Aarogya - The Wellness Site

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is characterized by eye strain associated with prolonged use of computers. Symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome include eye irritation, such as dry eye, red, itchy, and watery eyes, fatigue, including heaviness of the eyelids or forehead, and difficulty in focusing the eyes. Other symptoms of CVS are headaches, backaches and muscle spasms.

Causes of Computer Vision Syndrome
A person’s vision is not suited for staring at a computer screen for many hours. Computer screens are made up of pixels or tiny dots, on which the eye can not lock its focus. The computer user must therefore focus and refocus to keep the images sharp. This results in receptive stress of the eye muscles.

Additionally, after prolonged computer use, the frequency of blinking is decreased, which causes the eyes to dry and become sore. As a result, the ability to focus diminishes and vision may blur, which causes headaches and neck pain. Any person who spends approximately two hours a day working on a computer is at risk for developing Computer Vision Syndrome.

Prevention of Computer Vision Syndrome
When working at a computer, there are certain preventive measures that can reduce eyestrain. Good tips to keep in mind are: position the monitor 20 to 26 inches away from the eyes, arrange light sources in a position that will minimize glare and reflections on the screen, blink frequently to moisture the eyes and take vision breaks from your computer.

• Make sure your computer screen is 20 to 24 inches from your eyes at about 20° below eye level.
• If you use a document holder, keep it close to the screen.
• Dim overhead lights and keep desk lamps low and properly adjusted, so that the light doesn’t enter your eyes or fall on screen.
• Every 15 minutes, focus on distant objects to relax your muscles.
• If needed, use an anti–reflective filter on the screen.
• Make effort to blink more frequently.