Monitor causes severe eye-strain problems

BassMan

BassMan

Well-known member
Hi,

I'm facing my self with severe eye-strain when looking into monitor. I've been browsing for months now about this topic and can't be sure which monitor to use.

I've changed my LCD monitor with LED LCD and since then I have problems looking too long in it. Previous week it went so far, that I can look in it only for 10 minutes and my eyes already starts to hurt. Then I take almost 2 day break from computer and it was better, but still not perfect.

I can look at my laptop or old LCD monitor longer then in LED LCD monitor which is flicker free. I've read about flickering, PWM etc. Also buy Gunnar glasses. Not sure if they help anything. One day after using it I got that awful eye-strain, but not sure if it's connected to glasses, because I'm aware of my sensitivity for quite time now.

Using f-lux, but it's not a long-term solution. I also installed some break reminder app (actually this is great and recommend it). I believe it's something with Hz and monitor. Maybe I need different monitor with TN and not IPS, what I have now.

Anyway, I'm kind of lost here with my eye sensitivity and hope anybody here knows more about this problem with monitors. Yes, I'm thinking to see ophthalmologist too.

Also, when you have more work with computer, do you get eye problems or how you're dealing with it.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

BassMan
 
I have had problems and now use glasses specially made for working at the computer, which is a 27: iMac so it is further away than a Laptop would be. Funnily enough the first symptoms I got were in my neck, because I was wearing varifocals and in order to read I was looking forward through the lower reading part and so tilting my neck back.

My monitor is quite a distance as I am in a recording studio control room and it needs to be set back further than the audio monitoring and is about 1.1 meters away.

So when I have an eye test, the optician gives me a reading test at 1.1 meters and makes a second pair of glasses specifically for that distance and I am now fine, provided I don't forget I'm still wearing those when I set off in the car.

I still dislike smalishl font sizes with light colours:

SafariScreenshot137.webp
 
Since the only real difference between LED and LCD monitors is the back lighting method, I'd suggest checking if the monitor that's giving you a problem is a full array back light or and edge lit system and try the opposite of what you have to see if that helps.

You old LCD monitor most likely had a CCFL array (fluorescent lights) and I'll bet your new one is edge lit with LEDs.

Also as suggested, turn the brightness down to a comfortable level for yourself.
 
@Mr Lucky yes, maybe I need glasses too.

@dutchbb I'm already using f.lux, but still have problems

@Snog this is what I've come to till now, just like you said. Thanks for confirming it. My old LCD is CCFL and new one is this: http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-25UM58-P-ultrawide-monitor. Really can't look in it more than half an hour. Brightness is decreased to 10, but my eyes still hurts. Non-led monitors are so hard to buy these days...

Could also IPS be a problem? Is TN, shorter response time and higher frequency better?

Is LED full array back light really better? It's hard to test, because I need to look for at least half an hour to monitor to see if it's ok for me.

I'm still thinking of buying CCFL monitor if I find one.
 
In my case I was very concerned with screen flicker when I switched to LCD/LED because old style monitors running at 60Hz caused severe migraine headaches for me. That in itself was something I had to work through until monitors capable of 75Hz and above were developed and I ate aspirin like it was candy for a long time. (yes, I'm that old)

But, LCD/LED screens don't have any flicker at all so that's not a problem for me. Mind you I no longer do any gaming, so I can't speak to if flicker exists in games on LCD/LED screens or not.

In general when it came to regular monitors, higher frequency and response time reduced flicker and reduced eye strain. I would think the same would hold true with LCD/LED if there is a problem with flicker.

The MAIN problem most people have that causes eye strain when working at a computer is they don't BLINK! That causes the eyes to dry out and strain. ;)
 
Believe me, I blink like never before ;)

I'll try to test a TN monitor with higher frequency and fast response time. Those are mostly gaming monitors, but it doesn't matter to me, I don't do gaming also, just need a screen I can look into with no eye problems. Hopefully this specs will be ok, maybe I'll also avoid edge lit.
 
Snog said:
Since the only real difference between LED and LCD monitors is the back lighting method, I'd suggest checking if the monitor that's giving you a problem is a full array back light or and edge lit system and try the opposite of what you have to see if that helps.

You old LCD monitor most likely had a CCFL array (fluorescent lights) and I'll bet your new one is edge lit with LEDs.

Also as suggested, turn the brightness down to a comfortable level for yourself.
Click to expand...

Correct, Led has the problem that the wavelenght could be harmfull for the eyes. So brightness is only 1 factor. Most companies know this and are adjusting there screens (filter in front), same for lightbulbs in homes.

Full Led screens or edge lit could make some difference, but filtering out the blue light helps (like with f.lux).

http://www.livescience.com/31949-led-lights-eye-damage.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-energy_visible_light

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3144654/
 
Just remember 20/20/20

Every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 meters away for at least 20 seconds.

Your eyes are only at rest when looking at distance. I imagine the issue you have is your screen is too bright compared to your surroundings, looking at a bright screen in a dim or dark room is really bad, make sure the room is well lit, swap out "warm LED" bulbs if you have them to "cold LED" as well.
 
I have a break reminder app since my last severe eye-strain previous week. It really helps a lot, but still facing issues with my LCD LED monitor, my old CCFL works out better. It could be I've been exaggerated for a few days and now I need longer break. I'm on my tablet now and it's better...
 
I have this problem too. Ditched my old Samsung LCD for a new LED (Samsung) curved monitor with 'eye saving mode', that changes the screen to a sepia type effect - great for darker rooms.
I suffer so badly with this that I have migraines every day and eat ibuprofen like it's going out of fashion as mentioned by @Snog too although that was aspirin. :p
It's a bad situation and I also find that looking at white or bright text on black backgrounds completely messes my vision up and it takes a few minutes to come back to normal. I'm at my desk 16+ hours a day, 7 days a week.
 
@trapped_soul I understand how you feel. It's awful!

@Mike Edge I have Gunnar glasses, but not sure if there's any effect except the yellow tint that gives you warmer look. I wore those glasses for 5 hours, then next evening my eyes starts to hurt very bad. Not saying it's the glasses, but can't tell the right reason for my always more serious eye problems with monitors.
 
BassMan said:
@trapped_soul I understand how you feel. It's awful!

@Mike Edge I have Gunnar glasses, but not sure if there's any effect except the yellow tint that gives you warmer look. I wore those glasses for 5 hours, then next evening my eyes starts to hurt very bad. Not saying it's the glasses, but can't tell the right reason for my always more serious eye problems with monitors.
Click to expand...

I combine the glasses with f.lux :p Very yellow but it works better to have them both.
 
Already did that... But IMO it's the monitor specific problem. LED cause eye-stran I guess. Glasses on or of.

20/20/20 is great way of reducing eye-strain, but I need larger monitor.
 
BassMan said:
Already did that... But IMO it's the monitor specific problem. LED cause eye-stran I guess. Glasses on or of.

20/20/20 is great way of reducing eye-strain, but I need larger monitor.
Click to expand...

What setting do you have it? With 'options and smart lighting' disable the "Use display data for better color accuracy" option and set the color to 2900k. This works better.

But an other monitor helps also. With some i have no problem without glasses and f.lux
 
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