Do you work in front of a computer? Find out what a Computer Vision Syndrome is

These days, for many of us a computer is an indispensable working tool that we use every day and for our children it is one of the most popular sources of entertainment. Unfortunately, our new lifestyle entails some serious consequences, especially when it comes to the condition of our eyes. Staring into a computer screen for many hours may lead to a number of symptoms collectively known as Computer Vision Syndrome.

Computer Vision Syndrome is a group of vision disorders resulting from prolonged working on a computer or other similar devices. These symptoms were diagnosed and termed as CVS for the first time at the end of the 20th century, when rapid technological progress significantly contributed to a change in our lifestyle and the necessity of day-to-day contact with monitors and displays began to have a negative effect on our eyesight.

Seven common causes of Computer Vision Syndrome

Hectic pace of work and a multitude of responsibilities often make us forget about proper eye hygiene. Such negligence inevitably exposes our eyes to the risk of developing CVS. Here are seven common causes of Computer Vision Syndrome:

• unsuitable lighting in the room
• misadjusted screen contrast and brightness
• insufficient distance between the eyes and the monitor
• inappropriate posture while working on the computer
• lack of breaks from looking at the monitor
• infrequent blinking
• vision defect 

What are the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome?

A proper, reliable CVS diagnosis may only be established by an ophthalmologist after a thorough medical examination and tests. Before we visit a specialist, however, we need to know what symptoms may indicate this particular syndrome. Eye fatigue, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, blurred vision, eye dryness, itchiness and irritation, colour vision disorder and conjunctivitis may all be indicators of CVS and therefore should not be ignored but rather motivate us to make a doctor’s appointment.

How to protect the eyes from CVS?

The easiest solution would be to refrain from using all types of monitors and screens, which is absolutely impossible these days. Computers and smartphones are ubiquitous and that is a good thing for they facilitate our everyday life to a great extent. However, we should use the new technologies in a reasonable way and in order to do so, we should first change our habits.

Let’s begin by choosing an appropriate place for the computer in terms of lighting. The light should be natural and the monitor should not face its source so as to avoid all sorts of reflections on the screen, which may contribute to eyestrain.

Contrast and focus of the screen should be adjusted to surrounding conditions, which allows to reduce eye fatigue during work.

We should also remember about the right sitting position, i.e. a straight posture, with proper back support, feet resting flat on the floor and an appropriate distance between the eyes and the screen – not shorter that the length of a stretched arm. The monitor should be placed on our line of sight or slightly below since looking constantly upwards may lead to eye dryness.

Every twenty minutes we should take a short break from working on the computer and look into the distance. Even a short, few-minute break for our eyes, especially coupled with intense blinking, may significantly reduce the risk of CVS. When we work on the computer, our blinking rate decreases, and it is important to blink more often during the breaks as it lubricates the surface of the eyes, positively affecting their health and improving visual comfort. Additionally, we can apply artificial tears, i.e. lubricating eye drops.

Let’s not forget about regular appointments with an ophthalmologist, because when we have a refractive error, the above methods of CVS prevention may turn out to be insufficient.

Last but not least, it is worth pointing out that Computer Vision Syndrome has not been classified as an eye disease but as a group of disorders caused by long-term eye fatigue. So let our eyes rest and remember than prevention is much cheaper and much easier than treatment.

Take proper care of your eyes and have your visual acuity tested – make an appointment for a specialist ophthalmologic examination in our Centre.

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