Doctors say there is too much staring and not enough blinking among Americans, and it is resulting in an annoying condition called “computer vision syndrome.” This syndrome is not one defined disorder, but a collection of symptoms that are affecting people young and old who work, study, and play in front of a screen. Industry officials believe it’s more widespread than repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal-tunnel syndrome.
42 percent of respondents in a recent nationwide survey say they use a computer or hand-held device for three or more hours a day. Most people fail to blink or take enough breaks, their lights are too bright and their computer screens are positioned incorrectly, with the result that about three-quarters of the computer users report eye problems.
The solutions are simple, but not always easy to implement: 1) Take a “vision break” for a few seconds every ten minutes: close your eyes or stare at some distant object out the window or across the room to relax your focusing muscles. 2) Remember to blink enough. We should blink every five seconds in order to keep our eyes properly healthy and moist. When we are concentrating on a screen, we on average blink only once every ten seconds, which can cause the eyes to become dry and fatigued, also blurring the vision. 3) Be aware of the angle of your computer screen and your distance to the screen. Sitting closer to the screen causes more eye fatigue.
Andrew Caster MD – Caster Eye Center: Excellence in Laser Vision Correction of Nearsightedness · Farsightedness · Astigmatism
