Do your employees constantly argue about whether to keep the lights on or off, or to keep the blinds up or down in the office? Although you may view this ongoing battle over office lighting as a harmless issue of personal preference, the lighting in your office may actually be increasing your employees' risk for a fairly serious health disorder known as computer vision syndrome (CVS).

Headaches, sore and dry eyes, double-vision, even neck and back pain are symptoms of CVS, a term coined by the American Optometric Association (AOA). For the many professionals that stare at a computer monitor every day, the chances of suffering from some form of CVS are quite high. In June of 1999, the AOA claimed that more than 10 million Americans were experiencing CVS and that new studies indicated the number was rising.

The problem seems to originate from too much light bouncing off of the computer monitor. Light, both artificial and natural, reflects off of the glass screen, creating a glare, which will cause you to strain your eyes to see type and images on your screen.

To accurately check for glare, users should turn the monitor off first. When it's on, it's hard to tell how much glare is actually coming off the screen and where the source of the glare is originating.

If you think you or your employees may be experiencing symptoms of CVS, here are some tips from the American Optometric Association on adjusting your lighting and monitor settings to help reduce glare:

Dim the lights. The brighter the light, the bigger the glare will be when it reflects off your monitor. Try turning off certain sections of lights and using desk lamps that can be easily repositioned to replace overhead lights, or install dimmer switches. If bright sunlight shines through windows during the day, make sure you have some sort of window treatments to block it. If you still have a glare on your screen, try repositioning your monitor.

Set your monitor correctly. Even if the light in your office doesn't seem extremely bright, it should never be brighter than your computer screen. The brightness of your monitor should actually be equal to the brightness of your office. Play with your contrast and brightness settings until the text on your screen is very clear and easy to read - that's an indicator that it's set correctly.

Clean your screen. Periodic dustings of your monitor will also help. Anti-glare screens will also reduce some of that unwanted light, as well as cut down on dust (look for one with a seal of approval from the American Optometric Association).

Sit up straight. What you shouldn't do is reposition your body to avoid glare. Trying to avoid glare by slouching in your chair, or craning your neck, will only increase your risk of additional problems like back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

As of today, it has not yet been determined if the effects of CVS can cause permanent damage to one's health. That may have to do with the fact, however, that jobs requiring an employee to sit in front of a computer for long periods of time haven't been around long enough for researchers to study long-term affects.

But don't let that prevent you from taking precautions now. Use these tips to wipe out any present irritability, and possibly prevent more serious vision problems that could appear in the future.