What can I do to eliminate eye strain and fatigue caused by new 20" desk top iMac?

How close are you sitting, maybe you need to move it or yourself back a bit?

This article has a checklist for maximizing your setup to avoid eyestrain and some exercises.

If I sit further back, I’ll need binoculars. Maybe I’ll try enlarging the font and move the thing back a bit. Right now my eyes are about 24” from the screen.

I’m wondering whether the lighting mechanism has changed. I have a terrific chair with a lumbar support and no problems with hands or wrists.

Marina; I’ll check out your site. The writer does seem to be selling DVDs of his exercises and vitamin supplements.

Has anyone tried a anti-glare film? http://www.nushield.com/index.php

I know this sounds crazy but the timing might just be a coincidence. It might be time for your annual eye check up and maybe an update to the prescription on your glasses.

I’m no genius but I do know that using a monitor with a lower refresh rate would cause higher eye strain then using a monitor with a higher refresh rate. You might compare the two monitors.

@gailcalled Are you using your computer more now? Since it is all shiny and new. Perhaps that could add to the increased eye strain?

@Chyna: Due to eye aches, I am actually using it less. I do get an annual eye exam and Rx check up because I have been wearing glasses since the fifth grade. Coincidence seems statistically unlikely.

@body: What do you mean by lower vs. higher refresh rate? My old iMac Tiger is gone; the screen was 17” and seems much smaller than this guy.

I can call Apple support on Monday and see what they suggest.

@gailcalled: I had the exact same problem last year when I upgraded from my 17” white iMac to the newer model in 20”.

I tried adjusting the angle, brightness, distance, ambient lighting, etc. Nothing worked.

What did work was time. After a few weeks my eyes got used to it. Of course I’m on it for 8 – 10 hours a day for work, so it may take you a bit longer.

The new iMacs use a glossy screen compared to the matte screen on the old ones. This is probably the source of the problem. Unfortunately I don’t know of a solution. Just letting you know of the probable cause.

@jp; What about the screen protectors sold online? If I call Apple support, will whomever I speak to (assuming that I can understand him) admit this?

At least I have the right language to use. Thanks, JP.

I asked around and this was suggested.

Thanks, JP. What does “dithering ” mean here?

Note: This film will create some dithering of the image and is not recommended if you are working with color critical programs.

You should be fine if you just want to browse and check e-mail. That is more of a warning for professional photographers where color accuracy is essential. You most likely won’t notice it.

Thank you, everone. What if I get tinted lenses for my computer glasses?

You mentioned lowering the brightness on your screen, but what about the contrast? The brightness on my moniter is currently set at 100%, but the contrast is only 20%.

I don’t understand exactly what the refresh rate, that @bodyhead mentioned is, but if you can figure out how to adjust it, it may help.

Refresh rate is not normally an issue with LCD screens. Back with CRTs (like the eMac style screen) though it could really mess with some people. If I sat in front of a computer monitor with a low refresh rate (rate of speed it refreshes the screen) I’d get eye fatigue and headaches very quickly. A lot of people don’t notice it but for me I could actually see the screen flickering and it was horrible.

If you call Applecare you’ll speak to an American, they don’t outsource their tech support. Most of them are in Austin, TX. And of course you could also walk into the Apple Store if you have one and ask there, and also look at other models to see if they bother you.

The new screens are much brighter than the old ones, I’m guessing even with it turned down it’s probably brighter than your old screen and that may be what the problem is.

@StellarAirman: Thank you. The Apple Store is in Albany, an hour NW of me. My mother is in rehab, 30 minutes to the east. This week I am driving in that direction.

It is true that my Apple salesman was in Austin. He was telling me how warm it was.

Pete; I can adjust the brightness. What is contrast and how do I find it?

Get one of those screen covers that lower the brightness.

@chelseababyy: Reliable link? JP gave me one that was recommended by one of his computer buddies.^^

On my computer I can adjust it from the screen, but I don’t know how you would adjust it from an iMac.

edit: Is this an answer?

Thanks, pete. I’ll try tomorrow. Milo is sitting on my keyboard..his way of telling me it’s bedtime.

Decrease brightness. I spend about 12 hrs a day at my pc and whever I get a new monitor – the first thing I do – is tone down brightness. It is either that – or dark glasses. Also, have you changed anything in the lighting of the room? Can you bring back your old computer and see if the fatigue goes away? It is truly worth putting in huge amounts of time to make yourself comfortable. Good luck!

@Bodyheat was the closest. After several more days of increasingly dire symptons -particularly a killer sore throat, I went to the Doc’s today. I have strep hroat and am now on a 10 day course of amoxicillin.

Use Shades: http://www.charcoaldesign.co.uk/shades

An application for Mac OS X that dims your screen down to almost-complete blackness. I usually have it on 20–60% while reading.

Of course you also have the buttons on your keyboard controlling the backlight strength, but on an iMac you can’t get the screen to dim below a certain treshold.

Well, I should say, eye strain and fatigue are caused by your long use of iMac. Staring at computer for 8 to 9 hrs per day is truly dangerous since you eyes can’t bear it even you’ll take a break for every 10 mins. Apart from eye fatigue, your eyes will be easily affected by blue light emitted from your iMac screen. Not only for iMac screen, your eyes can be damaged by the long staring at smartphone or TV screen.

Surveys showed that computer, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices’s screen would emit blue light which wave length is from 446nm to 464nm, that is harmful to our eyes, behaves as eyes uncomfortable, eyesight reduction, eyes strain, even eye diseases. It can even disorder your sleep and then damage your health.

Here are tips you can help you reduce eye strain and block blue light:
1. Reduce the time sitting in front of a computer and free your eyes from LED screens. Doing eye exercises.

2. Eat green, which means you should have a healthful diet.

3. With the help of a third party assistant like a pair of computer eyewear sunglasses to reduce eye fatigue and harm. Some computer sunglasses are especially designed to filter blue light and UV.

4. Some Apps are claimed to protect your eyes by filtering blue light. For computer, there is also a useful app called f.lux. to not only block blue light, but match the amount of blue light emitted according to the time of day. It includes two versions for Windows and Mac.

If you are interested in more info about how to protect your eyes from blue light, click here to know: http://blog.halovis.com/how-to-protect-your-eyes-from-blue-light/