Computer Vision Syndrome CVS

Computers are ubiquitous. Most of us seem to spend a large part of our days squinting at a monitor and with more of our shopping and entertainment being driven by the Internet, the time we spend on the computer is surely going to increase. For many of us, that’s not a problem. But if you spend more than two hours at a computer each day, especially if you already wear glasses, it’s likely that you will experience symptoms of what some have termed Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).

CVS is caused by many things. A decreased rate of blinking while you’re focusing on a computer screen is thought to be significant. Studies have shown that the blink rate decreases to as low as 6–8 blinks per minute if you’re focused on a computer display (the normal blink rate is 16-20 per minute).This leads to dry eyes and can also put strain on the ciliary muscles. The most ordinary symptoms of CVS include headaches, focusing difficulties, burning eyes, exhausted eyes, general eyestrain, aching eyes, dry eyes, double vision, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and sometimes neck and shoulder pain.

CVS can also accelerate the early onset of a condition called presbyopia (usually associated with aging) where you experience difficulty reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions, eyestrain when reading for long periods or momentarily blurred vision when shifting between viewing distances.

The good news is that it is relatively simple to address these symptoms. It may sound silly, but try blinking more often! If you are not a glasses wearer, simple changes like ensuring your computer screen is clean, correctly positioned, and set up properly will make a difference.

If you do wear glasses, then ensuring your lenses are clean and smear free will help to reduce glare and reflections. Anti-Reflective coatings on your lenses (available free of charge through suppliers like Reactolite Spectacles) will eliminate reflections and enhance clear vision. Anti-Reflective coatings also have the cosmetic advantage of making the lenses of your glasses appear almost non-existent, so your eyes look more natural.

Whether you wear glasses of not, you can improve your vision at work by having regular eye examinations, taking frequent breaks and resting your eyes every 20 minutes and avoiding glare or bright reflections on the screen. If you are using a CRT display, changing to an LCD screen.Purchase a minimum 19 inch screen with the highest resolution possible and a dot pitch of .28 mm or smaller. They lack the “flicker” of CRT monitors, are kinder to the eyes and generally have an anti-reflective surface.

The even better news is that If you you use a computer or VDU screen habitually as a significant part of your normal work (i.e. for at least an hour most days), then according to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, your employer is obliged by law to pay for regular eye examinations. Your employer may have an agreement with a local optometrist or they may refund you the cost of an examination. If that examination reveals that you require glasses specifically for Display Screen Equipment use, your employer must also pay for budget glasses.