Is your computer giving you a hard time? No, not being pokey to boot up, or crashing just before you click the "return and save" button. But a hard time physically in the form of a stiff neck, sore wrists or aching back, not to mention headache, blurred vision, and tired, dry and burning red eyes.

If your answer is "Yes, come to think of it," you have plenty of company. Computers have been around long enough now in countless work places and millions of homes that people take these uncomfortable annoyances as a matter of course. As if they come with the territory, so to speak, or with the mouse and pad.

Not a good idea.

A few simple adjustments in your viewing conditions and workplace ergonomics can make a lot of difference in your health, job satisfaction and productivity.

Dr. Liviu Saimovici, a New York ophthalmologist, has combined his training to treat eye problems with an interest in ergonomics to help computer users avoid improper lighting, seating and desk arrangement that can affect vision.

Computer Vision Syndrome
What the eye specialist refers to as CVS--Computer Vision Syndrome--includes the painful conditions mentioned above. What can you do to prevent and/or correct CVS?

"The main causes of CVS," the doctor says, "are improper viewing conditions and workplace ergonomics. I would suggest vision therapy and immediate changes be made in the workstation itself."

An eye exam is important to find out if there are any pre-existing conditions that could be causing the problem--not necessarily the computer. If there were no earlier problems with the eyes, it's time to look at the surroundings.

Start with your chair. Is it arrange properly? When you are seated, the feet should be flat on the floor and the knees bent near or greater than 90 degrees (think of it as a right angle).

The chair seat should support the legs without excessive pressure on the back of the thighs. The back of the chair should be snug against the seat to fit the spinal contour. The angle of the thigh to the trunk of the body should be 90 degrees or greater.

The distance from the front of the chair to the hollow of the knee should be two to four inches.

The hand and wrist should extend nearly straight from the elbow to the home row of the keyboard.

Space needs
The amount of space below the work surface should be about 25 inches high by 27 inches wide by 27 inches deep for most people. The commonly preferred work surface height for the monitor is about 25 inches. This is slightly lower than the conventional 29-inch height of most tables or desks, Saimovici notes.

Document holders should be placed close to the screen and within the same viewing distance. It's also a good idea to keep the keyboard and monitor in line.

Viewing distances vary with individuals. A recommended range is between 20 and 26 inches.

Some tips on lighting: Try to match the brightness of the surroundings to that of the screen. The contrast between the visual display and the screen background should be high. Minimize glare by using window treatments, dimmer switches on lights, or anti-glare screens. Keeping the monitor screen perpendicular to a bright light source also can reduce glare.

Copyright 2001 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker/PAI. Used with permission.