Headaches in the Office: A Computer Screen Conundrum

Computer screen headaches are on the rise

For many people, a work day is defined by bodies crunched over, eyes focusing on a bright screen, with the whole office illuminated and a vortex of sound surrounding them. Is it any wonder that a headache could develop out of this kind of sensory stimulation and poor posture? The importance of this illustration is not that a headache could develop, but the fact that there are so many factors contributing to it.

While it is important to determine the true cause of your headache, the computer screen and associated eye strain is quite a common trigger. 

• Resting focus: because of the small text, we keep computers closer than is a comfortable resting distance for our eyes. 
• Eye strain: focusing intently on small text causes eye strain as does switching focus between screen and desk. 
• Lighting: computer work on a bright screen in a brightly lit environment is too much for our eyes to take in constantly and can lead to strain. 

Prevention of computer screen headaches

Let’s focus on ways to lessen the impact of a computer screen as it contributes to your headaches.

• Take a break once every hour to do something completely unrelated to the screen. 
• If possible, turn down overhead lights and adjust the brightness and contrast of your monitor.
• Create a good ergonomic environment that makes posture easy for your body and reduces eye strain. 
• Keep your eyes from refocusing too often; this means from notepad to screen for example. Rapid flitting between two objects is difficult for the eyes. 

Prevention is a key part of our wellness program at Espinosa Family Chiropractic. We believe that many of the maleficent factors in life such as headaches can be negated with enough attention to prevention and to that effect, we offer your our services and expertise to keep you happy and healthy. Give our office in Sacramento a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.