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248-865-4150 or 248-865-4160
1983050
Rehabilitation
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Heartland skilled nursing and rehab centers
provide a comprehensive regime of specialized
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move you one step closer to your recovery
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Recovery begins with our state-of-the-art
rehab gym where our team can treat patients
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34 June 25 • 2015
•∎ •
work until everything is blurry and I can't
see the screen. That's when I walk away,
take a break and then return to get more
work done. This pattern works for me."
It's been reported that about one in
four kids spends more than three hours a
day using digital devices at home and at
school. More than 15 percent of parents
have no limit regarding their children's
screen time.
"I'd like to be able to tell parents that
their kids are damaging their eyes by
spending too much time on digital
devices, but no damage actually takes
place says Dr. Ronald Bergman, M.D.,
an ophthalmologist in Farmington Hills.
"Their eyes may feel
tired and dry, and their
vision blurred, but it's
all temporary. I see 10
to 20 patients daily who
complain about dry
eyes. It's a ubiquitous
symptom in Michigan,
especially during aller-
Dr. Ronald
gy season. Artificial
Bergman
tears generally resolves
that problem."
While today's newer,
high-resolution screens are brighter
and produce sharper images, they are
also now capable of displaying ever-
smaller fonts that can be difficult to read.
Touchscreen devices, however, support
touch zooming of text when needed and
glasses specifically for reading tablet
and smartphone screens do help. The
problem with mobile devices is that your
surroundings are always changing and it
may sometimes be a problem avoiding
glare. The best you can do is to be aware
of where you are and try to avoid reflec-
tions. Again, because dryness contributes
to some symptoms, ask an eye care
professional to recommend lubricating
drops.
❑
Tips To Prevent Eye Strain
We offer:
Allen Park
Ann Arbor
Bloomfield Heights
Canton
Dearborn Heights
Grosse Pointe Woods
Livonia
may be signs of a vision problem, and it's
always important to get those checked
out with your doctor," Gottesman says.
"On the other hand, they may result from
not using your computer equipment cor-
rectly. For example, many people have
their monitor too close to them. Most find
that setting the monitor an arm's length
away, approximately 22-26 inches away is
comfortable.
"A second major error is setting the
monitor level to your eyes when the top
of the monitor should be slightly below
horizontal eye level," he says. "You can do
this by tilting the top of the monitor away
from you at a 10- to 20-degree angle. The
center of the monitor should be 10 to 20
degrees blow your eyes. This is about 4-9
inches below your eyes at a distance of
2 feet."
Gottesman is also a proponent of fol-
lowing the "20-20 rule" to recharge your
eyes. The rule simply says that every 20
minutes you take a 20-second break, tak-
ing your eyes off the computer and star-
ing off in space or at some object that's
about 20 feet away from you. This relaxes
the focusing mechanism and reduces eye
fatigue and strain.
"People over 40 have probably already
noticed their eyes have changed and have
experienced blurred vision when read-
ing, sewing or working on the computer,"
Gottesman says. "This is called presby-
opia and is a normal age-related loss of
near-focusing ability. Specific computer
glasses that accommodate distance and
reading issues usually resolve this issue."
Armonite Albalak of West Bloomfield,
is on the computer eight to nine hours
a day.
"I'm frequently teleconferencing, put-
ting together project plans and proposals,
says Albalak. "I've set up my work area so
that I'm comfortable and wear a pair of
computer glasses to make reading easier. I
• Check the ergonomics of a
child's workstation. For young and
small children, the recommended
distance between the monitor and
the eye is 18 to 28 inches.
• Promote proper postures when
working at a desktop computer.
Feet should rest comfortably on
the floor. Desk should be at elbow
height. Paper holders should be
used to position documents near
the computer screen. The top of the
computer screen should be at about
eye level. The screen should be posi-
tioned and angled to avoid glare.
• Check the lighting. Reduce the
amount of lighting in the room to
match the computer screen.
• Adjust your chair so that your
legs are supported by the chair
seat without excessive pressure on
the back of your thighs. Your back
should be snug against the seat to
fit your spinal curve. Your thigh-to-
trunk angle should be 90 degrees
or greater.
• Use a hands-free headset when
talking on the phone while working
at your computer.
• If you wear bifocals or trifocals,
you should be able to comfortably
view your computer screen without
tilting your head back.
• Laptop computers guidelines
are more difficult because when the
screen is at a comfortable height
and distance, the keyboard is not
and vice versa.
(Several tips are from the American
Optometric Association.)