

My eyes hurt... - kashif

From very long hacking hours. My brightness is already the least that ubuntu will allow. I am certain you guys face the same problem. How do you take care of your eyes?
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simpleenigma
It might surprise you but drink more water. Not soda, or coffee; drink water.
Half the time my eyes hurt it is more about being dehydrated then staring too
long ...

~~~
abstractbill
Also try using artificial tears. They're cheap and you can get them from
pretty much any drug store. I used them for a couple of weeks when I had my
eyes lasered, and now I use them anytime my eyes are sore.

~~~
bokonist
I second this. My eye doctor recommended them, and it helps quite a bit.

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bootload
_"... My eyes hurt... From very long hacking hours ..."_

Have regular breaks. your eyes hurt because the muscles focusing the eyeball
is squeezing the eye forward (extrinsic ocular muscle activity).

    
    
       HOMER: "... *my eye's hurt*"
       LENNY: "You know its the inter-ocular pressure causing by the muscles trying to focus. Asthenopia is another name for it."
       HOMER: "Huh?"
       CARL:  " Homer just take a break."
       HOMER: "... I did. I just poked my eye to see what it was like."
    

So to stop your eyes hurting take regular breaks ~
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthenopia> &
<http://www.coopereyecare.com/eye_strain.htm>

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nickb
The trick is not to lower the brightness but to invert it. Under Mac OS, press
Cmd-Opt-Ctrl-8 or get one of the many apps that do virtually the same thing
but add more options. Basically, it just inverts the gamma curve and what was
white becomes black etc. Under Linux... I have no idea.

~~~
kashif
hmmm...interesting. Let me try..

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nickb
Check out this post on lifehacker. You can see what the screen looks like and
you can maybe replicate it on Linux. Someone in comments has a suggestion for
Linux too:

[http://lifehacker.com/software/featured-mac-
download/enable-...](http://lifehacker.com/software/featured-mac-
download/enable-night-vision-mode-with-nocturne-259154.php)

~~~
juanpablo
You can get the same thing in Linux installing Compiz/Beryl and it's
"Negative" plugin. Once active just press Super+m (Super is the "Windows" key)
to "negate" the screen.

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mpfefferle
Alt+Shift+Print Screen for those on Windows.

<http://www.wikihow.com/Invert-Colors-on-Your-Windows-XP>

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daniel-cussen
Tried it. It works, but it looks sooo shitty.

~~~
mpfefferle
That's true. I've been using it all day though, and my eyes definitely feel
better. It's kinda growing on me.

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mhartl
I suggest using a work timer to remind you to take short breaks every 30
minutes or so. My favorite timers are xwrits (Linux) and AntiRSI (Mac). (N.B.
Despite being an X program for wrists, 'xwrits' is not a typo.) As you can
guess from the names, they are principally designed to help with RSI, but they
can help with eye pain as well.

Here are a couple of things to try during the breaks: (1) count to 30 while
focusing on something more than 20 feet away; (2) close your eyes and place
your hands over them for a count of 30.

I know it's sometimes hard to take breaks when in the throes of a hackathon,
but you'll get better with practice. I try to be really anal, taking breaks
even if I'm mid-line; that way, I _know_ I'll get back to work when the break
is over.

~~~
euccastro
Another useful timer is lots of water (already suggested here). Besides
hydrating your eyes, a full bladder makes you get up every now and then. I
found that's one type of interruption that is not focus breaking.

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villiros
As you're near-sighted, ask your optometris to give you a "near vision"
prescription. Such prescription would have lenses that are as weak as possible
while still allowing you to see clearly at about arm's length.

Idea being that focusing at things close by requires keeping your ciliary
muscle stressed for long periods of time (try to focus on your palm as close
to your face as possible, and then keep it there for a few minutes to feel
this). Focusing at things far away requires complete relaxation of the eye. If
you wear near vision glasses, your screen will hopefully be far enough that
your eye is relaxed when focusing on it.

I've been using weak glasses for work for the last 5 years or so, and find it
makes a huge difference after a day of coding.

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chmike
Check the screen orientation regarding other light source. Do not put your
screen in front of a source of light (window) or with a source of light in the
back reflecting into it.

Optimal orientation is with screen perpendicular to the window or light source
to avoid reflections on the screen and light source behind the screen.
Otherwise your eyes and brain will have to do allot of effort to focus on your
screen.

Check also the screen quality. LCD flat screen are Ok. A long time ago I
worked with a tube screen slightly out of focus and had terrible head ache by
the end of the day even though I had no problem with my eyes. Changing screen
solved the problem.

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michaelneale
My optometrist recommended you unclog the pores in your eyelids. You eyelids
have pores that emit a thin layer of oil that covers the eyeball, and helps
prevent evaporation. Those pores get blocked.

She said to use a heat pack/mask (as hot as you can handle for as long as you
can handle) an then massage the eyelids (pressing down on the top, and up on
the bottom) to try and get the wax plugs out (yuk). Then wash your eyes.

~~~
Tichy
Um, I suppose that mask goes on the closed eyelids? I just wanted to clarify
that, we don't want to induce a serious accident...

~~~
michaelneale
Ah yes. Well anyone who did it incorrectly can't now read the response, but
anyway.

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jsjenkins168
Is it possible you are a bit farsighted? This can create some eye strain if
you are forced to focus on a nearby object for long periods.

I also have a friend who forgets to blink when he concentrates hard
(seriously). Needless to say his eyes hurt when he codes.

Whatever the cause, you should consider seeing an ophlamologist. I'm sure they
can help you find a remedy.

~~~
steve
For me the problem was never eye strain, but my contacts get very dry around 4
in the morning. Taking a break is a big distraction since that's when I'm
really doing best, hardly time to blink. I think I'll get the corrective
surgery.

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henning
I wish I had a project I cared about enough to work like that.

~~~
kashif
Ah! I am certain you can find something to better. :)

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dfranke
Wear reading glasses, even if you don't think you need them. Set the color
scheme in your editor to black on light yellow (this combination works well
for me, YMMV). If you're using a CRT, either switch to an LCD or drop your
resolution down a setting.

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kashif
I wear glasses full-time. I am myopic already. The color scheme on ViM is
already pale yellow on dark grey (I think this works better than black and
yellow, try it). How will the resolution bit help? Thanks for the response.

~~~
dfranke
Most CRTs get blurry when you run them at their top resolution.

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kashif
LCD and not blurry.

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nmeyer
Code with your eyes closed.

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imgabe
or just get rid of your monitor altogether. "Monitors are for people with weak
memories"

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zaidf
Sleep.

~~~
kashif
I did. :)

