Computers have become a necessity for every organization. Today there are more than 500 million computers in use worldwide. Computers have increased the efficiency and productivity of organizations. However, the overuse of computers have given birth to Computer Vision Syndrome.
What is CVS?
Around 60 million people affected from vision related disorders. Most of them are due to CVS. Many employees spend most of the time working on the computer. Computer images are a combination of tiny dots and pixels. Therefore, there is no specific image for the eye to focus on. This creates the need for constant focusing on frequently shifting images, hence resulting in stress. When working on the computer, the eye blinking rate reduces by 70%. This increases the stress on the eyes.
The short term effects of the CVS are dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, eye fatigue, excessive watering, complementary coloured lines, double vision, and neck/shoulder pain. The long term effects of CVS are reflex photosensitivity(sensitivity to reflective light emitting surfaces like computer screens), photophobia(unusual eye sensitivity to light), slowness in changing near or far focus, blood shot eyes, dim vision.
The computer screen is not the only cause for CVS. Poor lighting, reflective screens, incorrect seating postures, and improper monitor placement also contribute to CVS.
Tips to prevent CVS:
- Keep computer screens 20 - 26 inches away from your eyes.
- Adjust lighting to minimize glare.
- Use anti-glare screens.
- Take a break every 15 minutes and focus on object away from the screen.
- Keep top of the computer below your eye level.
- Use eye drops that reduce irritation and dryness of eyes.
Note: this summary was adapted from http://www.bausch.com/us/vision/forties/cvs.jsp and http://www.bausch.com/us/vision/products/magnifiers/cvs.jsp
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