You've probably heard that looking at a computer screen for hours at a time has decreased your vision by at least 20%, right? Wrong. Playing solitaire or searching Google all day does not cause harm to your eyes. What does harm your vision is not blinking enough while you are reading a news blog or watching an exciting YouTube video on your computer screen. The same damage can be done by scrolling through Rolling Stone or watching The Hobbit movie on the big screen. The real enemy is your eyes' dryness and fatigue. Fortunately, there are a few easy tricks to improve vision by simply keeping your eyes moist and energized.

To start, remember to keep the monitor roughly 2 feet away from your face. Also, you can always give your eyes a little break from the computer. On a regular basis, stand up and stretch out your muscles. Take a little walk to get some coffee or water and relive any strain from your eyes. Many people even depend on eye drops, such as Visine, to keep their vision from getting blurred.

Medical research has concluded that computers emit very small amounts of radiation, like x-rays and ultraviolet rays.  The harm done to your overall vision is minimal. Yet, you may find yourself getting a headache and having difficulty concentrating after a couple of hours at your computer desk. The screen is not to blame. It is the computer's insufficient setting, probably with poor lighting. Other times, it may be that you simply needed glasses to improve your vision before you went to work in front of a computer screen all day.

The reason that your eyes get strained is that their muscles get overworked. They quickly grow tired, begin to ache, and your overall vision get blurry. To prevent such problems, avoid sitting the same distance from your computer screen for too long. After an hour or so, simply move your chair an inch or two. Make sure than you are never reading anything too closely and that there is adequate light in the room. Steer clear of any glares from overhead. You never want to be squinting. Meanwhile, do not put on anyone else's prescription glasses, or any pair that are outdated. Of course, it never hurts to see an eye doctor to check for underlying issues, like an ocular allergy or an eye muscle imbalance. Get an ophthalmologist's opinion on how to help your vision. One thing is for sure, the doctor won't tell you to stop working on a computer all day. Finally, ophthalmologists will tell you to keep your eyes strong and hydrated to get better vision. Before you know it, your eyes will be able to focus better, distinguish between colors and see more clearly. You can feel decades younger.