The modern way of life, the advanced technology and the daily use of more and more sophisticated equipment, is the everyday life of 60-90% of the population. Nowadays, most of us have a job that requires looking at computer monitors for more than 4 hours a day.
All this can cause a problem with vision, i.e. eye symptoms that belong to the group of so-called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). This is not a specific problem, but involves a whole range of ocular symptoms.
Research shows that 50% – 80% of the population using a computer, tablet, smartphone and other digital devices have at least a few eye problems.
The most common symptoms associated with this condition are: eye strain, headache, blurred vision, dry eyes and neck and shoulder pain.
In addition to the time spent in front of a monitor, these symptoms can be caused by: poor lighting, glare from the screen, improper distance from the computer, incorrect sitting position, incorrect refractive errors or undetected diopter or cylinder, or a combination of all of them.
How does the computer affect vision?
When working in front of a computer, the eyes focus and defocus all the time. They move back and forth as you read. Also, you should sometimes look down at documents and then back at the computer. Your eyes react to changes in the images you see so that your brain can process what you see, which is a great effort on the eye muscles. All this is followed by the contrast, flickering and glare from computer monitors.
How is the syndrome diagnosed?
This syndrome is diagnosed on a complete ophthalmic examination. It determines visual function, determines and corrects refractive error (diopter) such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and presbyopia (senile farsightedness) and examines the normal function of the eye muscles and their interaction.
How is it treated?
A few simple changes in your workplace can reduce symptoms and prevent new problems:
Reduce glare. Make changes to the light in your office to reduce the effect of your screen. If you have a window nearby, which contributes to the formation of glare, adjust the computer by reducing or completely removing the glare or working with closed blinds. You can also use an anti-glare filter on your monitor.
Rearrange your desk. The best position for your monitor is slightly below eye level, about 50 to 70 cm away from your eyes. The position of your body should be such that you do not stretch your neck or strain your eyes to read from the screen.
Rest your eyes. Always find time for the 20/20/20 rule. Look away every 20 minutes and look at something 20 cm away from you for about 20 seconds. When we are in front of a computer and we look at the screen for a long time, we do not blink enough. Therefore, when resting your eyes, blink more often to moisturize them. If you feel dry eyes, put artificial tears.
