Computer Vision Syndrome; Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Computer vision syndrome refers to a symptom or a group of symptoms experienced by a person as a result of prolonged working on computer screen. Although continuous computer usage leads to several problems, ocular disorders are the most common complaints.

Non Ocular

• Headache
• Neck ache
• Sleepiness
• Disinclination to work

Ocular

• Eyestrain
• Burning sensation in the eyes
• Tearing
• Redness of the eye
• Irritation of the eye
• Dryness of the eye
• Vision blurring

Ocular surface related causes

• Most frequently, symptoms relate to occurrence of dry eye in these persons. Dry eye leads to burning, irritation, redness. Reflex tearing and fatigue in the eye and blurring vision.
• Various factors that leads to occurrence of dry eye or eye like condition in the eye are:
• While working on the computer for long periods, a person stares at the screen without blinking which dries out the eye surface.
• The direction in which the eye looks while working on a computer is horizontal as opposed to a downward stare while reading. This exposes more of the eye area and causes dryness.
• Air-conditioned office atmosphere along with dust and static build-up dries out the eyes.
• Contact lenses hinder the tear film from wetting the eyes.
• Cosmetic such as eyeliners or eye shadows block the pores on the eyelid margin leading to drier eyes.
• The symptoms are more common in females and women from 45-50 years of age ate at a higher risk of developing dry eyes.

People with marginal deficiency of accommodation or binocular vision display these symptoms when they work for long hours on a computer. Eyestrain leads to eye fatigue, headache, blurred vision and also double vision.

The contributory factors include:

Visual disturbances such as a high contrast or high illumination on the computer screen.

Tight Spacing of letters and lines on the screen.

The presence of light characters on a dark background.

Glare from any light source which fails directly on the computer screen.

The treatment and / or prevention these problems require the person to make changes or adjustments in his work pattern and habits.

• The most important thing is to take breaks in between work. The breaks can be short but should be frequent.
• Take your eyes off the screen ever half an hour and lock at a distance point for a few minutes.
• Always keep a bottle of lubricating eye drops handy and pour a drop or two in each eye every two hours.
• Make a deliberate efforts to blink more often while working.
• Position the lighting in such a way that no direct light falls on the computer screen or in your eyes.
• Use an anti-glare screen to reduce glare and reflection off the screen.
• Position the computer at a distance of three feet from the eyes and about 10 to 20 degrees below the eye level.