Few months
back I was applying for admissions in USA. I had to go through different
universities’ websites, check mails, prepare my documents and prepare
presentations and reports. For this I was using my laptop more frequently and
for longer durations. I was unable to sleep till 4 am in the morning even if I was
exhausted. In the beginning I took it casually, because sometimes when we are
too tired we are unable to sleep. But when the problem aggravated I consulted a
doctor, he said that I am having Computer vision syndrome. You all must have
felt sleeplessness or insomnia sometimes but you would never have thought that
using computer for long can cause it. Even if you knew that computer can cause
sleeplessness, you must have not known that it is called CVS. So, I am telling you
all about CVS in detail because it is more than sleeplessness.
What is Computer Vision Syndrome?
The personal computer (P.C) has become a single device which has brought
a great revolution in all aspect of our lives. The use of computer is
increasing day by day. As our dependence on computers continues to grow, an
increasing number of people are seeking medical attention for eye strain and
irritation, along with back, neck and shoulder soreness.
One such problem is of Dry eyes. Dry eye refers to a condition that
results from inadequate wetting and lubrication of eyes. With the increase in
use of computers, this condition is becoming more prevalent and is being known
by the name Computer Vision Syndrome. CVS is the complex of eye and vision
problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to
computer use.
What causes CVS?
Few of the important causes of CVS are:
- Inadvertent less blinking
Studies have shown that the normal blink rate in human eyes is 16-20
blinks/min. For persons working on the computer it decreases to 6- 8
blinks/minute. This leads to dry eyes. It also puts strain on ciliary muscles
of the eye and leads to a feeling of tiredness in the eyes. This can be a
setting for early presbyopia.
- Improper ergonomics of computer work-station.
- High visual demands of computer viewing.
How is reading at the monitor screen
different from reading a printed page?
Reading a computer monitor screen is hard on the eyes because of the
way the characters are formed on the monitor. The video display is made up of
pixels, or tiny dots, rather than solid lines as on a printed page. Because our
eyes cannot “lock” focus on these dots, the eyes must continually focus and
refocus to keep the image sharp. This focusing and refocusing results in stress
to the eye muscles.
What are the symptoms of CVS?
Symptoms of CVS may vary from person to person depending on various
factors such as age, hours of computer usage, etc.
Common symptoms include:
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Discomfort to light
- Eye fatigue/eye ache
- Redness, watering of eyes
- Itching, burning of eyes
- Headache
- Neck/shoulder pain.
Prevention of CVS:
- The computer work-station should be ergonomically correct.
- Conscious frequent blinking of the eyelids during computer usage. Say every time you press ‘Enter’ or click the mouse blink your eye.
- Short break of about 15 seconds away from the screen every 20 minutes or so.
- Use appropriate glasses or contact lenses for correction of refractive errors, if any.
In this computer era there is no scope to avoid this modern technology
rather its use is expanding every day. The parents should be very conscious to
identify their children’s problems like behavioural change, ocular complaints
and headache. They should take proper measure by consulting with the computer
vision syndrome specialists for the prevention of permanent disabilities.
We all know the gravity of situation and
we also know the solutions; we just have to act on them. We just have to abandon our
wrong habits.
Steve jobs once said “Deciding what not
to do is as important as deciding what to do” so start deciding.
Credits:- Dr. Hemant Mittal, Paras Hemrajani, Manas Hemrajani
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