Dizziness while on my PC

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Hi guys,
I have a really awful problem. It's not really hardware or software based, more health related, although it could have something to do with my monitor settings. The nasty problem that I am enduring is a combination of nausea, dizziness and mild amounts of sickness while sitting at my PC. It has been like this for several weeks now, especially at work, which has an LCD screen on the computer - this appears to make it ten times worse. Do any of you guys know what is causing this? I have got the the point where I am starting to lose balance on my chair and have to go outside for a short break every hour to recover. All help is beyond very well appreciated, cheers!

[Vladimir]

Seizures. Too many pretty lights confusing the brain.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Thanks for the fast answer Valdimir. Does that mean I have to stick to a lightly toned skin while viewing the Guild. That is when I seem get the problem at it's worst (I view with the R:TW skin). Is there anything else I could do that would help. Thanks!

[The_Doctor]

What are you looking at when it happens?

I used to feel the same way if I looked at the stars in Starfleet Command while my ship was doing a tight turn.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Usually here, the Org. As I said, it could, based on Vladimir's answer about bright colours, be the skin I am using, it's very bright and flashy, perhaps I should change it?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Ah yes, that seemed to be the problem. I did a quick test and immediately after turning the R:TW skin off, and turning on the Lite skin, I felt a huge improvement. I still had my headache, but otherwise everything else was quickly resolved. Thanks for your answers, they were much appreciated

Is there anything else I can do? I would like to be able to view the Org in full colour, yet if I do I feel incredibly dizzy, even if I only have avatars on.

[Husar]

Well, if it is that bad that you almost fall off your chair, you might want to ask a doctor. May even be epilepsy or something like that.
Hope it will get better.

[Mikeus Caesar]

Turn up the refresh rate. I get headaches using the computers at school cos they're set to something ridiculous like 50-60Hz. You can even see them flickering if you look at them out of the corner of your eye.

Just turn it to something like 75Hz. That should solve anymore problems you are having.

[caravel]

How fast does the screen redraw when you scroll the browser window? If it is slow and jerky the refresh rate could be the problem. I think you should see a doctor though, seriously.

[Vladimir]

You're welcome and I agree with the above. I suspect that you're too hard on yourself and that this is a symptom that could actually lead to good things in the future. The most dangerous possibility is that of seizures, a mild case of epilepsy could be the problem too.

Overall I'd say you have a mild but annoying problem that may be hurting you in other areas of your life. Nothing to truly worry about, but something that deserves immediate attention.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

The screen re-draws relativity quickly so I don't think that could be the problem. The refresh rate is on 60Hz, yet my settings refuse to bump it up any higher, if I try, I get a "the signal is out of range message" on my screen.

And many thanks for all your advise. I will try to set an appointment with my doctor in the near future. Cheers guys!

[TevashSzat]

Hmm.. I believe that I have experienced something similar to Omanes Alexandrapolites the Idiot. Seeing how half-life, an original game was supposedly awesome, i bought the game and wanted to play through it. However, after 15 minutes of playing it, i would start to feel nauseated and dizzy and had to stop for about 30 min or so before i started feeling normal again. This occurs every time i paly half-life which is the sole reason i am still at level one in the game right now... I have played plenty of old games such as the original diablo, and the original command and conquer game, but did not experience such effects

[Xiahou]

Turn up the refresh rate. I get headaches using the computers at school cos they're set to something ridiculous like 50-60Hz. You can even see them flickering if you look at them out of the corner of your eye.

Just turn it to something like 75Hz. That should solve anymore problems you are having.

If it's an LCD monitor, I don't think refresh rates really matter that much.


If it's the bright colors that seem to be bothering, try turning down the brightness/color levels on your monitor. As others have said though, if it's a serious problem, you may want to consult a doctor and see what they say based on the info you found.

[drone]

Common issues that I know of:

Monitor refresh rates. I could detect the flicker at 60Hz, was very annoying at times. Wouldn't think that this would be a problem with LCDs though.

Strobing. Flashing adverts, game effects. Sometimes these can trigger seizures and other ill effects.

Parallax problems. Early 3D games sometimes had parallax issues, I think Wolfenstein 3D was one of them. I knew a few people who got nauseous playing that game.

[caravel]

The refresh rate is on 60Hz

There's your entire problem. Try to set it to 75Hz, even the worst TFTs usually support that.

[Caius]

I have to see the doc, i guess.

[sapi]

There's your entire problem. Try to set it to 75Hz, even the worst TFTs usually support that.

60hz is normal for a lcd and it doesn't bother most people with crts.

see a doctor

[Husar]

There's your entire problem. Try to set it to 75Hz, even the worst TFTs usually support that.

If a TFT is built to run at 60Hz, it actually runs worse if set to 75.
My TFT produced black lines in videos at 75Hz and at 60 it runs perfectly fine.
Plus TFTs don't flicker anyway.

[caravel]

60hz is normal for a lcd and it doesn't bother most people with crts.

see a doctor

60Hz on a TFT causes my eyes to physically sting, gives me headache and makes my eyes very tired, because even though there is no flicker, the slower redraw of the screen is still visible. This is why I don't use TFT monitors and will only sit in front of a CRT if is has a minimum of 80Hz. Some people are more sensitive to this than others. Response times are the key.

[sapi]

Are we talking tft as in lcds?

I'm yet to see a popular one that isn't 60hz....

[Husar]

Are we talking tft as in lcds?

I'm yet to see a popular one that isn't 60hz....

Yes, TFT and LCD are the same.

60Hz on a TFT causes my eyes to physically sting, gives me headache and makes my eyes very tired, because even though there is no flicker, the slower redraw of the screen is still visible. This is why I don't use TFT monitors and will only sit in front of a CRT if is has a minimum of 80Hz. Some people are more sensitive to this than others. Response times are the key.

As far as I know, TFT/LCD monitors don't redraw at all and show the same picture all the time unless something changes. A CRT draws the picture with an electron beam(or three) that sweeps the whole screen as often per second as the Hertz rate indicates while a TFT/LCD has a backlight that shines through crystals which change it to different colours(alter it's wavelength), thus shaping the picture. Now that backlight doesn't flicker and I doubt the crystals do, the refresh rate means how often the monitor can change the form of the crystals per second. If the rate at which your graphicscard sends the pictures to the monitor is for example higher than 60 Hz, it can happen that two pictures arrive in the time the monitor displays one so the monitor paints half the old picture in the upper half and half of the newer picture in the lower half of the screen and that can be seen if they are somewhat different, vertical sync takes care of that by restraining the graphicscard to fps that are conform with your monitor.

If I got anything wrong, feel free to correct me, that's just how I remember it.

[caravel]

We seem to be at crossed purposes here. What I am trying to get to, and not doing too well so far, is the response times. If the response time is too low it may cause a jerkiness when he's scrolling the browser window up and down. This may be what's causing thre problem. If not, then I've no idea what it might be. Brightness can be a big factor, generally have it as low as you can, though with a TFT there is nowhere near as much glare as there is with a CRT monitor.

[Talbot]

There's your entire problem. Try to set it to 75Hz, even the worst TFTs usually support that.

In an earlier post he said he couldn't change that. The monitor wouldn't allow it.

[caravel]

I know, it would seem that I missed that bit...

[Talbot]

Sorry if my post sounded off, wasn't meant to

Anyway, do we know if the OP has been to the doc yet? Scary stuff if you start to feel ill using a computer.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Not yet, got to wait till Monday.

[Nikpalj]

Hey Omanes,

you could also start working on your energy system. A few years back I was a regular, know-it-all atheist, but now I am perfectly aware that beside the physical we also have an energy body... that all that actually isn't just new-age trash (like I've thaught all of my life). It's all actually quite fascinating once you start discovering stuff you've never dreamed was possible before!

Get yourself a good "do it yourself" manual on qui-gong or some similar "working with human energy" health system and start doing light excersizes daily - pay special attention to the energy center positioned on your throat... this might, over time, very well help ease your nausea problems.

I would also reccomend you try accupuncture, if at all possible. :)

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Thanks Nikpalj, yet, I think I will see what the conventional methods can do first. I saw the doc and she say see an optician.