<p>My research revolves around bioimaging and consequently, it involves a very heavy use of all sorts of microscopes, including confocal microscopes, and 96-well plate or 384-well plate screening (and by that, I mean screening each well manually). Already, my mentor has been relating how her eyesight underwent severe deterioration during the past years. It does not help that the microscopy rooms have very brilliant lighting and the technical heads like to keep the computer screens at the highest brightness and contrast levels, despite my repeated attempts to adjust them. Whenever I look into the computer screens to fine-tune the fluorescence or bright-field images, my eyes hurt a lot.</p>
<p>As a result, I have been contemplating the idea of switching disciplines, but I hesitate to do so as it may create adminstrative disputes and I do like bioimaging a lot. So there goes my story. Can anyone share advice on how you guys steer away from astigmatism and other sight deterioration problems when doing microscopy? Thanks a million in advance!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your reply! I do wish there were such protective eyewear. I have never heard of that or seen researchers wearing any kind of eye protection when doing microscopy stuff. Someone has better invent that fast!!</p>
<p>Or do you think ordinary safety glasses may help in any way?</p>
<p>Wilmer, Bascom-Palmer, Mass. Eye and Ear…get yourself to an evaluation by a world class specialist. I caution you against presuming that this is solely a factor of outside of your eye. Not knowing where you are geographically but vision problems are not to delay seeking evaluation.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that there are many lenses and coatings that researcher folks use to “manage” light.</p>
<p>Ahh, I feel for you. I did a genetic screen last year, that had me on the microscope for four hours or more almost every day. My eyes went from -5.5 to -7.0. I’m still doing microscopy these days, but fortunately we have our scope hooked up to a camera that translates the image to a computer, and the room is usually dark dark dark.</p>
<p>Your eyes need to refocus occasionally. Constant viewing of a fixed image and lighting strains the eyes, according to my optometrist. I had neck and eye strain from viewing computer monitors and using magnifiers. There is a simple eye exercise to strengthen the eye muscles. </p>
<p>Also any astigmatism could aggravate your problems.</p>