How in the Tech

Remember to Take a Break from your PC with EyeDefender

By Adam Myers ⋅ April 17, 2009 ⋅

I’ve  come to the realization that the human body was not designed to sit behind a desk and stare at a computer screen 8+ hours a day. Hardly earth shattering I know, but after years on the job my body has started to revolt. By now everyone has become aware of things like carpal tunnel syndrome – generally brought about by poor posture and it’s relation to your mousing or keyboarding activities. Being hunched over your desk as you furious type away can also lead to neck and back problems. Being aware of potential posture problems is well and good but the onus is on the individual to correct the issue.

Less discussed is Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), once again brought about by continued and length computer use. CVS symptoms include eyestrain, blurred vision, delayed focusing, headaches, back and neck aches, dry and burning eyes, light sensitivity, distorted color vision, forehead heaviness, and sore eyes. Doesn’t sound very good does it? While software struggles to solve the posture problem above, it’s functional enough to help address and prevent CVS. EyeDefender is one such program.

EyeDefender gently reminds the user to take breaks from the computer at defined intervals – anywhere from 1 to 999 minutes. Taking a break for just a few minutes every hour is generally all you need to keep your body from failing you, at least as it relates to CVS. EyeDefender runs from the system tray and can, at the defined interval, be configured to display a photo slideshow full screen, execute the screensaver, display a timer countdown, or run a visual training program that helps in relaxing your eyes.

At some point in your life things like CVS will start to affect you so why not get in the habit of taking breaks with the free EyeDefender application?