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Headaches While Working In Front Of IMAC

vicious7

vicious7

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 16, 2007
818
2
Jacked into the net...
Has anyone here ever gotten headaches (consistently) while working in front of their IMACs? If so, do you know the reason and possible cure? From my end, I know its not my posture or seating position and it isn't related to screen brightness. The only thing I can think of is some sort of radiation emanating from the unit itself. Thoughts?
 
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Headaches usually occur on LCD monitors when it has a low refresh rate, this is because your eyes are aware of the screen refreshing and adjusts itself thus causing a headache.

And yea I have gotten a headache after awhile, but it was on my macbook not my imac, I dont think its radiation though im sure its the refresh rate of the monitor.
 
vicious7 said:
What did you do to alleviate the headaches?
Click to expand...

They stopped after awhile to be honest, I guess I got used to it, I didnt change any setting or nothing, it just stopped, you may want to check your refresh rate on the display system settings pane and see if you can raise it, that should help.
 
shinryu744 said:
Headaches usually occur on LCD monitors when it has a low refresh rate, this is because your eyes are aware of the screen refreshing and adjusts itself thus causing a headache.
Click to expand...

Dude! LCD does not "refresh". 60Hz is a whole new story on a CRT-tube than on LCD :rolleyes:
 
Never got headaches from using my iMac. Radiation coming from the Mac? If that were true, they wouldn't be able to sell them.

Try turning the brightness all the way down or making the resolution lower so things look larger on the screen. Or maybe you're sitting too close to the monitor, move it back a few inches.

Do you get headaches when you watch TV?
 
Have any students here had a hard time concentrating on actual work (papers from class, notes) because of the massive screen?

Just curious, lol.
 
Hmm are you getting headaches sitting in front of just you imac? Have tried using other computer and if so have you experienced the headaches?
 
When I got my 20" iMac, I did get headaches for a few days, but I had figured that was because I was straining to look at the whole screen all at once. I showved the iMac back a few inches on my desk, dialed down the brightness, and the headaches went away.

Tom
 
My employer recently started purchasing cheaper LCD monitors with TN panels and some of them give me a headache after using them for just a short while. The TN panels generally have poor contrast, colors and viewing angles and it seems like a lot of the vendors push the default brightness up to 100% on these TN panels to try and make up for the poor contrast.

Is your iMac the 20" or the 24"?

The 20" iMac comes with a TN panel and some TN panels are worse than others. It depends on the manufacturer.

If you have the 24" iMac, it might be that you are sitting too close.

In my case I found a Dell UltraSharp 20" LCD monitor with an IPS panel and had my employer purchase it for me. No more headaches. :)
 
I should clarify. I don't get headaches in front of the tv and I can sense the pain coming from 4 ft away from the imac. Also, I get a sorta ringing sensation in my ear which then turns into a headache. Im not really sure what's going on coz it only happens in front of the imac...:confused:

I am fine when Im using the mbp.

Blackmax-it's the 20"
 
I never got a headache, but the first weeks I had my iMac my eyes hurt a bit, because of the brightness.
I then used DarkAdapted to dimm the screen to a convenient level, lower than the lowest setting possible with OSX's built-in brightness control.
But after a few weeks I found myself increasing the brightness, my eyes obviously had adapted to the bright screen.

I'd say give it time to get used to or try "DarkAdapted" or a similar program "Shades".
 
Same thing happening to me on my new 3.06 24". I can feel a field emanating from the Imac. Wonder if mine has a problem with radiation or something. And I have the monitor pushed all the way to the back of my desk, with the brightness on the dimmest setting.
 
Well first of all it might be cause the 20" screen has 24bit color and not 32bit, but i dont think that would cause problems, and second do u sit and support your jaw on your hand therefore putting much pressure on your jaw connectors and ears that causing u the noise and the headaches (i did that thats why im asking :p)
 
nikmer said:
Well first of all it might be cause the 20" screen has 24bit color and not 32bit, but i dont think that would cause problems, and second do u sit and support your jaw on your hand therefore putting much pressure on your jaw connectors and ears that causing u the noise and the headaches (i did that thats why im asking :p)
Click to expand...

I have the 24" screen, not the 20" but no I do not support my jaw in my hands so I don't think that's the issue.
 
Seriously, maybe you need glasses or new glasses. My mom has glasses just for the computer so the distance between her and the CRT is just right for the prescription. She found before she was getting "dizzy" watching the screen.
 
It's the glossy screens. They'll give some people headaches. I know I can't work with them.
 
It's probably not from radiation. BUT, you should be concerned about that from a long-term safety and health point of view.

I don't know about the iMac displays, but many standalone LCD displays come with approvals from the Swedish standards on permissible radiation. Since all LCD monitors emit radiation, the standards approve only those monitors with safe levels.

If approved, the display would come with either a TCO'03 or MPR-II certification. Buyers of monitors should look for this, preferably TCO'03 which is more strict.
 
I did also get a bit tired in my head working on the iMac screen (not headaches though) But, I figured out it was because I was sitting in a rather dark room working and close to a very bright screen, which makes my eyes struggle more. So once I put the screen on mid amount of brightness, things are much better. All the laptops have automatic screen adjustment, but since the imac is a stationary I guess Apple have no reason to add that. . but it´s very easy to think that a screen is better when it´s on max capacity. Try press f1 a few times and see if that makes things more comfy for ya :) -did the trick for me.
 
Yeah this 24" iMac I just bought is giving me headaches too. It's even brighter than my previous 20" iMac and of course larger.

I may just get used to it, but I'm not sure. It probably doesn't help that I have thick lenses in my glasses. All that light and reflection bugs. Maybe some sunglasses will help.

Otherwise I might have to join the glossy screen complaint choir.
 
vicious7 said:
I should clarify. I don't get headaches in front of the tv and I can sense the pain coming from 4 ft away from the imac. Also, I get a sorta ringing sensation in my ear which then turns into a headache. Im not really sure what's going on coz it only happens in front of the imac...:confused:
Click to expand...

Turn down the music. ;):p
 
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