you to breathe. You could do that easily on your mobile, and set it with a short mp3 file that plays an ocean wave or something, so it's relaxing, not too distracting, and breath-inspiring.
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Tokyo_Moscow Japan Local time: 20:27 Partial member (2008) Japanese to Russian + ...
Blueberry and/or blackcurrant suppliments
May 18, 2010
To add to what was already mentioned, it could be useful to take vitamin A and blueberry or blackcurrant supplements to help keeping eyes healthy.
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Ahmed Maher Egypt Local time: 13:27 Member (2010) English to Arabic + ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks a lot
May 18, 2010
Hi all,
Thank you all for your contributions. It seems that we have no direct solution, but to take rest and spend less hours on our computers. In fact 2 years before I was thinking that using projector is the good solution, but It was some how expensive. Now I will study buying that projector to give it a try.
By the way, thank you Tokyo_Moscow, but what is the blueberry or blackcurrant supplements?
Thanks,
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Mirella Soffio Italy Local time: 13:27 Member (2002) English to Italian + ...
Me too!
May 18, 2010
I've often noticed I get so lost in translating or editing that I forget to breathe or breathe very shallowly.
It's such a relief to know that I'm not the only one to whom this happens!
Mirella
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Henrik Pipoyan Armenia Local time: 16:27 Member (2004) English to Armenian
A not very standard solution, but it helps a lot
May 18, 2010
The better you know the keyboard and the software you work with, the less you strain your eyes. You can read the original and then, when typing the translation, just close your eyes. This may be difficult in the beginning, but then you'll get used to it and will "save" at least 50% of your eye-sight. Sometimes also zooming in the text a little reduces the tension on the eyes manifold. And, of course, you can check your monitor's settings; it should have different modes, one of them being "text". That's the best mode for working on texts.
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John Fossey Canada Local time: 07:27 Member (2008) French to English
Reading glasses for computers
May 18, 2010
An ophthlmologist once told me (decades ago) that reading glasses are standardly focused at 14 inches. Strikes me that times have changed, now that we're using computer screens often located vertically at the back of desk, not pieces of paper located horizontally at the front of the desk.
Does anyone have experience with reading glasses specifically made for computer users?
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That's the way Nature reminds you of doing it. 
