An Aside: New Photography Business Causing Eye Strain

An eye doctor confirmed something that I had been worried about: I need glasses!

During the past month, I had been noticing that by the time I made it home from work at The Denver Post, I often had a headache and my eyes were watery, red and painful. The staff nurse suggested I move the computer monitor within arms length from my face and adjusted my chair height. That worked for about a week, but the pain came back. I figured I probably needed glasses so I set up an eye appointment.

What I didn't expect was to have the eye doctor tell me that she thinks I need reading glasses because I've been spending too much time at the computer! Working 8 to 10 hour shifts as a reporter at the Denver Post and then editing photos for my business in the morning before I go into the office and then well into the evening after I get home from the office has taken a toll on my eyes. Along with glasses, I had to promise the doc that I would get up from my computer every 2 hours to give my eyes a rest. Even a 5 minute break away from the glare of the screen will be helpful to my eyes that are under a lot of strain right now from all my nitpicking and editing in Photoshop (not to mention the strain on my pocketbook since those glasses cost me nearly $300!!!!)

So learn this lesson now: take care of your eyes and yank yourself away from the computer, or suffer later! Hopefully my clients will think the glasses make me look more professional. ;)