All About YOU: 3 Tips to Fight Computer Fatigue

Does logging on give you headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes? Fight back with these tips.

Make sure your eyes look down slightly when you work. Look away from your screen every half hour, and focus on something 20 feet away. And leave your desk completely once every hour to give your eyes a break from the screen.

High-Tech Health Syndrome
Our ancestors roamed the Serengeti with their sights set on the horizon. We sit at desks all day staring at a computer screen. The result for many: computer fatigue syndrome. It causes eyestrain, dizziness, headaches, low energy, and neck, back, and shoulder pain.

Remember the Three Rs
Working or playing on the computer for more than 3 hours a day increases your odds of the condition. So remember the three Rs: Readjust (your screen, that is -- so your eyes look down); refocus (your eyes -- on something far away, once in a while); and remove (your whole body -- from your workstation, now and then). And, what the heck, blink once in a while, too, to help keep your eyes moist.

Want to learn what's normal for aging eyes, what may be a sign of disease, and how to compensate for changes? Read this RealAge article.

YOU: The Owner's Manual. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2005.