Looking away from a computer monitor once an hour improves eye health
the verdict
INSUFFICIENT LEANING
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
3 sources for · 0 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
The retrieved evidence indicates that taking strategic rest breaks or stopping computer use can reduce digital eye strain, but it does not specifically establish the health benefits of looking away once an hour.
from computer monitors.[contradictory] The problem of computer vision syndrome (CVS) a.k.a. Digital Eye Strain can result from focusing the eyes on a
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses, spectacles, or colloquially as specs, are vision eyewear with clear or tinted lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms, known as temples or temple pieces, that rest over the ears for support. Glasses are typically used for vision correction, such as with reading glasses and g
By the end of the 2010s, glasses that filter out blue light from computers, smartphones and tablets became increasingly popular in response to concerns about problems caused by blue light overexposure.
The problems claimed range from dry eyes to eye strain, sleep cycle disruption, up to macular degeneration which can cause partial blindness. They may also block out ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, there is no measurable UV light from computer monitors. The problem of computer vision syndrome (CVS) a.k.a. Digital Eye Strain can result from focusing the eyes on a screen for long, continuous periods. Many times the glasses do not appear to have much of a tint, or, if any, a slight yellow tint, but they may be more heavily tinted.
Long hours of computer use (not blue light) may cause eye strain.
Many eye symptoms caused by computer use will lessen after the usage of the computer is stopped.
Decreasing evening screen time and setting devices to night mode will improve sleep.
Several studies have shown that blue light from computers does not lead to eye diseases, including macular degeneration. The total amount of light entering the eyes can be adjusted without glasses using the screen brightness settings. Similarly, the blue light can often specifically be adjusted using the "night mode" of different operating systems, which can usually be activated outside of nighttime hours.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) does not recommend special eyewear for computer use,
although it recommends using prescription glasses measured specifically for computer screen distance (depending on individuals, but possibly 20–26 inches from the face), which are not the same as "blue-light blocking" glasses. The position of the College of Optometrists (UK) is that "the best scientific evidence currently available does not support the use of blue-blocking spectacle lenses in the general population to improve visual performance, alleviate the symptoms of eye fatigue or visual discomfort, improve sleep quality or conserve macula health."
The effects of breaks on digital eye strain, dry eye and binocular vision: Testing the 20-20-20 rule
## Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the benefits on the eyes of taking breaks based on the 20-20-20 rule.
Methods: Bespoke computer software using the laptop webcam to assess user breaks, eye gaze and blinking, and emitting personalized reminders of breaks based on the 20-20-20 rule, was downloaded onto the laptops of 29 symptomatic computer users. Digital eye strain (DES), binocular vision and dry eye were assessed before and after two weeks of using the reminders and one week after the discontinuation of the strategy. Binocular measurements included visual acuity, accommodative posture, stereopsis, fixation disparity, ocular alignment, accommodative facility, positive/negative vergences and near point of convergence. Symptoms were evaluated using the computer vision syndrome questionnaire, ocular surface disease index (OSDI), and symptom assessment in dry eye questionnaire (SANDE) versions one and two. Dry eye signs were assessed by measuring tear meniscus height, conjunctival redness, blink rate and incomplete blinking, lipid layer thickness, non-invasive keratograph break-up tim
Strategic Rest Breaks Reduce VDT Discomforts Without Impairing Productivity | NIOSH | CDC
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# Strategic Rest Breaks Reduce VDT Discomforts Without Impairing Productivity
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###### NIOSH Update:
Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 260-8519 May 22, 2000
Short, strategically spaced rest breaks can reduce eyestrain and musculoskeletal discomforts for video display terminal operators without decreasing productivity, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports in a new study. The findings are published in the May 2000 issue of the scientific journal Ergonomics.
The study compared results under two rest-break schedules for a group of 42 data-entry operators employed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Under one schedule, the VDT operators worked their regular daily schedule that included two 15-minute rest breaks, one in each half of the work shift. In the other schedule, the conventional breaks were supplemented with four 5-minute breaks spaced throughout the workday.
The workers consistently reported less eye soreness, visual blurring, and upper-body discomfor
Everything we examined (3)
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.