Save 11 Minutes: (if you are in a rush) 3:57 Airflow ( @Jairo Espinel ) -don't sit directly in air conditioning -remove airborne particles (dust, pollen) 5:17 Dryness - If you can't keep your eyes open comfortably for 10 seconds, - use eyedrops or hot compress (moisture) 5:30 (lower) Viewing angle - reading below eye level preserves water by reducing exposed surface area 7:20 Proximity - closer objects --> more work - younger people have an easier time reading up close 8:00 20-20-20 Rule - every 20min = look 20ft away for 20sec 10:10 Optimal Monitor Placement - 20 inches away - 15 degrees below eye level Take care of your eyes as they will only get more difficult with age. Utilize the 20-20-20 rule and optimize your workspace to reduce exposure. If you feel your eyes burning, be sure to use eyedrops or warm compress!
I hate RUclips for encouraging creators to stretch and drag their videos to +10 minutes (many admit it), wasting our time when the video could easily be like 5 minutes.
@@nonsudunk If you're talking about other videos, then yeah I agree. But not for this video; I don't think this video was dragged out. The extra info may not be relevant to you but it will be for others.
nah this was a huge waste of time in terms of relevant information per time he repeated the same words like 4 times in a row in just the first 3 minutes
Thank you Antonio - I am at the computer all day and do get eye fatigue, blurred vision, even headaches. My Optometrist has told me for years that I have dry eyes - I could not really understand this too much as my eyes tend to water a lot - I am not crying . . .
Excessive tearing is actually one of the signs and phase of dry eyes . The reason behind it is that our brain will stimulate the lacrimal gland to produce more tears to relieve the dryness from your eye. After that phase of tearing then comes the actual drying of the eyes.
@@AntonioTheOptom Hi Antonio, Is it possible can we completely cure the eye tiredness and pain, but still work on the computer? Any light arrangements from back ground and top or anything you can recommend? Thanks
I'm a graphic designer and I've been doing my work digitally for almost 7 years now (plus the fact that I use my PC for personal stuff daily). When I was at graphic design school, I remember we had our screens tilted and lowered, almost touching the top of the desk and our chairs were slightly set higher so we could sit somewhat above the screens. In addition, our professor always told us that our eyes shouldn't be positioned directly at the center of the screen but slightly above it, kind of similar to the way one would comfortably read a book at library or when sitting on a tilted desk that's ideal for drawing. It was really comfortable doing my work with that setting until I actually got a job... I would always adjust my screen and desk to what I found comfortable and easy and my boss would *always* undo everything the next day and scold me about it. He used to tell me that my position was "wrong" so he would set the screen way higher than what it was comfortable to be doing 8 hour work on and also told me to lower my chair because "it's not flattering" to be sitting that high (I never understood what that meant????) so my eyes would get strained from staring up constantly on that screen would turn red. After some time of getting tired with his bs he finally admitted that the reason he kept setting my screen that high and me sitting lower was so he can also look at my screen from his desk without me blocking the view.... not to mention that I already have eye problems like myopia and astigmatism, this would leave me with a sense of dizziness and difficulty focusing throughout the day. I'm glad though that I left that workplace behind me, for this but for a lot of other reasons as well.
@@unsanitizedbabywipes6154 if you read the story, the boss scolded them because the boss wanted to be able to see their screen from their office's point of view. please read the whole story
I built a monitor setup that has two rows of monitors, one at eye level and the second row above eye level. After a few months of use I started having almost daily eye pain. Your explanation about looking up stressing and drying the eye more makes a lot of sense.
I'm interested what you think about VR. The screen is projected at virtual infinity, and the objects being looked at are at different directions, so eyes move. Still, blinking less is a thing since games are games, and working in VR is still staring at a screen.
@NiCat07 Yep it does use distortion to make eyes have to move to focus. Also, it's projected at infinity using lenses. So it's basically like holding an infinitely large phone at infinite distance from your eyes. Well in theory, if the lenses were perfect. Practically they project the image at some distance between hundreds of meters and infinity, depending on the quality of the lense. Static dublicated images do cause a lot of strain since all distances are treated equal, causing the eyes to always point at it directly. That's usually called flat VR, by people who use vorpX or something and the game doesn't support full 3d projection.
@@ichosolemanuel6048 Staring at the moon for extended periods of time. So yea eyestrain is still an issue. But less than a monitor close by. I feel less strain using VR for long periods than playing games on a monitor, but that maaay be because my monitor is far too close to me.
@@ichosolemanuel6048 Nah. You can't take your eyes off from the screen for some seconds, so it's not good either. It's probably in the 'needs more research' camp. I have only experience from my own eyes, and it feels less harmful, but that also is only, "it feel". So yea, less harmful than you would think, but not sure of long term effects.
This is the most realistic recommendation video I have ever seen on youtube. The ultimate highlight is at 8:07. I will demand of all my friends to watch this video. Please make a short version (2 min) of this video where you focus on only risks and prevention. This is probably the most important video in our internet and smartphone time to prevent the population from going sight handicapped.
Oh, that angle of the gaze. I bought a tablet and use it like a book. Instead of sitting in front of a monitor. With eye drops I really feel better. Now I have a better explanation why :)
This is one of very few BS-free videos on eye strain when using a computer screen. Perhaps you could also have mentioned "focus hunting", but that was mainly an issue with old CRT monitors.
@@0q2628 If you try to focus on a blurry or flickering image, such as on old CRT displays, the "autofocus" mechanism of our visual system continuously shifts accommodation distance, trying (and failing) to find the perfect focus (similar to autofocus in your camera or you have several differently spaced objects in the frame, or try to focus through dirty window or curtains.) This causes fatigue of tiny muscles that squeeze the lens in order to shorten its focal length.
@@bazoo513 All I could find on the topic just now was people adjusting the focus of a CRT. Would this still apply to non-blurry modern LCD/OLED strobed displays? And does increasing the refresh rate/strobe rate reduce this effect? All modern VR headsets strobe their display(s) to drastically reduce motion blur. Active 3D displays and some gaming monitors also use strobing for that reason.
@@rohansampat1995 Another myth. Electron beam does, in theory, produce some bremsstrahlung in soft X-ray range, but tube glass absorbs it all. I measured it myself. As for low frequency EM radiation, it was mostly invention by Nokia, in order to promote their "low radiation" monitors.
Thank you so much Antonio! This video was so informative and destroyed all of the misconceptions I'd been fed as a kid about spending too much time on screens haha
@@nonsudunk it's probably about how the eye problems occur. It's not the screens itself, it's that you're looking at a close things and focusing too much for a long period of time. It really doesn't matter whether it's TVs, computers, phones, or books. The screen is not the problem, the behavior surrounding it is. ~~though if you spend enough time in front of screens that your parents are concerned, definitely should go check how much you actually are using it, and if your eyes get enough rest~~. Usually parents can be overly concerned, but it's better than being careless and ruining your eyes. Also, "if used wrong" is such a broad statement it works for everything ahahah. Forks can blind you if you stab yourself in the eye too~
I love this guy's voice I can listen to him talk all day long about anything and everything :-) actually I've been a systems administrator for about 40 years now and I sit at a desk surrounded by four computer monitors which I'm constantly looking into all day long and then of course I come home I do some work on my laptop and then I'm on my phone doing things and my eyes are a mess. I never attributed the worsening eyesight to dryness. But I'm going to take all of his suggestions and hope that I get some relief. Sometimes my ice burns so much I can't look at the screen cuz it literally feels like I'm looking into the open door of a nuclear reactor. That's when I get up and walk away for 10 or 15 minutes. But yeah this is what they call progress I guess. Thank you for the video Antonio
Love the 20:20:20 rule. Gonna try to adopt that! Immediately feeling super grateful I set my studio desk looking out through a large window to trees and nature. (shame it's night here right now!) Gonna make it much easier to get myself in the habit!
The real issue is LED light. And NO, its' not about blue light. I've worked for 15 years with CRT and CCFL monitors without any problems. Then when I bought my first led monitor I immediately felt eye and head pain. Now years later, I have to buy second hand CCFL monitors to be able to work. I still buy some when I find good ones on second hand websites. I cannot buy brand new monitors. I've already tested 2 led monitors supposed to be "low blue light", or low eye strain etc, but it doesn't work. Thousand of people have the same problem, some forums are full of their experiences but no one has ever found a solution.
*Ditto!!* Even though I know it’s more of a niche topic, which causes it to not get the kind of “foot traffic” that other topics/channels get… I’m still genuinely shocked at how low his subscriber and viewer numbers are-given his effortlessly charismatic personality in front of the camera, the quality of his videos and the way he breaks the information down, so that people like me-(who have zero optometry knowledge/experience) can even understand and learn from it! ☺️👍
Wow...that last tip about the monitor looking a bit up changed the way I do stuff at my PC forever. It feels like the space has been warped for good. Thanks a lot doc 👌
I've been a full-time rather obsessed programmer (working many hours per day) for more than 40 years now, and I'm at the age which my eyesight would be fading anyway. Habits I picked up early which have probably helped have been: (1) to make a point to keep blinking fairly often, (2) make sure I have some light on the wall behind my computers lit up, so I'm not staring at a bright screen with a very dark background, (3) occasionally looking up and running my eyes along the intersection of the walls and the ceiling, and (4) Turning off overhead fluorescent lights while working on the computer. That fourth one is almost certainly not as important now as it was back when my computer monitors were CRT's. There are interactions between the flickering of fluorescent lighting and CRT refresh rates which many people will not notice, but which add to the strain on your eyes.
Thank you! I was experiencing blurry vision, and I went to see an optometrist, mentioning that I knew it was due to more than normal watching videos online. She told me it wasn't due to computer overuse, but aging!
I'm so glad I found you Antonio. You are so absolutely thorough and extremely knowledgeable. You are in my opinion the most inspirational and helpful eye care professional I've seen and heard on the tube or in real life. . Thank you so very much for your generosity and willingness to help us all make educated choices. You've helped me so much i now have confidence in what and why I purchase a particular pair of glasses. Thank you so much Antonio. If you live in Australia I need to turn my family on to you. I'm in the USA
Thank so much Antonio for this very informative video. One of the best I have seen recently. I will share it to my yoga students, young and old ones. Great job !!!
Some really interesting facts here especially about the blinking. I started having problems with my eyes when I started working on computers in addition to undiagnosed longsightedness. Ouch!
8:57 what are your computer glasses? Full correction with blue-light filter or simply like 1.00D SPH weaker (whatever you need to only see clearly up to the screen and not beyond)?
@@BattousaiHBr Yeah I would rather just use Night Light in Windows to get rid of it completely (blue turns black). I just wanted to know what this optometrist uses.
@@tywald no, i mean there's no real reason to avoid blue light like the plague. it's not harmful. if you're worried about sleep, if you're not already having sleep issues then there's no reason to worry.
this video actually answers why i usually hear other people complaining about monitors hurting their eyes while i usually have no problems at all even though im regularly on for more than 10 hr a day. I actually sit lower than my monitor, my eyes are about inline with the bottom 1/4 so im usually looking up which i would assume is about the same as looking down. Also my monitors are about 28-30 inches away, much further than even the recommended 20".
Thank you for the great info! I would've liked to to see a mention of eye "stretching" exercises. I think this is a thing they do in schools in some Asian countries like Japan. I'd guess that taking periodic short breaks from looking at the screen is one mitigation measure, and that doing a quick eye stretch routine is another. The routine also seems to give a slight boost to alertness and fatigue. This is what I remember of it and occasionally perform: Without moving your head, look all the way to the left, then all the way to the right, briefly pausing at each side and not rushing the movement, and do that X number of times. Then look all the way up and down X times. Then looking all the way to one side, slowly move towards looking at the top of your FOV, always aiming to look at the edge of your FOV, and continue this all the way around in a circle a few times, then repeat in the opposite direction. Another thing I have heard of is that you should try and focus your eyes on something far away from you for 30 seconds every once in a while. Any thoughts on this and what proper implementation of these stretches would be or if you're aware of different routines?
A lot of misinformation here - modern computer screens do not DAMAGE the eye more than watching real life around us - it's not like computer monitors emit any radiation or anything - so they do not "DAMAGE" eyes. What they CAN do is cause eye fatigue, dry eye (computer eye syndrome) which causes red eye syndrome, gritty feeling, etc. If you squint a lot, you will get blurry vision (usually temporary as your cornea finds its original shape after you take a rest). BUT no permanent damage to retina or other component of eye - there are other age related and health related issues that progressively can affect eyes - if you have proper form, take frequent resting periods, that's the ideal - prolonged computer sessions can cause way more serious issues, and at most eye fatigue, but you won't go blind, nor will you burn your retina, nor will you damage your optical nerve, or damage eye - people should never confuse eye fatigue and strain with damage, the side effects of computers on eyes is generally temporary unless you have other underlying conditions. The whole computer screens damages eyes has always been a myth - TVs have gone a long way. The problem with computer exposure is that people tend to blink less frequently, so the cornea does not get as frequently lubricated as it should, it could cause dry eyes. As far as people noticing their eye sight getting worse - WELL, they are probably the people who are wearing glasses for computer use, and another pair for reading or no glasses otherwise - your brain can get used to that sharp and focused look, and when you take your glasses off, you will see blurrier. Age also plays a role as our cornea loses its original shape. Computers don't just etch holes in our eyes :P
Good advice to do with using specific lenses for working at the recommended screen positioning (very similar to my setup at home). I generally prefer to use a pair that are specifically arranged for focussing at roughly that distance with fixed focus. For other things I wear a progressive pair that are good for close up paper reading, intermediate, and long distance. However, they are not optimal for intermediate distance screen work as the horizontal in-focus angle is quite small. The specific reading glasses are better at that working position. It is then possible to scan around the screen without moving one’s head at all - I.e. in a natural fashion, rather than things being out of focus through parts of the progressive lenses, especially in the intermediate zone.
I play a lot in my free time and my monitor is pretty close to my eyes but i don t feel any problems with my eyes but my parents always say i m not alowed to play because of my health but i dont have any problems so are they in the right?
Me, not paying attention to the one video I should because I'm focused on not looking at the screen much and not having the screen too close to my eyes
Ironically watching this video means staring at a digital display for 11 minutes ... still very multifaceted and comprehensive, so thanks! It explains why, when I was growing up, my mom's insistence that I not sit so close to the TV, lol ... it does make me wonder about long term/permanent damage though.
Thanks for the tips about blinking, tilting the computer screen and the 20/20/20 rule. I sometime get dry eyes and eye fatigue after long screen sessions.
Hi, I've a few queries. 1. When I look at any text in a screen with dark mode on i.e black background and white text, I see repetition of word above a specific word. Not like full double. But above the original text in screen I see a little bit blurred out and transparent version of the same text. 2. Not only in screen but also in outer world when I look into text on top of buildings at night same happens. I've found out that whenever I try to see brighter text/objects in dark background this happens 3. I went to doctor and I were suggested to use artificial tears. I've been using for 3 months but not much improvement 4. One side note. Even though I live in a 3rd world country where "treatment" is not properly considered a basic need, after collecting money, I went to the country's one of the top doctor. While I was mumbling my problems, he shouted out and asked me to tell any specific problems which is very serious. If I knew what is serious or not would I go to his place. Anyways eventually after telling my condition he suggested artificial tears. Due to his rough behaviors I went to the government's Opthalmology institute after many days this test and that test they couldn't find out any specific glass which I need to use or not. Eventually suggested the same artifical tears. Anyways, do you have any suggestion regarding my issue? At least what is the name of my condition. When I use artificial tears I usually get bullied by my friend.
I don't usually leave comments if I have nothing specific to discuss, but I have to say this was very informational, clear, and well-made. (+ No sponsors, which is getting rare for this kind of content. Of course, I would be glad if you get sponsors, but purely informational videos like this one feel really good without).
@@agps4418 A spoon of sugar makes the water sugary. Imagine he would be selling these anti-bluelight glasses that are sold for this kind of eye strains but are ineffective (they only help with falling asleep), would the advertiser allow him to explain it doesn't work? No. So it would impact the whole content. Many of these videos are made purely to sell products, and if it's selling something, it's normal to doubt about all the infos. Here there is no doubt about the sincerity of it all.
@@Raskass-td8lm it's up to him to get sponsors. i'm sure you wouldn't be dumb enough to believe a single youtube video over anything anyway. a truthful video will have other references backing them up on the web. and it's the viewers duty to do research for their own sake, instead of blaming inaccuracies of sponsored contents on a free platform.
Really informative. Please make a video on whether laptop use is better or having a laptop connected to an external monitor is useful so we don't strain our eyes.
I've been a heavy computer user for 40 years. At 48 I have accelerated presbyopia which started around 44. I now only use my "normal" far sighted glasses for driving these days. I have to squint (smaller aperature) to read with these normal glasses. I noticed this week, that while tired I struggle to focus on my phone or text on the TV. Might be time for an upgrade. Since starting to use "reading glasses" for the computer, I have also tended to make the screen scale and font size much larger and sit back away from the screen. Until I started using them, I had a tendency to hunch up close to the screen with my chin propped on my hand.... which didn't do wonders for my neck or wrists, which are also showing signs of acclerated "wear and tear". My GP put it to me, regarding occupational health risks, "Well, the lads working on the roads don't feel it in their 20's either, but they do feel it in the 40s 50s and 60s."
What I hate is all TV's, monitors, tablets, phones all have the brightness set way too high to be comfortable.. I really hate when older relatives hand me a tablet to install, setup, or fix their devices for them and they are set to burn your eyes out bright..
It’s like the best gaming setup with a PC could be to be sitting 6 meters away from your large TV with your controller or it could also be good for productivity applications for longer periods! :)
05:13 -- I appreciate the eye-drop suggestion, but that opens up new questions for me. How many drops should I use on each eye, and how often can I use eyedrops? If I feel the need, can I use two eyedrops on each eye every hour? Is that too much? Too little? Is there a limit beyond which eyedrops would actually start to harm my eyes? How do I know what that limit is? Is it the same for everyone? Also, at the drugstore I noticed there are several different types of eyedrops, even gel. It's so confusing. How do I even know which type is right for me? Do you have a video about this? There's just a lot to unpack, and I feel like knowledge, generally, is like a Lost episode: every answer you get leads you to even more questions!
what i do know is you only need 1 drop for any eye drops administered. there's no space for more than that on your eyeball surface, the rest is just gonna spill.
Thanks for your full and easy explanation! With all my respect, I can't agree with you completely. The one source of pain in the eyes is the way how GPU renders a picture on a screen. I can easily use my laptop from 2018 and my iPhone SE (1 generation), but none from laptops from 2023 (windows laptops and Macs) are not comfortable for me. Now I hurt my eyes badly with a modern laptops testing and I feel so much pain that I can't use my iPhone 13 and a laptop from 2021. But a laptop from 2018 and iPhone SE can be used now 24/7 without any eye strain. How can we explain that? Besides you should consider the PWM technology that is used in most OLED displays now and its harmful affection on focusing muscles. After a week of using MacBook Pro m2, my eyes lost the ability to focus at mid and long-range distances. And this symptom is completely gone after switching to other devices that don't use PWM at all. My eyes completely explored 3 times last year and it's 100% healthy. Your point that the only users are responsible for their computer eye syndrome development, but in reality, the computer manufacturer also does a lot of things that also increase the load on your eyes
probably not, but considering LASIK is about scraping off the cornea, I'd guess we have plenty of it before any major complication, unless you sit in front of an air current all day every day.
Very good presentation! Enjoyed your thorough, yet succinct delivery. I need someone like you teaching in our program...fancy a trip to Vietnam anytime soon?
My eyes are so dry, to itch them, all I need to do is just move them around. Furthermore, I use the hot washcloth trick and if its bad, the diluted lemon juice in the eye trick. The latter is more rare for me to do, but my eyes water like crazy. (I’m aware I’m irritating the eye with the lemon.) I had this as a child from a young age, and still have it 6 decades later. It has remained pretty stable, not getting worse nor better.
I've been trying to find any info on this topic but never found anything. Thank you RUclips for recommending me this video. Every time I look at my monitor, my eyes want to shut a little more but when I look outside my window, my eyes act fine. I've been off work then I got this issue. I play games daily or lookup stuff on my computer. I wear glasses and have astigmatism. 26 male.
Last few days for the first time in my life I felt that my eyes were tired. Left eye saw worse in the distance. I did not google that video, it just poped up, which is pretty weird to me. Anyway, after a session of heavy lifting in the gym, my eyesight is normal again! I won't ever skip a week again.
There's a problem with how modern Operating Systems render the picture. I can sit in front of Windows 7 PC for hours and don't feel any eye strain. And I also can't stand more than 30 minutes using Windows 10/11 on THE SAME hardware. I quickly start feeling eye strain, dry eyes, nausea etc.
Hi! Great video. Any guidelines for how much light in the room? My GF and I have this (friendly) argument about if you can be working on a computer in a dark room of if you should turn the lights on when it starts to get dark. Thanks
Save 11 Minutes: (if you are in a rush)
3:57 Airflow ( @Jairo Espinel )
-don't sit directly in air conditioning
-remove airborne particles (dust, pollen)
5:17 Dryness
- If you can't keep your eyes open comfortably for 10 seconds,
- use eyedrops or hot compress (moisture)
5:30 (lower) Viewing angle
- reading below eye level preserves water by reducing exposed surface area
7:20 Proximity
- closer objects --> more work
- younger people have an easier time reading up close
8:00 20-20-20 Rule
- every 20min = look 20ft away for 20sec
10:10 Optimal Monitor Placement
- 20 inches away
- 15 degrees below eye level
Take care of your eyes as they will only get more difficult with age. Utilize the 20-20-20 rule and optimize your workspace to reduce exposure. If you feel your eyes burning, be sure to use eyedrops or warm compress!
thank you
I hate RUclips for encouraging creators to stretch and drag their videos to +10 minutes (many admit it), wasting our time when the video could easily be like 5 minutes.
@@nonsudunk If you're talking about other videos, then yeah I agree. But not for this video; I don't think this video was dragged out. The extra info may not be relevant to you but it will be for others.
BS reaction; the whole video was interesting.
nah this was a huge waste of time in terms of relevant information per time
he repeated the same words like 4 times in a row in just the first 3 minutes
i've never blinked more times in a span of 11 minutes and 39 seconds
Watching a computer screen to learn about Watching a Computer Screen.
Thank you Antonio - I am at the computer all day and do get eye fatigue, blurred vision, even headaches. My Optometrist has told me for years that I have dry eyes - I could not really understand this too much as my eyes tend to water a lot - I am not crying . . .
You’re welcome Cheryl, you may benefit from some hot compresses if they are watering 😁👍
Excessive tearing is actually one of the signs and phase of dry eyes . The reason behind it is that our brain will stimulate the lacrimal gland to produce more tears to relieve the dryness from your eye. After that phase of tearing then comes the actual drying of the eyes.
@@nestorenriquez3284 Never thought of it that way, thank you.
So how long the blurry eyes stay???? Does digital eye strain can last long? And what did you do to combat it?? Please tell. Thank you.
@@AntonioTheOptom
Hi Antonio,
Is it possible can we completely cure the eye tiredness and pain, but still work on the computer?
Any light arrangements from back ground and top or anything you can recommend?
Thanks
I'm a graphic designer and I've been doing my work digitally for almost 7 years now (plus the fact that I use my PC for personal stuff daily). When I was at graphic design school, I remember we had our screens tilted and lowered, almost touching the top of the desk and our chairs were slightly set higher so we could sit somewhat above the screens. In addition, our professor always told us that our eyes shouldn't be positioned directly at the center of the screen but slightly above it, kind of similar to the way one would comfortably read a book at library or when sitting on a tilted desk that's ideal for drawing.
It was really comfortable doing my work with that setting until I actually got a job... I would always adjust my screen and desk to what I found comfortable and easy and my boss would *always* undo everything the next day and scold me about it. He used to tell me that my position was "wrong" so he would set the screen way higher than what it was comfortable to be doing 8 hour work on and also told me to lower my chair because "it's not flattering" to be sitting that high (I never understood what that meant????) so my eyes would get strained from staring up constantly on that screen would turn red. After some time of getting tired with his bs he finally admitted that the reason he kept setting my screen that high and me sitting lower was so he can also look at my screen from his desk without me blocking the view.... not to mention that I already have eye problems like myopia and astigmatism, this would leave me with a sense of dizziness and difficulty focusing throughout the day. I'm glad though that I left that workplace behind me, for this but for a lot of other reasons as well.
What a telling set of events. Boss sounded like a dickhead
why would your boss scold you about your preference?
@@unsanitizedbabywipes6154 if you read the story, the boss scolded them because the boss wanted to be able to see their screen from their office's point of view. please read the whole story
I would have resigned right away after hearing such a stupid explanation. He's compromising an employee's health just because he's insecure. Fuck him.
@@knie1172 Might have been referring to if she was wearing a skirt, if so then it would be partially understandable.
I was blinking like a maniac throughout the entire video
I built a monitor setup that has two rows of monitors, one at eye level and the second row above eye level. After a few months of use I started having almost daily eye pain. Your explanation about looking up stressing and drying the eye more makes a lot of sense.
Now I can't stop blinking consciously to hydrate my eyeballs...
I'm interested what you think about VR. The screen is projected at virtual infinity, and the objects being looked at are at different directions, so eyes move. Still, blinking less is a thing since games are games, and working in VR is still staring at a screen.
@NiCat07 Yep it does use distortion to make eyes have to move to focus. Also, it's projected at infinity using lenses. So it's basically like holding an infinitely large phone at infinite distance from your eyes. Well in theory, if the lenses were perfect. Practically they project the image at some distance between hundreds of meters and infinity, depending on the quality of the lense. Static dublicated images do cause a lot of strain since all distances are treated equal, causing the eyes to always point at it directly. That's usually called flat VR, by people who use vorpX or something and the game doesn't support full 3d projection.
So when using vr headset its like looking to the moon?
@@ichosolemanuel6048 Staring at the moon for extended periods of time. So yea eyestrain is still an issue. But less than a monitor close by. I feel less strain using VR for long periods than playing games on a monitor, but that maaay be because my monitor is far too close to me.
@@ristopoho824 wow i always thought its bad for the eyes but its actually the best option out of all devices
@@ichosolemanuel6048 Nah. You can't take your eyes off from the screen for some seconds, so it's not good either. It's probably in the 'needs more research' camp. I have only experience from my own eyes, and it feels less harmful, but that also is only, "it feel". So yea, less harmful than you would think, but not sure of long term effects.
This is the most realistic recommendation video I have ever seen on youtube. The ultimate highlight is at 8:07. I will demand of all my friends to watch this video.
Please make a short version (2 min) of this video where you focus on only risks and prevention. This is probably the most important video in our internet and smartphone time to prevent the population from going sight handicapped.
Oh, that angle of the gaze. I bought a tablet and use it like a book. Instead of sitting in front of a monitor. With eye drops I really feel better. Now I have a better explanation why :)
This is one of very few BS-free videos on eye strain when using a computer screen. Perhaps you could also have mentioned "focus hunting", but that was mainly an issue with old CRT monitors.
what is focus hunting?
@@0q2628 If you try to focus on a blurry or flickering image, such as on old CRT displays, the "autofocus" mechanism of our visual system continuously shifts accommodation distance, trying (and failing) to find the perfect focus (similar to autofocus in your camera or you have several differently spaced objects in the frame, or try to focus through dirty window or curtains.) This causes fatigue of tiny muscles that squeeze the lens in order to shorten its focal length.
@@bazoo513 All I could find on the topic just now was people adjusting the focus of a CRT. Would this still apply to non-blurry modern LCD/OLED strobed displays? And does increasing the refresh rate/strobe rate reduce this effect?
All modern VR headsets strobe their display(s) to drastically reduce motion blur. Active 3D displays and some gaming monitors also use strobing for that reason.
OLD CRT displays were worse than just that. #Radiation lol
@@rohansampat1995 Another myth. Electron beam does, in theory, produce some bremsstrahlung in soft X-ray range, but tube glass absorbs it all. I measured it myself.
As for low frequency EM radiation, it was mostly invention by Nokia, in order to promote their "low radiation" monitors.
Really nice "hit like" call to action. CTAs don't often persuade me, but that one did.
I agree! It was so polite and sweet.
Thank you for making this video!
Thank you so much Antonio! This video was so informative and destroyed all of the misconceptions I'd been fed as a kid about spending too much time on screens haha
Which misconceptions did you have?
@@nonsudunk every parent seems to say that computers cause blindness.
@@anires1195 Well, technically if used wrong they can blind you
@@nonsudunk it's probably about how the eye problems occur. It's not the screens itself, it's that you're looking at a close things and focusing too much for a long period of time.
It really doesn't matter whether it's TVs, computers, phones, or books. The screen is not the problem, the behavior surrounding it is. ~~though if you spend enough time in front of screens that your parents are concerned, definitely should go check how much you actually are using it, and if your eyes get enough rest~~. Usually parents can be overly concerned, but it's better than being careless and ruining your eyes.
Also, "if used wrong" is such a broad statement it works for everything ahahah. Forks can blind you if you stab yourself in the eye too~
@@jamhamtime1878 been a gamer since 5 yr old,15 years later and my eyes is as clear as it usually is.
This video made me want to blink
Great video, very detailed overview and easy to understand.
Really appreciate you including the conversions to cms and metres etc.
I love this guy's voice I can listen to him talk all day long about anything and everything :-) actually I've been a systems administrator for about 40 years now and I sit at a desk surrounded by four computer monitors which I'm constantly looking into all day long and then of course I come home I do some work on my laptop and then I'm on my phone doing things and my eyes are a mess. I never attributed the worsening eyesight to dryness. But I'm going to take all of his suggestions and hope that I get some relief. Sometimes my ice burns so much I can't look at the screen cuz it literally feels like I'm looking into the open door of a nuclear reactor. That's when I get up and walk away for 10 or 15 minutes. But yeah this is what they call progress I guess. Thank you for the video Antonio
Love the 20:20:20 rule. Gonna try to adopt that! Immediately feeling super grateful I set my studio desk looking out through a large window to trees and nature. (shame it's night here right now!) Gonna make it much easier to get myself in the habit!
It's refreshing to hear your Kiwi accent as a fellow Aussie! The way you talk is really clear and easy to follow also. Thanks for this video!
Thank you so much for this information. I have had chronic dry eye all my life and any knowledge about it is greatly appreciated
The real issue is LED light. And NO, its' not about blue light.
I've worked for 15 years with CRT and CCFL monitors without any problems. Then when I bought my first led monitor I immediately felt eye and head pain. Now years later, I have to buy second hand CCFL monitors to be able to work. I still buy some when I find good ones on second hand websites. I cannot buy brand new monitors. I've already tested 2 led monitors supposed to be "low blue light", or low eye strain etc, but it doesn't work. Thousand of people have the same problem, some forums are full of their experiences but no one has ever found a solution.
i just stumbled across your channel and was stunned as i saw the views... your videos are so well made and the content is great! keep it going 💪
*Ditto!!*
Even though I know it’s more of a niche topic, which causes it to not get the kind of “foot traffic” that other topics/channels get…
I’m still genuinely shocked at how low his subscriber and viewer numbers are-given his effortlessly charismatic personality in front of the camera, the quality of his videos and the way he breaks the information down, so that people like me-(who have zero optometry knowledge/experience) can even understand and learn from it!
☺️👍
Wow...that last tip about the monitor looking a bit up changed the way I do stuff at my PC forever. It feels like the space has been warped for good. Thanks a lot doc 👌
I've been a full-time rather obsessed programmer (working many hours per day) for more than 40 years now, and I'm at the age which my eyesight would be fading anyway. Habits I picked up early which have probably helped have been: (1) to make a point to keep blinking fairly often, (2) make sure I have some light on the wall behind my computers lit up, so I'm not staring at a bright screen with a very dark background, (3) occasionally looking up and running my eyes along the intersection of the walls and the ceiling, and (4) Turning off overhead fluorescent lights while working on the computer.
That fourth one is almost certainly not as important now as it was back when my computer monitors were CRT's. There are interactions between the flickering of fluorescent lighting and CRT refresh rates which many people will not notice, but which add to the strain on your eyes.
Damn, this is such an underrated channel 😄
Glad you think so ! 😁😁
Forreal
I am mainly worried for the future, even though I don't have glasses now.
Thank you! I was experiencing blurry vision, and I went to see an optometrist, mentioning that I knew it was due to more than normal watching videos online. She told me it wasn't due to computer overuse, but aging!
I'm so glad I found you Antonio. You are so absolutely thorough and extremely knowledgeable. You are in my opinion the most inspirational and helpful eye care professional I've seen and heard on the tube or in real life. . Thank you so very much for your generosity and willingness to help us all make educated choices. You've helped me so much i now have confidence in what and why I purchase a particular pair of glasses. Thank you so much Antonio. If you live in Australia I need to turn my family on to you. I'm in the USA
I always iterate and use only one eye when I feel tired when reading books or staring at screens.
I'm so happy I found this channel!! THank you for creating this content, you are amazing!!
Anybody else's eyes hurt now?
Great video, really informative and thorough while still being concise.
Optometrist watching this video, really helpful when educating patients on CVS
Thank so much Antonio for this very informative video. One of the best I have seen recently. I will share it to my yoga students, young and old ones. Great job !!!
Ive never been more self conscious of my own blinking
Some really interesting facts here especially about the blinking. I started having problems with my eyes when I started working on computers in addition to undiagnosed longsightedness. Ouch!
Same here! 😂
Hi Black,
How are your eyes?
Still +3 Diopters?
One of the best explanation yet. Thanks DR🤓
I don’t know about anyone else…but my entire life, I’ve never been more aware of and deliberate with my blinking-as I was during this whole video!!🤣💝
8:57 what are your computer glasses? Full correction with blue-light filter or simply like 1.00D SPH weaker (whatever you need to only see clearly up to the screen and not beyond)?
blue light filter is a scam.
@@BattousaiHBr Yeah I would rather just use Night Light in Windows to get rid of it completely (blue turns black).
I just wanted to know what this optometrist uses.
@@tywald no, i mean there's no real reason to avoid blue light like the plague. it's not harmful.
if you're worried about sleep, if you're not already having sleep issues then there's no reason to worry.
@@BattousaiHBr Well one thing I use "Night Light" for is to be able to look at a screen straight after waking up :P
I'm glad yt recommended this to me. Thanks for the detailed explanation and the nice video doc
My eyes won't stop watering today and suddenly this pops in my feed. I must have said something about it out loud and Google heard me.
Ah, technology...! A world where this is normal.
this video actually answers why i usually hear other people complaining about monitors hurting their eyes while i usually have no problems at all even though im regularly on for more than 10 hr a day. I actually sit lower than my monitor, my eyes are about inline with the bottom 1/4 so im usually looking up which i would assume is about the same as looking down. Also my monitors are about 28-30 inches away, much further than even the recommended 20".
Holy shit dude. This is the best video about this topic I have seen so far. Thanks!!
Great point about the monitor distance. I’m going to try that to relieve eye strain. Too much laptop time.
Thank you for the great info! I would've liked to to see a mention of eye "stretching" exercises. I think this is a thing they do in schools in some Asian countries like Japan. I'd guess that taking periodic short breaks from looking at the screen is one mitigation measure, and that doing a quick eye stretch routine is another. The routine also seems to give a slight boost to alertness and fatigue.
This is what I remember of it and occasionally perform: Without moving your head, look all the way to the left, then all the way to the right, briefly pausing at each side and not rushing the movement, and do that X number of times. Then look all the way up and down X times. Then looking all the way to one side, slowly move towards looking at the top of your FOV, always aiming to look at the edge of your FOV, and continue this all the way around in a circle a few times, then repeat in the opposite direction.
Another thing I have heard of is that you should try and focus your eyes on something far away from you for 30 seconds every once in a while.
Any thoughts on this and what proper implementation of these stretches would be or if you're aware of different routines?
I’ve heard some professional e-sports players doing 20-20-20, every 20 minutes look away 20 feet for 20 seconds
This kinda blew my mind! Thank you!
Bro thanks for the green eyes nightmares
A lot of misinformation here - modern computer screens do not DAMAGE the eye more than watching real life around us - it's not like computer monitors emit any radiation or anything - so they do not "DAMAGE" eyes. What they CAN do is cause eye fatigue, dry eye (computer eye syndrome) which causes red eye syndrome, gritty feeling, etc. If you squint a lot, you will get blurry vision (usually temporary as your cornea finds its original shape after you take a rest). BUT no permanent damage to retina or other component of eye - there are other age related and health related issues that progressively can affect eyes - if you have proper form, take frequent resting periods, that's the ideal - prolonged computer sessions can cause way more serious issues, and at most eye fatigue, but you won't go blind, nor will you burn your retina, nor will you damage your optical nerve, or damage eye - people should never confuse eye fatigue and strain with damage, the side effects of computers on eyes is generally temporary unless you have other underlying conditions. The whole computer screens damages eyes has always been a myth - TVs have gone a long way.
The problem with computer exposure is that people tend to blink less frequently, so the cornea does not get as frequently lubricated as it should, it could cause dry eyes. As far as people noticing their eye sight getting worse - WELL, they are probably the people who are wearing glasses for computer use, and another pair for reading or no glasses otherwise - your brain can get used to that sharp and focused look, and when you take your glasses off, you will see blurrier. Age also plays a role as our cornea loses its original shape. Computers don't just etch holes in our eyes :P
abstract, clear and useful information👌
Good advice to do with using specific lenses for working at the recommended screen positioning (very similar to my setup at home). I generally prefer to use a pair that are specifically arranged for focussing at roughly that distance with fixed focus. For other things I wear a progressive pair that are good for close up paper reading, intermediate, and long distance. However, they are not optimal for intermediate distance screen work as the horizontal in-focus angle is quite small. The specific reading glasses are better at that working position. It is then possible to scan around the screen without moving one’s head at all - I.e. in a natural fashion, rather than things being out of focus through parts of the progressive lenses, especially in the intermediate zone.
I play a lot in my free time and my monitor is pretty close to my eyes but i don t feel any problems with my eyes but my parents always say i m not alowed to play because of my health but i dont have any problems so are they in the right?
Me, not paying attention to the one video I should because I'm focused on not looking at the screen much and not having the screen too close to my eyes
Thank you young man! God bless you
Thank you Doctor Antonio.
Ironically watching this video means staring at a digital display for 11 minutes
... still very multifaceted and comprehensive, so thanks!
It explains why, when I was growing up, my mom's insistence that I not sit so close to the TV, lol
... it does make me wonder about long term/permanent damage though.
Good video, cool visual about the eyes drying up. :)
well executed, thank you antonio.
Thanks for the tips about blinking, tilting the computer screen and the 20/20/20 rule. I sometime get dry eyes and eye fatigue after long screen sessions.
Hi, I've a few queries.
1. When I look at any text in a screen with dark mode on i.e black background and white text, I see repetition of word above a specific word. Not like full double. But above the original text in screen I see a little bit blurred out and transparent version of the same text.
2. Not only in screen but also in outer world when I look into text on top of buildings at night same happens. I've found out that whenever I try to see brighter text/objects in dark background this happens
3. I went to doctor and I were suggested to use artificial tears. I've been using for 3 months but not much improvement
4. One side note. Even though I live in a 3rd world country where "treatment" is not properly considered a basic need, after collecting money, I went to the country's one of the top doctor. While I was mumbling my problems, he shouted out and asked me to tell any specific problems which is very serious. If I knew what is serious or not would I go to his place. Anyways eventually after telling my condition he suggested artificial tears.
Due to his rough behaviors I went to the government's Opthalmology institute after many days this test and that test they couldn't find out any specific glass which I need to use or not. Eventually suggested the same artifical tears.
Anyways, do you have any suggestion regarding my issue? At least what is the name of my condition. When I use artificial tears I usually get bullied by my friend.
I don't usually leave comments if I have nothing specific to discuss, but I have to say this was very informational, clear, and well-made. (+ No sponsors, which is getting rare for this kind of content. Of course, I would be glad if you get sponsors, but purely informational videos like this one feel really good without).
so, if there's a sponsor, all the information above is what, less accurate?
@@agps4418 No, just diluted in advertising information which is indeed not factual.
@@Raskass-td8lm well, a spoon of sugar would be diluted in a glass of water. but a glass of sugar won't be diluted in a spoon of water
@@agps4418 A spoon of sugar makes the water sugary. Imagine he would be selling these anti-bluelight glasses that are sold for this kind of eye strains but are ineffective (they only help with falling asleep), would the advertiser allow him to explain it doesn't work? No. So it would impact the whole content. Many of these videos are made purely to sell products, and if it's selling something, it's normal to doubt about all the infos. Here there is no doubt about the sincerity of it all.
@@Raskass-td8lm it's up to him to get sponsors. i'm sure you wouldn't be dumb enough to believe a single youtube video over anything anyway. a truthful video will have other references backing them up on the web. and it's the viewers duty to do research for their own sake, instead of blaming inaccuracies of sponsored contents on a free platform.
Do the optimized glasses shorten the focus distance?
Yeap learned something new. Your talking is pleasing so that makes learning more enjoyable. Cheers! 💝
could you make a video about the optometric test procedure. What do you do in turn and how do you test?
Sounds like a fun idea 😁
I would like to watch this too
Really informative. Please make a video on whether laptop use is better or having a laptop connected to an external monitor is useful so we don't strain our eyes.
In my own experience, I have to turn down the brightness setting because too much glare eventually irritate my eyes.
Interesting! Love your round glasses! 😁👍🏻
4:18 how do people "remove" dust and pollen from tons of air in a room?
I've been a heavy computer user for 40 years. At 48 I have accelerated presbyopia which started around 44. I now only use my "normal" far sighted glasses for driving these days. I have to squint (smaller aperature) to read with these normal glasses. I noticed this week, that while tired I struggle to focus on my phone or text on the TV. Might be time for an upgrade. Since starting to use "reading glasses" for the computer, I have also tended to make the screen scale and font size much larger and sit back away from the screen. Until I started using them, I had a tendency to hunch up close to the screen with my chin propped on my hand.... which didn't do wonders for my neck or wrists, which are also showing signs of acclerated "wear and tear".
My GP put it to me, regarding occupational health risks, "Well, the lads working on the roads don't feel it in their 20's either, but they do feel it in the 40s 50s and 60s."
I wonder if mine is the first real cohort to have grown up with a home computer, in addition to doing it as a career.
Thank you for this video!
What I hate is all TV's, monitors, tablets, phones all have the brightness set way too high to be comfortable.. I really hate when older relatives hand me a tablet to install, setup, or fix their devices for them and they are set to burn your eyes out bright..
It’s like the best gaming setup with a PC could be to be sitting 6 meters away from your large TV with your controller or it could also be good for productivity applications for longer periods! :)
05:13 -- I appreciate the eye-drop suggestion, but that opens up new questions for me. How many drops should I use on each eye, and how often can I use eyedrops? If I feel the need, can I use two eyedrops on each eye every hour? Is that too much? Too little? Is there a limit beyond which eyedrops would actually start to harm my eyes? How do I know what that limit is? Is it the same for everyone? Also, at the drugstore I noticed there are several different types of eyedrops, even gel. It's so confusing. How do I even know which type is right for me? Do you have a video about this? There's just a lot to unpack, and I feel like knowledge, generally, is like a Lost episode: every answer you get leads you to even more questions!
what i do know is you only need 1 drop for any eye drops administered. there's no space for more than that on your eyeball surface, the rest is just gonna spill.
I'm going to take a fair amount of this to heart. My eyes are bad enough as is, so I'd best care for what sight I've got left.
Thanks for your full and easy explanation!
With all my respect, I can't agree with you completely. The one source of pain in the eyes is the way how GPU renders a picture on a screen. I can easily use my laptop from 2018 and my iPhone SE (1 generation), but none from laptops from 2023 (windows laptops and Macs) are not comfortable for me. Now I hurt my eyes badly with a modern laptops testing and I feel so much pain that I can't use my iPhone 13 and a laptop from 2021.
But a laptop from 2018 and iPhone SE can be used now 24/7 without any eye strain.
How can we explain that?
Besides you should consider the PWM technology that is used in most OLED displays now and its harmful affection on focusing muscles. After a week of using MacBook Pro m2, my eyes lost the ability to focus at mid and long-range distances. And this symptom is completely gone after switching to other devices that don't use PWM at all.
My eyes completely explored 3 times last year and it's 100% healthy.
Your point that the only users are responsible for their computer eye syndrome development, but in reality, the computer manufacturer also does a lot of things that also increase the load on your eyes
Thanks for the video.
Color settings on so called Compfort-View takes out a good portion of blue light which is also a relieve for the retina
Can you recover damage to the cornea from lack of proper blinking? Or is the damage permanent?
probably not, but considering LASIK is about scraping off the cornea, I'd guess we have plenty of it before any major complication, unless you sit in front of an air current all day every day.
Very good presentation! Enjoyed your thorough, yet succinct delivery. I need someone like you teaching in our program...fancy a trip to Vietnam anytime soon?
This is very informative, thanks!
My eyes are so dry, to itch them, all I need to do is just move them around. Furthermore, I use the hot washcloth trick and if its bad, the diluted lemon juice in the eye trick. The latter is more rare for me to do, but my eyes water like crazy. (I’m aware I’m irritating the eye with the lemon.) I had this as a child from a young age, and still have it 6 decades later. It has remained pretty stable, not getting worse nor better.
Antonio, is a notebook the best option for eye comfort?
I've been trying to find any info on this topic but never found anything. Thank you RUclips for recommending me this video.
Every time I look at my monitor, my eyes want to shut a little more but when I look outside my window, my eyes act fine. I've been off work then I got this issue. I play games daily or lookup stuff on my computer. I wear glasses and have astigmatism. 26 male.
Very useful and very informative. Thank you
Last few days for the first time in my life I felt that my eyes were tired. Left eye saw worse in the distance. I did not google that video, it just poped up, which is pretty weird to me.
Anyway, after a session of heavy lifting in the gym, my eyesight is normal again! I won't ever skip a week again.
Thank you for the Video!
Would you recommend eye Drops for Daily Use for everyone ? Or only if you have These Symptoms ?
This is really informative, thank you!
Great explanation thanks so much. Greetings from Sydney Australia.
Excellent video - easy to digest and really informative! Liked and subscribed
Fantastic video!!! If I can put my monitor more than 20 inches away should I do that? Or should I just leave it at 20 inches?
There's a problem with how modern Operating Systems render the picture. I can sit in front of Windows 7 PC for hours and don't feel any eye strain. And I also can't stand more than 30 minutes using Windows 10/11 on THE SAME hardware. I quickly start feeling eye strain, dry eyes, nausea etc.
Thanks a lot! I knew that it's not only computer's fault, and now I unrestand the mechanics behind it a bit more.
Hi! Great video. Any guidelines for how much light in the room? My GF and I have this (friendly) argument about if you can be working on a computer in a dark room of if you should turn the lights on when it starts to get dark. Thanks
Outstanding video.
Antonio, Dr. thank you for your explanation, very interesting...
thank you doctor your help is really helpful🙃.
Excellent presentation. I keep a good distance from my screen. I also adjusted my screen in sleep mode to make the screen dimmer.
I am watching this video with eye strain, it's freaky that it just happened to be recommended to me at this time
Antonio, is a notebook the best option for reading without damaging or straining your eyes?
Damn i have been looking for a video like this for ethernity! Thank you so much!
Nice video.Thanks.