How to eliminate visual stress to increase job performance

Through the years, the demands on our eyes have changed. When we were hunters, gatherers and farmers, our eyes developed to see well at a distance.

Today, we mostly use our eyes for near tasks like reading, writing and viewing the screens of our electronic devices.

"Every day we spend 6-8 hours taxing our near vision. Not surprisingly, the number of adults experiencing symptoms of a vision problem because of all that close work is on the rise," says Dr. Monika Spokas, developmental optometrist and clinical director of Clarendon Vision Development Center in Clarendon Hills.

Spokas explains that as we stress our visual system with hour upon hour of close work, our vision becomes inefficient and this can cause fatigue.

We may fall asleep during reading or have trouble concentrating on the task at hand. The result is underperformance at work that can even be misdiagnosed as a behavioral issue, like adult attention deficit disorder.

Many people experience symptoms that they easily attribute to other problems, but the same symptoms may actually be indicative of a correctable vision problem. According to Spokas, these include:

• Eyes that burn, water or tire easily

• Double vision or vision that seems to go in and out of focus

• Symptoms of ADD, such as daydreaming or inability to concentrate

• Headaches, especially in the front of the head and the temples

• Feeling dizzy or nauseous after reading or other close work

• Trouble focusing or seeing at the end of the day

Fortunately, as we work, there are a number of measures we can take to be kind to our eyes and help relieve visual stress. Following these suggestions can provide good "visual hygiene" that will reduce visual stress and increase our work performance.

• Proper positioning of the computer and body. Working at a desk, with our chair elevated so we are looking slightly downward at the computer, is best for helping our eyes with convergence, which is the ability of our eyes to work as a team. Conversely, working in other positions (i.e., lying down) can stress our visual system.

• Heed the Harmon Distance for close work. The optimum distance for reading or writing desk work, or the "Harmon Distance," is about 16 inches.

To approximate, curl your fist under your chin and note the distance between your knuckle and your elbow. Computer screens should be 20-24 inches from your eyes.

• Look at your device straight on. Looking at a computer screen from an angle or to the side unnecessarily stresses our vision.

• Look up and take breaks. It's important to give our eyes a rest from their near work by periodically gazing up and far away. Spokas suggests the 20-20-20 rule: look up every 20 minutes and gaze at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds to give your eyes adequate rest.

• Lighting. Daylight is the best light for close work. Barring the availability of daylight, use a combination of incandescent and fluorescent light.

If after practicing good visual hygiene you are still experiencing symptoms, Spokas suggests you may have a problem with convergence or tracking, which is the ability of the eyes to move smoothly across a page and work together as a team to read efficiently.

Developmental optometrists offer functional vision exams that thoroughly evaluate vision including how the eyes function to read and perform close tasks.

"By addressing any problems with your vision, one can increase visual stamina, improve reading comprehension and boost performance at work," says Spokas.

• Dr. Monika Spokas is a developmental optometrist and the clinical director of Clarendon Vision Development Center.