Computer eye strain affects more than 70 percent of the approximately 143 million Americans who work on a computer on a daily basis, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This problem is known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
Computer vision syndrome is a temporary condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer display for long uninterrupted periods of time. Symptoms of CVS include headaches, blurred vision, neck pain, redness in the eyes, fatigue, eye strain, dry, irritated eyes, double vision, polyopia, and difficulty refocusing the eyes. These symptoms can be further aggravated by improper lighting conditions (ie. bright overhead lighting or glare) or air moving past the eyes (e.g. overhead vents, direct air from a fan).
Dry eye is a major symptom that is targeted in the therapy of CVS. The use of over-the-counter artificial-tear solutions can reduce the effects of dry eye in CVS.
Proper rest to the eye and its muscles is recommended to relieve the associated eye strain. Several things have been used to spread awareness about giving rest to the eyes while working on computers. A recommended approach is to consciously blink the eyes every now and then (this helps replenish the tear film) and to look out the window to a distant object or to the sky doing so provides rest to the ciliary muscles. One thing you can do is look away every 20 minutes and focus on something in the distance. Otherwise, the patient is advised to close his/her eyes (which has a similar effect) for 20 seconds, at least every half hour.
