health & wellness FARMINGTON HILLS INTERNISTS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THEIR RELOCATION TO: Digital Fallout from page 33 Providing excellence in care, where the patient comes first. • Board certified physicians dedicated to their patients' health • Accessible location that has comprehensive on site diagnostics • Personalized physician care from your visit to your phone calls PLEASE CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH OUR PHYSICIANS: Eugene Herman, M.D. • Leon Morris, D.O. • Allan Ross, M.D. Richard Stober, M.D. • Sheldon Stoffer, M.D • Gary Yashinsky, M.D. 248-865-4150 or 248-865-4160 1983050 Rehabilitation designed to get patients back to living. Heartland skilled nursing and rehab centers provide a comprehensive regime of specialized rehabilitation services, each one designed to move you one step closer to your recovery goals. Recovery begins with our state-of-the-art rehab gym where our team can treat patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, stroke and neurological, cardiac, oncology and pulmonary issues. • Complex medical care • Intensive rehabilitation • Skilled nursing 13 locations in the Greater Detroit area Livonia NE Oakland Plymouth Sterling Heights West Bloomfield Marvin & Betty Danto Health Care Center 800.800.CARE Heartland heartlandnursing.com 1996170 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.)