Eyes and Computers (Computer Vision Syndrome)

Computer Vision Syndrome is a serious condition affecting many people who spend a large portion of their day at a computer screen. According to the American Optometric Association, over 70% of the 143 million Americans who regularly work on a computer suffer from this condition.

Causes of Computer Vision Syndrome

While the characters on a printed page contain stark contrast and definition making them easy to focus on, characters on a computer screen lack these qualities. As a result, your eyes strain considerably more when you are trying to read computer text.

Characters on a computer screen are made up of many pixels, or tiny points of light. These pixels are brightest at the center of the screen and gradually reduce in intensity as you approach the sides of the screen. Your eyes focus differently to make out the characters on the edges of the screen compared to the characters at the center. This constant adjusting of focus creates fatigue and eye strain that may damage your eyes over time.

Symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome

Computer vision syndrome can develop if you spend over two hours a day at a computer. Symptoms include:

Headaches
Loss of focus
Burning eyes
Tired eyes
Double vision
Blurry vision
Neck and shoulder pain

Ways to Reduce Computer Eye Strain

If you work at a computer for most of the day, it is important to go to your ophthalmologist for a regular eye exam at least once a year to monitor the effects on your vision. The following steps will help to reduce the severity of eye damage caused by prolonged computer use:

Use lower intensity lighting and close drapes or blinds on nearby windows
Install an anti-glare screen on your computer
Use an LCD screen instead of a tube-style monitor
Adjust the brightness of your screen so that it is similar to your work environment
Adjust the monitor settings to make the contrast between the background and foreground characters as high as possible
Blink often
Exercise your eyes by looking away from your computer monitor and staring at a distant object for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes
Take frequent breaks
Ask your ophthalmologist if you will benefit from computer eyeglasses

To learn more about the dangers of Computer Vision Syndrome or to find out how you can reduce the damaging effects on your eyes, please contact an eye doctor in your area.