How to Reduce Eye Strain From Safety Glasses
Eye strain interferes with work, makes your eyes tired and can cause headaches. A job that requires you to wear safety glasses adds to the stress if the glasses don't function correctly or if environmental factors are causing other problems. Whatever the cause, a few simple things can help reduce the strain.
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Instructions
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Verify that the correction and fit of your safety glasses is correct. Your eye care professional can check prescription lenses in their office with a machine called a lensometer that will determine the strength of your safety lenses.
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Make sure the frame is adjusted properly. Prescription lenses are designed to sit in a specific place in front of your eyes, both horizontally and vertically. If the frame is sitting to high or too low, your prescription will be altered and cause eye strain.
An eye care professional can check to make sure your safety frame is adjusted correctly, whether the lenses are prescription or non-prescription. If you wear a pair of clear safety glasses over your regular prescription glasses, these may require adjusting, too. -
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Position your light source behind you at work, especially if you are doing close work or reading. Make sure your lighting is bright enough for paperwork, but when you use a computer, keep the contrast of light to a minimum. Light that is too bright on a computer monitor can cause strain.
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Place your computer monitor 20 to 28 inches from your eyes if you use a computer at work. Most people find that keeping the monitor at arm's length is the most comfortable for reducing eye strain. If possible, keep the monitor at eye level or slightly below, so your head is in a comfortable position as well.
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Increase the font size on your monitor if you are doing repeated close work with small type.
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Take breaks to rest your eyes whenever possible. Blink your eyes a few times to keep them moist and help reduce strain.
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Tips & Warnings
Depending on the type of work you do, special lenses can be made for your safety glasses for working at specific distances, especially for bifocal wearers. If the majority of your work is done at arm's length and you are trying to see through a reading portion of your lens, your eyes will become tired. Discuss your work requirements with the optician who fits you for your safety glasses.
