Working in the IT field, often I come across coworkers who have no eye problems but complain about headaches, fatigue, eye strain and dryness. What all of my coworkers have in common is- spending large amounts of time working on a computer. Sounds strange but computer related eye issues are recognized as "Computer Vision Syndrome" or CVS. In this era of technology, life without a computer is unimaginable for anyone. Some users occasionally just check their email, and others, such as myself whose lives and professions revolve around the use of a computer. Kids are often hooked on the fun of gaming online or offline and teens mostly are addicted to social networking and sharing. The IT industry is very large and everything under the sun is now computerized now. As much as they make our lives easier, computer usage, whether it be minimal or large can cause health problems.
While working on computer screens, our eyes and muscles undergo physical and physiological changes. The blink rate- a body mechanic used to keep our eyes properly wet is reduced dramatically reduced. It is like we are so engrossed in what we are reading or viewing on the screen we seem to forget to blink. This lack of blinking will cause the film from our tears on our eyes to crack and dry sooner. This induces burning and a gritty feeling that eventually leads to swelling and redness. Because of the distance between our eyes and our computer screens is normally very small, our eyes make up by exerting extra effort to accommodate, this allows us to focus properly on the screen. Doing this for long periods of time without breaking does lead to fatigue, headaches, and eyestrain. Our eyes are not the only problem, the ergonomics of our workplace does determine our posture and can lead to the onset of problems like back and neck pains. Uncomfortable chairs or a table that is low to the ground can cause slouching and bending, this affects the your backbones health over time. You may wonder why we can read for hours and ours with a book and never get tired, what is different about reading on a computer? The distance that we read a book is a lot less than the distance we put our computer monitor. Second is that the image on a monitor consists of many pixels, they are the brightest at the center and fade to the edges where the black color of the print offers a contrast of black and white, our brains find this easier to read. The problems that come from the items we have mentioned above are all together given the term of "Computer Vision Syndrome".
Computer Vision Syndrome is charted by eye-strain, blurring vision, dryness and burning in your eyes, increased light sensitivity, head, neck, shoulder, or back pain. Computer users face a lot of these problems to a greater degree based on your frequency of use. Often times, these are symptoms are dismissed as being related to stress or sleep deprivation. CVS is not technically a disease, but it is a cause of concern, it is affecting more people daily. Discomfort in your eyes and the other symptoms related to CVS impact an person’s performance and well-being, this then affects your efficiency at work.
Even though Computer Vision Syndrome gaining momentum rapidly, especially with the increased usage of the young and middle-aged, there are some methods that you can be employ to ensure the health of your eyes.
Computer Vision Syndrome is another addition to the list of ailments induced by your lifestyle, except the solution is pretty simple. Paying attention to details is worth the trouble, it promises better health, and eye comfort. Work on your computer for as long as you want to, but do take care to not stress yourself out. Little things do go far in maintaining the health of your eyes and back. Always keep your health in mind and at the front of your priorities!