Glasses will preserve your vision, how the monitor should be positioned, health, the correct position of the monitor for health, the correct way to sit at the monitor

The fact that you are reading this article allows me to assume that your workplace at least sometimes (and maybe often) is at the computer. Not only the success of doing things at the computer, but also your health depends on the proper organization of your workplace. Moreover, we are talking not only about vision and eyes. If not properly organized and planted, it suffers

Most people, alas, pay little attention to their workplace, the convenience of the computer desk, and also the chair. Often the basic proportions that must be adhered to for physical comfort are not observed.

How to reduce the unpleasant consequences of working at a computer for a long time? How to properly organize your workplace?

The location of the monitor relative to the eyes, light sources, as well as the height and shape of the chair are extremely important.

So, point by point:

Correct posture at the computer.

The back is tilted a few degrees back. This position allows you to unload the spine, improve blood circulation in the area between the torso and hips, which is especially important for men in the prime of life (think from a young age so that prostatitis and hemorrhoids do not appear). Hands are freely placed on the armrests of the chair. Elbows and wrists are relaxed. The hands have a common axis with the forearms: they do not bend or extend. Only the fingers work. The hips are at right angles to the body, the knees are at right angles to the hips. Feet stand firmly on the floor or on a special stand.

Buy something convenient work chair, which will allow you to effortlessly maintain the correct posture at the computer. It is desirable that you can adjust the height of the seat and the tilt of the backrest, and move on casters. The ideal backrest of the chair follows the curves of the spine and serves as support for the lower back. The seat is tilted slightly forward, which transfers some pressure from the spine to the hips and legs. The edge of the seat is slightly curved - this reduces pressure on the hips. The chair (chair) should be hard or semi-rigid, this will improve blood circulation in the pelvis.

When working on a computer, take a ten-minute break every hour, during which you look into the distance, get up from your chair, do a set of exercises, or just walk around. It’s a good idea to put on holey glasses every two to three hours, which relieve spasm of the eye muscles. These are the first recommendations. Stay tuned for more.

“Dangerous, unacceptable amount!” - the researchers answer. Despite the apparent absence of physical stress, the body is subjected to enormous stress, the consequences of which, in addition, tend to accumulate. Literally everything suffers - vision, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, psyche.

Some of you, dear readers, may say: “Why are you scaring? I’ve been living like this for many years now, and nothing’s wrong, I’m healthy!”

Don't rush to rejoice. Pathological processes occurring in the body may not be too noticeable in the initial stages, but one day there will definitely come a time when they make themselves known. But since the time of Hippocrates it has been known that it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it.

So what should you pay attention to? How to reduce the risk of illness if your professional activity inevitably chains you to a PC display? Let's try to figure it out. To do this, we will need to consider the impact of long-term computer work on various body systems.

Vision

We use our eyes to read information from a computer display; this process occurs almost continuously during the entire time of communication with the machine. Constant and prolonged strain on vision causes a syndrome that has become known in medicine as CVS or “Computer Vision Syndrome.” What pathological processes are its cause?

The first process is dehydration. Concentrating on the information displayed on the monitor, we simply forget to blink! Blinking is an important physiological process; at the moment when the eyelid slides over the eyeball, it is moistened and dust microparticles are washed off from its surface.

(Source: Wikipedia)

When we stop blinking, the surface of the cornea begins to dry out, and dust particles aggravate the irritation. In addition, with such concentration of attention, we involuntarily open our eyes wider than usual, thereby increasing the area of ​​​​moisture evaporation. The result is pain in the eyes, photophobia, weakening of the protective functions of the eye, and an increased risk of conjunctivitis.

The second process is a violation of accommodation.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Accommodation is the ability of the lens to change its shape, which ensures focusing on objects located at different distances from a person.

During operation, the distance from the eyes to the display almost does not change, and the pupil remains in the same position for a long time; the muscles work only to “finely adjust” the sharpness. Long-term forced monotony in the work of accommodative muscles leads to their dysfunction; their ability to change the shape of the pupil is weakened, leading to nearsightedness or farsightedness (depending on the distance between the eyes and the monitor). If you already have accommodation problems, staring at a display for long periods of time can easily make them worse.

It is also worth noting that concentrating attention on the displayed information forces the lens muscles to continuously perform the above-mentioned “tuning” work, which leads to their fatigue and subsequent pathology.

The third process is “burnout” of the retina. This process is most pronounced among those who constantly work a lot with text. The image on the monitor in this mode of operation changes very little, and part of the light-sensitive cells of the retina - rods and cones - constantly receives a constant illumination pattern. These cells, which receive uniform and intense illumination for a long time, become tired, and the efficiency of restoration of photopsin pigments (which decompose under the influence of light, forming the neurochemical response of the retina to light) decreases.

(Source: Wikipedia)

*Rod – wand, a light-sensitive cell responsible for black-and-white vision;
*Cone – cone, a light-sensitive cell responsible for color vision;
*To Brain (English) – to the brain.

The result is a decrease in the strength of vision, a weakening of the ability to see in the dark.

What to do?

The first and most important method of combating CVS is rest! Studies have shown that every 30-40 works it is advisable to take short breaks, during which you perform simple exercises.

Exercise 1 - “Closer and further”: This exercise is best done near a window. Alternately focus your gaze on a close object (for example, your own finger) and a distant object (the window of a house in the distance). Try to position your finger so that it is almost in line with the distant object, so that you hardly have to shift your gaze.

Exercise 2 – “Rotate your eyes”: We look straight ahead. Then we make several movements with the eyeballs “left - down - right - down - right.” Then - a series of similar movements back and forth along the upper arc.

Exercise 3 – “Closing your eyes”: We close our eyes tightly several times in a row.

During the exercises, we essentially warm up the accommodative and oculomotor muscles, and also stimulate the blood supply to the eyes and help normalize intraocular pressure. Try it and you will feel how your tired eyes will feel better.

Don't forget about blinking either. A good reminder could be a piece of paper stuck on the monitor with the call: “Blink!”

Important points are also the correct location of the monitor in relation to the eyes: a distance of at least 50 cm, the angle between the line of sight directed to its center and the normal (perpendicular) at the same point should be about 35°.

It is worth remembering about proper lighting. It shouldn’t be too bright, but you shouldn’t work in the dark either. When planning the location of your workplace, it is worth keeping in mind the location of light sources, including windows: there should be no glare or outside light on the monitor. Pay special attention to this aspect if your monitor has a “glossy” matrix.

If you can’t completely get rid of glare and flare, you can try making a lens hood from ordinary drawing paper and securing it to the monitor with tape. The beauty of the workplace may suffer, but your own health is usually much more expensive than aesthetics.

Musculoskeletal system

The working day has not yet ended - and my neck and shoulders already hurt, my wrists ache, and I feel an unbearable pain in the arch of my hand lying on the back of the plastic rodent. No wonder; The body of the hero of the keyboard and display front requires no less attention than his eyes.

What are the main problems arising in this area?

Spine and back muscles

A table that is too high or too low, as well as an uncomfortable chair, can cause serious problems for your back and neck. If the monitor is positioned incorrectly relative to the eyes, the person working behind it is forced to tilt their neck, bending the spine, which leads to increased stress on the muscles and intervertebral discs. Fatigue of muscles leads to pain in them; an incorrect position of the spine ultimately leads to curvature of the spinal column, osteochondrosis, and herniated intervertebral discs.

hernia_intravertebralis2 copy

(Source: A.D.A.M. Inc.)

Another reason for the development of muscle pain and osteochondrosis is the non-ergonomic design of the work chair; Very often, cheap chairs purchased en masse for offices have too short or flimsy backs and seats, there is no lumbar support, and the adjustment options leave much to be desired.

Shoulders, arms, hands.

Your chair doesn't have armrests and your desk isn't deep enough to replace them with the ability to rest your forearms? This means that after a while you will probably notice discomfort in your shoulders and forearms. Wrists and hands won't have to wait long either.

The need to support your arms will quickly tire your muscles, turning your work from intellectual to physical. If you already have problems with the spine, and you are constantly forced to consciously control the position of your own back and neck, fatigue of the arm muscles will inevitably make your task more difficult.

What to do?

First and most importantly, try to make working at the computer COMFORTABLE. If the table is too low and the chair is difficult to adjust in height, place something under the monitor; You will also have to invent a stand for the keyboard and mouse. If the table is too high, raise the seat higher and don't forget the foot rest; legs should not dangle in the air. However, it is much better to ask your boss for a normal desk.

What you sit on is just as important. A chair used for long-term work at a computer must have armrests and a wide back with a height of at least from the pelvis to the shoulder girdle; The relief of the back should provide for the presence of lumbar support (without a backrest, you should not work for more than a few minutes at all!). If the design of the chair allows for adjustment of the inclination of the seat and backrest, as well as the height of the armrests, this is very good; The ability to change your working position will help you feel less tired.

p_pc_ergo_richtig_falsch

*or 10 minutes every hour, or 15 minutes every hour - there are many options, everyone chooses their own optimal rhythm of work and rest.

Get out of your chair and walk around the office. Stretch. Shake your hands so that they relax. If possible, do some simple exercises.

Exercise 1: “The bird spreads its wings”: Stand with your feet together and your arms hanging freely along your body. Rise onto your tiptoes, simultaneously arching your back forward in the thoracic region and moving your arms slightly back, while trying to turn your hands with your palms facing outward. Repeat several times. This exercise is intended primarily for those who tend to slouch; it warms up the back muscles and forces the spine to straighten.

Exercise 2: “reverse pendulum”: This exercise can be performed either standing during a break, or sitting in a chair, looking up from working with the keyboard for a minute.

Interlace your fingers in front of you so that your palms face outward. Raise your clasped hands above your head and stretch. Bend to the sides so that the torso deviates from the vertical, but the pelvic girdle remains motionless.

This exercise fights scoliosis, but not only; Some of the muscles being warmed up also work to maintain the back in a straight position.

Exercise 3: “shoulder play”: This exercise can also be performed standing or on the job.

Move your shoulders. Raise each shoulder separately several times, then both together; the movement is similar to a normal shrug.

Move first one, then the other shoulder back and forth. Try moving both shoulders at the same time (one forward, one back).

Now, for those who wish, the most difficult thing: shoulder rotation. Try rotating each shoulder back and forth so that the elbow remains more or less motionless. Happened? If so, try rotating your shoulders in opposite directions: right - forward, left - back, and vice versa.

I'm sure that after a few attempts to get your shoulders to work correctly, you will feel incredible relief once you return to work. If you can control your shoulders, you'll have a great little set of exercises to help your body withstand the rigors of intense mental work.

It is easy to understand that this series of exercises warms up the stiff muscles of the shoulder girdle. By the way, it’s a good idea at the end of this series to deeply but carefully shake your head – left and right and back and forth. This will help relax your neck muscles.

If you realized it too late, and the curvature of the spine has become a sad reality for you, do not under any circumstances start the process. The spine is the seat of the main conducting system of the body - the spinal cord, the roots of which provide innervation to most body systems. If osteochondrosis or, especially, a disc herniation occurs, damage to these roots is possible, which can lead to irreversible health problems. Consult a doctor; He will prescribe posture corrective measures for you, including physical therapy, positioning therapy and manual therapy (massage), and possibly wearing a special posture corrector.

Nervous system

The most complex and mysterious of all body systems; from uncontrolled spending time at the computer, it does not suffer as clearly as the eyes and musculoskeletal system - but the consequences can be much longer and far-reaching than it seems at first glance. In addition, its work is closely connected with the work of ALL other systems of the body, so in no case should even the slightest signs of a disorder in its functioning be ignored.

What, you ask, are the possible problems with it?

Carpal (tunnel, wrist) syndrome.

Probably everyone has heard about it, but few people have any idea what it is. But in vain. After working for a long time, do your wrists and arches begin to ache? Do symptoms appear more quickly over time? Does the brush just start to “shoot”? Congratulations, it's him. It is caused by a small gap in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. Through this gap pass blood vessels, nine tendons of the muscles of the hand and the trunk of the median nerve, which is the source of our troubles.

During prolonged monotonous work with the keyboard and, especially, the mouse, the muscles are constantly and uniformly loaded. This cannot but affect their condition, as well as the condition of their tendons. The latter may swell due to this load, which leads to compression of the median nerve in the narrow space of the carpal tunnel. Nerve pinching can also occur due to an awkward position of the hand, when it is constantly at a significant angle in relation to the forearm.

The resulting reactive swelling of the nerve aggravates the already desperate situation of everything in the cramped wrist tunnel, including the nerve itself, which is compressed even more.

If this process is started, the consequences can be disastrous. There is a violation of both sensory and motor functions provided by the median nerve. The hand loses sensitivity, muscle strength, precision of movements, and severe pain forces you to completely give up working with a computer, sometimes for up to several months. Worse, over time, disturbances in the carpal tunnel can cause connective tissue to grow in it, which leads to permanent compression of the nerve; This condition can only be cured by surgery.

What to do?

The first and most important thing is to take care of the correct position of the hands when working with the keyboard and mouse: the hand and forearm should, if possible, be located on the same straight line.

The best way to do this is a special mouse pad, which comes with a separate wrist pad that moves on rollers.

Rest is also extremely important. Experts recommend stretching your hands every 10 minutes, removing them from the mouse and keyboard. It is very good to give your hands alternative physical activity, for example, using a wrist expander or several useful exercises:

Exercise 1: “shaking”: Stretch your arms straight out in front of you, relax your hands. Gently wave your relaxed hands up and down.

Exercise 2: “bending the wrist”: Place your hands in front of you. Raise and lower your hands up and down smoothly, trying to stretch and stretch your hand muscles. Then make the same smooth, pulling movements with your brushes left and right.

Exercise 3: “rotation”: Place your hands in front of you, palms up. Rotate your hands straight in front of you, first inward, then outward, trying to help the rotation with your fingers.

If pain has already appeared, but you still need to work, try, in addition to rest and exercise, to change the pattern in which your hands work. The easiest way is to use the operating system settings to swap the mouse buttons; Surprisingly, the brush becomes lighter almost immediately. In a more advanced stage, in order to protect the damaged limb, you can throw the mouse under your left arm; Soon you will be able to get used to the new location of the “rodent”. And be sure to consult your doctor.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

This syndrome is called the scourge of modern civilization. Its essence is that over time, a person whose work is associated with significant neuropsychological and emotional stress begins to experience rapidly occurring fatigue, against which even proper rest becomes insufficiently effective. Extremely intense concentration of attention that occurs during prolonged work with a computer is an active prerequisite for the occurrence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (hereinafter referred to as CFS). Its mechanism has not been fully studied; one of the working hypotheses is a violation of magnesium metabolism in the body due to dysregulation of the nervous system.

A frequent accompaniment of CFS is a decrease in overall immune status and the activation of viral infections (most often these are herpes-like viruses, for example the Epstein-Barr virus). Symptoms accompanying CFS - pain in muscles, throat, joints, enlarged lymph nodes - are often identified in the initial stages as signs of another disease, and only the absence of a noticeable effect from therapy and a thoughtful approach to the medical history * allow us to make the correct diagnostic conclusion.

Anamnesis (from the Greek anamnesis - memory): a set of information obtained during a medical examination by questioning the person being examined and/or people who know him. The study of anamnesis, like questioning in general, is not just a list of questions and answers to them. The style of conversation between the doctor and the patient determines the psychological compatibility, which largely determines the ultimate goal - alleviation of the patient’s condition. © Wikipedia

In fact, it is not entirely correct to clearly classify CFS as a pathology of the nervous system. This disease is multisystem; Almost all systems of the body suffer from it to one degree or another. However, the undoubted involvement of the nervous system exposed to stress in its pathogenesis forces us to mention it in this section.

What to do?

This cannot be done without thoughtful consultation with doctors - primarily a neurologist, endocrinologist and psychologist. It is necessary to carefully analyze many factors, including your own lifestyle, the stress to which the body is exposed, even such points as the quality of food and the mode of its consumption. Experts will advise you on how to properly adjust your life activity, perhaps prescribe various types of strengthening therapy (therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy), and offer a course of vitamins. And, of course, they will draw your attention to the absolute need for timely and proper rest. Alas, we, living in the 21st century, increasingly and completely forget about the fact that we also need to be able to rest, carried away by its ever-accelerating rhythm.

Central Nervous System and Psyche

Overwork and computer workaholism.

We have all heard about the terrible phrase “computer addiction.” People who spend long hours playing online games, chatting, forums and text pagers eventually begin to experience symptoms of addiction similar to those observed in classic drug addicts. But, before we move on to consider this very unfortunate phenomenon, it is worth mentioning those for whom the computer remains a working tool - but typical tasks force them to sit in front of it for many, many hours. Constant intense concentration of attention during these hours is a serious stress for the nervous system; her mental state is directly related to her status.

People who work at a computer for excessively long periods of time may experience a number of changes in their psychoneurological status, including increased irritability, withdrawal, and inhibition of reactions. Sleep disorders are common, which also contribute to the occurrence of psychopathological conditions.

Computer workaholics, like their regular counterparts, become less and less social over time; work overshadows all other values ​​for them, including family, friends, and the need for rest. The latter is especially unpleasant, because constant thoughts about work do not allow the workaholic to fully rest. This means that his nervous system will accumulate stress, which sooner or later will cause much more serious mental and physical health problems.

The peculiarity of computer workaholism is that the intensity of concentration when working with a computer is generally higher than when working on paper; therefore, the stress experienced by the nervous system is also of higher intensity.

What to do?

On the one hand, the desire for career growth and the desire of honest workers to have time to do more in order to be free by the time of the planned vacation are understandable. But be careful! Your health is synonymous with a normal life, that is, what you are trying to improve in pursuit of career goals. If you forget about this, the monetary increase that you earned through hard work may not be enough to compensate for the damage that you managed to cause to your health, not to mention the problems in your personal life. By the way, it is worth paying attention to the fact that workaholism often arises as compensation for psychological trauma in this area. Alas, usually this method only leads the workaholic to a new round of the same problems.

That is why I strongly recommend paying attention to the repeated comments of colleagues and family members; Workaholism is difficult to notice only for the workaholic himself. Contact a psychologist; it will help you not only solve problems that have arisen with your family and colleagues, but also learn how to relax properly and choose the method that best suits you.

And one more thing about rest. The great Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was right when he argued that “a change of activity is rest” - but only partly right. Many of the popular recreational methods these days, such as extreme sports, do not provide sufficient rest to the body simply because they continue to tire it, albeit in a fundamentally different way. Often, they require no less intense concentration than when working at a computer - while an exhausted nervous system requires a completely different approach. Therefore, it is extremely advisable, along with physical relaxation, not to forget about relaxing, relaxing types of recreation. Many eastern techniques, such as qi gong, yoga, tai chi and various meditation techniques, help with this. If for some reason it is difficult for you to join one of them, turn to art.

Calm, beautiful music and contemplation of works of fine art are the easiest and most accessible way to relax. And if you have a cat, feel free to just sit in a chair with him, quietly stroking his ear. The effectiveness of this method was known to the ancient Egyptians.

Computer addiction

Here we come to one of the most discussed problems associated with the use of a computer in all areas of life. Such significant attention to her did not arise out of nowhere; in the absence of obvious pathological processes, dependence on the computer and the Internet every now and then becomes a stumbling block for relationships at home, at work or in any other established societies.

Computer addiction poses the greatest danger to children and adolescents. Their psyche, which has not yet had time to form, is formed under the influence of all factors of the surrounding world. If at some point it is replaced by the virtual world, the psyche begins to receive false messages for its development. Communication on the Internet promises tempting ease and freedom from barriers. Psychologically, communicating with distant, invisible, virtual interlocutors is much easier - only when it comes to real communication, previously dormant barriers suddenly create an insurmountable barrier between people. A person who has replaced the skill of live communication with a virtual one is unlikely to be successful in both work and personal life. Even worse, the amount of time teenagers spend on the computer without supervision from parents and teachers is directly detrimental to learning many things necessary in life.

However, make no mistake; Computer addiction is not limited to children and teenagers. Many adults, who discovered the attractiveness of the virtual world late, immerse themselves in it, preferring digital adventures and victories to solve pressing problems. And then, if the hobby is not brought under control in time, computer addiction develops gradually.

Stage one, passion – easily reversible. A person is seriously addicted to a game or an Internet resource, to such an extent that it begins to affect work or study. One mistake, another, a third. Decline in overall performance, postponing work tasks until later.

What to do:

A couple of painful lessons and the attention of others can effectively stop the unhealthy trend. If this does not happen, it may occur

Stage two, addiction already clearly bears signs of pathology. When weaned from the network or game, a withdrawal syndrome begins to appear, very similar to the “withdrawal” of ordinary drug addicts. The first signs of depression appear, decreased performance, sleep disturbances – even insomnia*.

To raise “psychological tone”, various food and medications are often used - from excessively consumed coffee, energy drinks, alcohol and cigarettes to real drugs. Gradually, psychosomatics can become involved - headaches, aches in the limbs, digestive disorders.

Interest in the world around us noticeably decreases, even in those aspects that were previously not indifferent - art, sports, communication with the opposite sex. Spending money on a computer and/or network services becomes significant.

Stage three, social maladjustment. A person’s attention is almost completely captured by the computer and the network; at the same time, as a rule, he no longer receives noticeable pleasure from the process of playing and communicating - but at the same time he is already so attached to this process that he cannot interrupt it. Depression becomes permanent and long-lasting, work productivity drops to zero, and irreparable discord occurs in family and personal life. Withdrawal symptoms intensify, while contact with the world is reduced to a minimum. Significant mental disorders and outbursts of unmotivated aggression begin. Suicidal tendencies may develop. Psychosomatic disorders acquire an organic character; activation of bacterial and viral infections is possible.

What to do:

This stage is characterized by the need for serious psychological and even medical assistance; Few people are able to get out of this state on their own, and as a rule, this happens as a result of exposure to events that include stress. It is absolutely clear that it is not worth bringing it to this stage.

A computer is a working tool, an assistant, a teacher, a friend, a playmate. He is capable of bringing a lot of benefit in any of these guises; you just have to remember that the best machine cannot replace the whole world, and, like any tool, it has a way to do the job correctly.

Don't forget about this, please - and be healthy.

P.S. And for those who heroically read this long article to the end, we have prepared a small gift - a song.

It was written about a year and a half ago, but when the idea for this article arose, it became clear that it was very suitable as a musical addition..

We sincerely hope that this song will lift your spirits - and at the same time, perhaps, temporarily distract you from your sworn friends - the screen and keyboard.

Song " Run (Cybereverything)" recorded at ASiD Studio in April-May 2009.
Music and lyrics– Oleg “Jerry Starheaven” Gorobets
Arrangement– Vladimir “TGR” Alimin, Oleg “Jerry Starheaven” Gorobets
Vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica- Oleg “Jerry Starheaven” Gorobets
Bass guitar, samplers, programming- Vladimir “TGR” Alimin
Sound engineer– Vladimir “TGR” Alimin

The average modern person spends about 50 hours a week looking at a computer screen. Is this related to tired eyes, headaches, blurred vision and difficulty focusing and what should be the distance from the eyes to the monitor so that these problems can be avoided or at least minimized?

No matter how comfortable the distance from your eyes to the monitor is, if you spend a lot of time at the computer, it is very important to take regular breaks and exercises for visual rest. Here are some helpful tips to help minimize the negative effects of spending too much time in front of a work screen.

• Make sure that if you need glasses to look at the screen, you wear them.
• Blink regularly. During focusing, visual reflexes slow down somewhat, you will involuntarily blink less, resulting in dry, irritated and tired eyes.
• Remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look 20 feet (six meters) beyond your monitor. During this short time, the eye muscles will receive the break they need, which will help increase the speed of blinking.
• Try to keep the distance from your eyes to the monitor within 40 to 76 centimeters. Most people believe that boundaries from 50 to 65 centimeters are the most convenient and optimal.
• Make sure the top of the monitor is at or just below your horizontal eye level.
• Tilt the top of the monitor away from you at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees. This will create an optimal viewing angle.
• Keep your screen clean from dust and fingerprints.
• Try to position your monitor so that there are no distracting reflections (such as from a window).
• Use an adjustable chair that allows you to sit at the correct angle and optimize your body position and distance from your eyes to the computer monitor.
• Use appropriate character size. This important factor largely determines what the distance from the monitor to the eyes should be.

Optimal computer position

How can you measure visual comfort by eye? Make sure your computer monitor is positioned approximately an arm's length away from your normal sitting position. The top toolbar of the screen should be approximately at the same horizontal level as your eyes. If it is too low, you may be at risk of developing neck pain. If it is too high, it can lead to additional overstrain of the eye muscles.

The monitor should be tilted vertically to avoid unnecessary glare from overhead lighting. Your keyboard and mouse should be located directly in front of you on your desktop. If you place them at an angle, you will be at risk of developing unilateral neck and shoulder pain. The distance from the eyes to the computer monitor also plays an important role.

A scary trend

The amount of time we spend looking at screens has increased dramatically over the past few years. This is all due to a sedentary lifestyle and lack of necessary physical activity. All this affects mental well-being, and anxiety disorders increase. What distance from the eyes to the monitor will help to avoid problems and will not negatively affect our vision in the future?

No one really knows for sure whether long-term use of digital devices causes permanent eye damage. One thing is certain: spending an irrationally long time at the computer definitely leads to increased eye strain and associated discomfort, which is also called eye syndrome.

Myopia epidemic

A person spends about 7-8 hours on a full and healthy sleep. He spends approximately the same time looking at various monitors: TV, computer, tablet or smartphone. All of this is believed to contribute to increased levels of myopia, or nearsightedness. It is obvious that the growth of this disease is gradually reaching epidemic levels throughout the world.

Discomfort and side effects

There's no doubt that spending too much time in front of a screen causes eye strain. The monitor is an integral part of the workplace for many people, mainly office workers. If placed in the wrong position, it can force the operator to work in a variety of awkward positions, which can lead not only to discomfort, but also to potentially dangerous musculoskeletal injuries.

Other side effects of a poorly placed monitor include eye irritation, blurred vision, dry, stinging eyes and headaches. A common complaint among computer operators is discomfort in the neck and shoulder area. The huge number of such complaints indicates that the position of the monitor, including the distance from the monitor screen to the eyes, is an important factor in organizing a computer workstation.

Requirements and regulations: what you can do to protect yourself

What factors determine the correct position of a computer monitor? First of all, this is the viewing angle and viewing distance. There are certain requirements and recommendations regarding this. The vertical viewing angle should vary between approximately 15 and 30 degrees. Some people doing visually complex tasks may limit downward eye movements and use an angle of up to 60 degrees. When using (17", 19" or larger), you must ensure that the top of the screen is not at a higher level than the user's eyes.

As for the distance of the eyes to the monitor, it is worth turning to the natural physical characteristics of vision. Looking at long distances does not cause eye fatigue, unlike the muscular effort required to focus on objects located at close distances. The shorter the viewing distance, the greater the muscle effort. The standard that provides visual comfort for most computer users is a viewing range of 40 cm to 70 cm.

Do you know that if you organize your workplace correctly and take the right posture when working, you can minimize the impact of the computer and its rays on your health.

Simple rules for positioning your computer monitor relative to your eyes

You are sitting at a computer with a very wide monitor. Will your eyes get very tired? At this point, the location of the monitor relative to your eyes and light sources plays an important role.

Lighting when working with a PC should not be very bright, but not absent at all; the ideal option should be considered dim, diffused light.

Place your desk so that the window is not in front of you. If this option is unavoidable, then we advise you to buy thick curtains or blinds that will directly cut off your light. If the window is located on the side, the solution remains the same - curtains, blinds.

Photo/picture of how to position the monitor correctly and sit correctly

The most convenient and correct location of the monitor at your workplace will be as follows.

The seat itself is most comfortable at an angle of 135 degrees, as shown in the picture. In this position, a person is less susceptible to the problem of back pain, etc. Of course, in this case you need a large enough monitor so that your eyes are as comfortable as your body.

These are recommendations. In most cases, you should proceed from the existing furniture, monitor, and your physiological characteristics. The purpose of the article is to let you understand how to correct the shortcomings and make working at the computer healthier and more comfortable.

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To work comfortably on a computer, several factors must be taken into account. These factors are related to the arrangement of the workplace and the correct mode of work. Proper workspace setup includes the right selection of furniture, the right location of the computer and the right lighting. With the work schedule, the situation is simpler: you just need to organize your work in such a way that your eyes get tired as little as possible. Let us consider here several main points that affect vision when working on a computer, and we will derive several general rules.

I think it’s not worth going too deep into the correct selection of furniture for a computer, because with the advent of laptops, tablets and all kinds of gadgets, the concept of “computer” has expanded much. In this regard, a variety of furniture has appeared, designed for each specific device. For example, if a desk for a desktop computer should be equipped with a retractable shelf for the keyboard (preferably), then such a shelf is useless for other devices. The only thing that can be said here is that the furniture should be comfortable, stable and ensure correct body position while working on the computer. So let's move on to the next points.

Installing the monitor

To achieve comfort and convenience when working, it is very important to install the monitor correctly. You can buy the most wonderful modern monitor, expensive office furniture, but all this will not make much sense if the monitor is not installed as it should be. In addition, improper installation of the monitor leads to a manifold increase in eye strain.

We list the basic rules that must be followed when installing the monitor.
1. The monitor screen should be located at a distance of at least 55-60 cm from the eyes. If you find it difficult to read text at this distance, we recommend setting the font to a larger font size.
2. The center of the monitor screen should be approximately at the user’s eye level or slightly lower (at an angle of up to 10°).
3. The monitor should be located opposite the keyboard (it is strictly not recommended to place the monitor and keyboard diagonally).
4. The monitor should be installed so as not to reflect extraneous light (in other words, not to glare). Even with an anti-reflective coating, which many modern monitors are equipped with, when exposed to direct light, the image quality noticeably decreases (contrast decreases, etc.). The best option is to position the monitor perpendicular to the light source.

We organize lighting

Another important factor on which the degree of visual load depends is the correct lighting of the workplace.
There is a misconception that when working at a computer, lighting does not play a big role: they say, the screen glows anyway, the information on it is read and viewed, what difference does it make what is shining around. Proponents of this theory are deeply mistaken: the lack of proper lighting of the workplace will very soon affect the user’s eyes.

The effectiveness of a person’s work activity depends on the lighting of the workplace. According to experts, with optimal lighting, labor productivity increases by 15%. Properly organized lighting helps to avoid vision problems and other occupational diseases.

When organizing workplace lighting, you should be guided by the following rules.
1. The user’s field of vision should not be subject to reflections, glare, or bright light sources.
2. Too bright lighting interferes with normal visual perception of the image on the monitor screen (contrast is lost, etc.).
3. The light should not be too weak. In low light, fatigue appears much faster (both general and eye fatigue), and headaches occur. The best option when working at a computer is diffused, slightly dim light.
4. The monitor screen should be illuminated evenly: this helps reduce eye strain and reduces eye fatigue.
5. It is not recommended to install the computer so that the window is behind the monitor. If it is impossible to do otherwise, then during work the windows must be covered with thick curtains (it is best to use blinds). In addition, you can put a special visor on the monitor (the visor on the monitor performs approximately the same role as the visor on a regular summer cap), which will prevent excess light from entering the monitor.
6. It is not recommended to work with your back to the window. If this option is inevitable, the solution is the same - thick curtains or blinds. It is best when the monitor is installed perpendicular to the window.
7. If the optimal option for general lighting has been selected for the room, then the presence of local lighting (table lamps, etc.) in most cases is not required. If, however, there is a need for local lighting, then you should not use fluorescent table lamps for this: under certain conditions they can cause discomfort.

Obviously, compliance with the listed rules does not cause any difficulty. At the same time, the comfort and convenience of work increases many times over, and the load on the visual organs is significantly reduced, so you should not neglect them if you care about your vision.

Basic rules for working on a computer

When working on a computer, it is recommended to follow the rules regarding the duration of work, correct posture, size of fonts and images, room requirements, etc. Some of these rules are already familiar to you: these are the rules for installing a monitor and lighting the workplace, etc. Next, let's Let's get acquainted with some principles of proper computer operation. So, basic rules for working on a computer.
1. The work area (room) where computers are installed must be wet cleaned daily.
2. The room in which they work on a computer should be ventilated hourly.
3. After every hour of work, it is recommended to take a ten-minute break (it is convenient to combine it with ventilation). In any case, continuous work on a computer for an adult should not exceed two hours. It is not recommended to read or watch TV during the break. The break you spend on the computer (for example, playing games or surfing the Internet) has no meaning.
4. It is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the monitor screen: it must be clean, free of stains and dust. In addition, you need to keep your glasses clean, if you have them.
5. Be sure to monitor your position. Proper fit means the following:
- feet stand firmly on the floor or on a special stand;
- the thighs are located at right angles to the body, and the shins are located at right angles to the hips;
- you need to sit straight or slightly leaning forward;
- fingers are at the level of the wrists or slightly lower - in this position they are most mobile;
- wrists - at the level of the forearms;
- the shoulders are relaxed and freely lowered, which helps to relax the arms;
- the distance from the eyes to the monitor screen is at least 55-60 cm;
- the center of the screen is at eye level or slightly lower.
6. It is recommended to do this at least once or twice a day.
7. To prevent dry eye syndrome, blink every 3-5 seconds.
8. While working at the computer, be sure to pay attention to your breathing: it should be uniform, without delays.
9. When working with text, it is recommended that the font color be dark and the background color light (ideally, black font on a white background).
10. If the font is too small, you should increase the document scale (for example, to 150% or more).
11. When typing texts from paper, it is recommended to place the source as close to the monitor as possible. This will avoid frequent head and eye movements.
12. If possible, change the nature of the work performed during the day.
13. While working, it is recommended to periodically (about once every 20-30 minutes) move your gaze from the screen to the most distant object in the room, or even better, to a distant object outside the window.
14. If you feel tired, tense, drowsy, or have heavy eyes, you should stop working and at least rest a little.

Most users are advised to adhere to these rules. However, in addition to this, everyone can be guided by certain additional principles determined by the specifics of the work, corporate requirements, nuances related to health, etc.

The rules given here were taken from