COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is defined as a group of eye and vision problems due to prolonged computer use (American Optometric Association, 2007). In Malaysia, a study conducted by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showed that 61.4% of workers using computers at work complained of back pain, shoulder and neck pain, while 70.6% of them complained of eye pain which are all related to CVS (Loh et al., 2008). Although there is still no evidence to say computer use causes permanent eye damage, but it can cause temporary discomfort which in turn can reduce productivity, loss of working time and reduce job satisfaction.

How do computer affect your vision?

CVS occurs due to repetitive eye movements. The longer we use the computer, the more these repetitive eye muscle movements can cause eye muscles to become tense and sore, which can lead to headaches. When you work in front of a computer, your eyes need to be focused at all times. Unlike reading a book or paper, computer gives worse results as the screen produces flickering light, contrast and glare. It becomes more difficult with age as the eye lenses will become less flexible as age increases. When you reach your 40s, the eye’s ability to focus on intermediate and near objects will begin to decrease. This condition is called presbyopia. This situation will be worse if you have short sightedness or long sightedness and do not wear any glasses or the degree of your glasses is not updated.

Symptoms:

Prolonged and continuous computer use can cause:

• Eye strain and discomfort

• Blurred vision

• Double vision

• Neck or back pain

• Dry & red eyes

• Eye irritation

• Headache

by Evix Daud Consultant Optometrist & Contact Lens Specialist

How to keep your eyes healthy when using a computer?

Some simple changes to the workspace can help prevent or improve symptoms:

• Eliminate glare.

- Adjust the lighting in your workspace to reduce glare on the computer screen. If light from an adjacent window produces glare, change the position of the computer screen. You can also add a glare filter to your monitor.

• Give your eyes a break.

- Every 20-30 minutes facing your computer, you should look at a distant object at least 20 feet away for about 2030 seconds.

• Comfortable screen monitor exposure.

- Adjust the brightness, contrast, and font size on the monitor screen until you get the best and most comfortable setting for your vision.

• Visit your eye doctor frequently to monitor your eye health.

- Inform the doctor if you encounter any eye-related problems. Your doctor may determine if you need single or bifocal lenses, or colored glasses to increase contrast to avoid glare.

• Rearrange the desk position.

- The best position for the monitor is slightly down from eye level, about 40 to 75 cm of distance between the screen and your face (pic 1). Place the material you want to copy next to the monitor screen so that your neck and eyes do not have to move up and down to read to avoid straining and hurting your neck and eye muscles.