Having double vision after staring too long at your computer screen? You might just be having symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS).
CVS is a group of symptoms resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer display for prolonged periods of time, aggravated by poor work environment and habits. Symptoms include dry eye, eyestrain, decreased tolerance to light, blurred or double vision, temporary nearsightedness, headaches, neck pain and difficulty refocusing the eyes. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reports that CVS affects some 90% of people who spend three hours or more a day at a computer.
Some experts say that focusing extensively on the screen keeps the eye muscles from moving frequently, leading to eyestrain, while fixing the gaze at a close distance causes convergence fatigue. Dr. Kent Daum, AOA optometrist and Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago on the other hand said, The constant refocusing effort stresses the eye muscle, leading to computer-related vision problems. The difficulty of properly focusing on near objects after short periods could lead to early presbyopia, an age-related loss of ability of the eye lens to focus, making it difficult to see objects up close.
Factors attributed to CVS include the lack of sharp edges or background contrast in computers as compared to print reading, poor image clarity, infrequent blinking and glare from reflected light.
According to the American Optometric Association, only 11% of Americans use special computer glasses and computer screen filters to reduce glare and eye discomfort. The AOA recommends guidelines to prevent or reduce eye and vision problems associated with computer vision syndrome: