Large Screens/Monitors
- Thread starter Baron Greuner
- Start date
No glasses.
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Baron Greuner
Senior Member
I basically sort of read or heard somewhere that some kind of tint in these spectacles helped to alleviate any damage that could occur when looking at computer screens for many hours a day.
Baron, risking our interacting again, I can perhaps offer a bit of information as well.
I am currently two years into a three year clinical study with UCSF, having a device implanted in one eye (I don’t know which one) as a potential treatment to curb the progression of retinitis pigmentosa (blindness).
This past Wednesday, during an examination, I asked the doctor heading up the study (a leader in this area of research) about my time in front of the computer, and why I was experiencing long periods of readjusting when taking breaks (I also wear glasses). In my case, the rods and cones (or what’s left of the active center ones) take a very long time to settle after staring at a screen.
She explained that for all of us, the retinas are literally “bleached” when staring at illuminated displays, albeit temporarily, and not with any lasting effects (I assume she means primarily LEDs). Obviously, as she indicated, things like fatigue and response after staring at a screen will vary according to the age, health, and other factors for different people. In my case, she recommended also trying to make the ambient light in my studio as even as possible.
I suspect other things mentioned in this thread, like tinted glasses or adjusting the contrast and brightness of the monitors themselves may be useful for some, though cannot speak to those things specifically.
I am currently two years into a three year clinical study with UCSF, having a device implanted in one eye (I don’t know which one) as a potential treatment to curb the progression of retinitis pigmentosa (blindness).
This past Wednesday, during an examination, I asked the doctor heading up the study (a leader in this area of research) about my time in front of the computer, and why I was experiencing long periods of readjusting when taking breaks (I also wear glasses). In my case, the rods and cones (or what’s left of the active center ones) take a very long time to settle after staring at a screen.
She explained that for all of us, the retinas are literally “bleached” when staring at illuminated displays, albeit temporarily, and not with any lasting effects (I assume she means primarily LEDs). Obviously, as she indicated, things like fatigue and response after staring at a screen will vary according to the age, health, and other factors for different people. In my case, she recommended also trying to make the ambient light in my studio as even as possible.
I suspect other things mentioned in this thread, like tinted glasses or adjusting the contrast and brightness of the monitors themselves may be useful for some, though cannot speak to those things specifically.
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Baron Greuner
Senior Member
That's unlucky to get RP. Can be a genetic problem quite often. How's your night vision? This treatment may well do the job. The science is very clever these days.
I spent two and a half hours having eye tests this week and sort of through it I had to have these drops in each eye that totally impaired my vision. While the drops were working I went out for half an hour being led along by my wife. Very weird experience. People stared. No chance of driving later either.
So after all that finished, I was told to look at glasses that included anti monitor tint and other things.
The optician was a young guy from Liverpool and easily the best optician I've ever seen. But you can't do much about aging vision. The irony is, I don't wear glasses for normal day to day stuff like walking around or driving, but in front of a computer or reading a book, it's essential.
I spent two and a half hours having eye tests this week and sort of through it I had to have these drops in each eye that totally impaired my vision. While the drops were working I went out for half an hour being led along by my wife. Very weird experience. People stared. No chance of driving later either.
So after all that finished, I was told to look at glasses that included anti monitor tint and other things.
The optician was a young guy from Liverpool and easily the best optician I've ever seen. But you can't do much about aging vision. The irony is, I don't wear glasses for normal day to day stuff like walking around or driving, but in front of a computer or reading a book, it's essential.
InLight-Tone
Senior Member
I've been staring at monitors for over 20 years for work and pleasure and my eyes are perfect. On the other hand I spend a great deal of my time in nature daily WITHOUT sun glasses which I feel is necessary to balance out the unnatural act being indoors the majority of the day "working"...
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Baron Greuner
Senior Member
If you're in a sunny climate, like say California, then you should wear sunglasses because the uv from the sun not only harms skin, but eyes also.
Those are good questions and points to make. It is admittedly a bit more complicated to answer than I wish to get into here. RP is genetic; my vision is impacted during the day now as well; the device is not a treatment, per se, but a clinical trial shown to possibly slow the progression, at best. But hopefully of ultimate benefit to others as the science continues to advance.
Discussions like this about monitors, and broader discussions about touch surfaces, GUI/UX design, and so forth, are always of great interest and relevance to me.
InLight-Tone
Senior Member
InLight-Tone, some sunlight is good, but too much exposure and you can get basal cell carcinomas. Those can get very nasty if not removed.
I certainly wear sunglasses when I'm in the sun.
Yes, those are treated lens that filter bad Blue/Violet light from led/lcd computer screens and also from energy savings led lamps. Apparently they should help to protect your eyes.
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Baron Greuner
Senior Member
Yeah I'm afraid that's an irresponsible video. But each to his own.
My father was an army colonel. He was a surgeon and during part of his tenure in the army, he spent about 4 years in Palestine, which is a fairly sunny area. So without going into detail, yes the sun helps with things like vitamin D, but I would be careful about how you expose yourself to it. Whether there is scientific proof to show that diet has a detrimental outcome, I wouldn't be surprised, because the diet of a lot of people today is fairly disgusting so it doesn't really prove anything. Poor diet affects all sorts of medical issues, not least diabetes, which in turn has a really negative effect on eyesight.
My father was an army colonel. He was a surgeon and during part of his tenure in the army, he spent about 4 years in Palestine, which is a fairly sunny area. So without going into detail, yes the sun helps with things like vitamin D, but I would be careful about how you expose yourself to it. Whether there is scientific proof to show that diet has a detrimental outcome, I wouldn't be surprised, because the diet of a lot of people today is fairly disgusting so it doesn't really prove anything. Poor diet affects all sorts of medical issues, not least diabetes, which in turn has a really negative effect on eyesight.
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Baron Greuner
Senior Member
I'm sure it will and as time goes on, there will certainly be more advances.
When I was over at Boots (also) the other day, I was going to check out the hues etc that are supposed to stop/alleviate negative screen effects. Unfortunately I couldn't see at that point due to treatment, but I will get over there later in the week and see what they have and recommendations etc.
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robharvey
Active Member
I have a layer put on my glasses for sitting behind the screen. This in conjunction with F.Lux (check that out) really helps my eyes keep their potency.... But they're still pretty messed up.
For those that don't know F.lux is a program that "yellows" your screens output to the output of your unnatural light. By default monitors spit out naturally configured light which will appear blue in the evening. So at night time, this program kicks in and dimms your screen's blues. Once you're used to it your brain just makes it normal white and saves your eyes. No more sunlight burn on your retinas!
muk
Senior Member
Here is a short summary of what I could find out with a bit of googling: Problems with looking at screens can be eye strain, dry eyes, headaches, tensions... Apparently we tend to blink less frequently when working at a screen than we do otherwise. The proposed solution is to take breaks, and making sure to look at things in a distance from time to time to make sure that the lenses have to refocus. The current state of research apparently also suggests that despite the symptoms above, working at a monitor does no permanent damage to your eyes.
InLight-Tone
Senior Member
Most of modern medicine is pseudoscience actually. How is it that native peoples the world over existed in the Sun/Light with little clothing and didn't suffer from skin cancer and macular degeneration?
