Ask HN: Tricks to Avoid Eye Problems?

As a software engineer, I have the need to stay many hours in front of a screen.

I work 8 hours a day in an office with a computer. At home I usually spend about 3 hours a day at the computer (social network, programming, side projects, HN, ...).

I usually have slightly red eyes. Lately the problem has gotten worse. I began to have some pains in the right eye and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.

Because of that, I'm currently at home on vacation. I have a scheduled appointment with a vision specialist next week.

This is the first time I have complications with vision. I'm 26 years old, so far I've never had any problems or need glasses.

Someone has some tips to avoid eye problems?

There's the 20/20/20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds) that's cited often.

I started to have similar issues, and my optometrist set me up with some reading glasses optimized for how far away I usually sit from my monitor. They have eliminated a lot of the eyestrain issues I'd been dealing with.

What about a dark theme in Code Editor (something like default Sublime theme)?

The app "Time Out" is really good for this on Mac. I've used it daily for probably the last six months, it automatically helps you do eye breaks.

Look away. Frequently. I work from home, spend 10-12 hours a day looking at screens. My office is set up so I can glance out a window easily. In fact it's in my peripheral vision, that's how close it is. I look out it frequently. I'm 42, just had glasses in the last 2-3 years. The trick is to let your eye focus on something far away on a regular basis. It's like getting up and walking around, but for your eyes. It makes a huuuge difference.