It's a given that if you work on a computer, you're going to suffer from computer eye strain at some point. However, there are things you can do to improve the situation so that a minor nuisance doesn't become a major pain -- literally.

First things first: Get your eyes examined

If you find yourself struggling more than usual, get your eyes examined. Especially if you work on a computer, your eyes can change rapidly; get your eyes examined at least every two years, more often if you find yourself struggling with dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and so on.

Reducing computer eye strain

If there are no overt medical problems, there are things you can do to reduce computer eye strain. Let's take a look at them:

Use Computer Glasses

You can get specially designed computer glasses from your ophthalmologist or optometrist; these single vision lenses give the best vision at between 20 inches and 28 inches away from your focus; 20 to 28 inches is generally the distance between you and your computer screen.

Computer glasses are available both in "no prescription" if you normally don't need glasses, or they can be made to your prescription if you normally need vision correction anyway. They give you a larger field of focus than normal eyeglasses do.

If you wear bifocals, computer glasses are specially designed to give you the largest field of vision with "midrange" or the 20 to 28-inch distance you use for focus on your computer screen. This will significantly reduce your eye strain, and will eliminate head and neck aches you might normally get by awkwardly tilting your head.

Some cautions with computer glasses. Don't drive with computer glasses, since these aren't meant for distance viewing. Some computer glasses, for example, have very small "distance viewing" sections if they're meant to be corrective as well, but many aren't. You can also buy computer glasses as clip on versions, which you can use with your regular glasses. This eliminates the need to have two separate pairs of glasses. Instead, simply wear your regular "distance" glasses if you're nearsighted, and then clip on computer glasses for reading.

Use Better Lighting

Although you might think too little lighting can cause computer eye strain, too much lighting can, as well. Use anti-reflective coating in your glasses, and/or use a computer screen with antiglare functions, to reduce glare and therefore eye strain.

Don't sit too close to your computer screen, use a comfortable chair that fully supports you, and make sure you take breaks.

Use an LCD Screen

While older CRT displays have flicker and refresh rate of less than 75 Hz, newer LCD screens don't have this problem and are much easier on the eyes.

Do Some Eye Exercises

Because your eyes get so used to focusing on a fixed distance (your computer screen), it's a good idea to do exercises meant to keep your vision flexible. Take breaks often and focus on both close and distant objects, on a regular basis. This won't mitigate the need for bifocals, but it may keep you from needing them so soon.