More people are showing up at eye appointments complaining of headaches, fatigue, blurred vision and neck pain—all symptoms of computer-vision syndrome (CVS), which affects some 90% of the people who spent three hours or more at day at a computer, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Healthy.
Yes, I talk to my opthamolagist about it, but, as The Wall Street Journal reports:
But vision prescriptions mainly focus on myopia (nearsightedness) or presbyopia (the difficulty focusing on near objects that comes with age). Since there are no set standards for measuring mid-range vision, ophthalmologists and optometrists typically just cut any reading prescription they give patients in half for computer distance. With people sitting anywhere from 18 to 40 inches from their screens, that can be wildly off.What to do?
It's best to measure your work environment, noting exactly how far your eyes are from your computer screen, keyboard and desk surface, as well as from any laptop or hand-held devices you use. Some eye-care offices have a device called an accommodation rule that allows a technician to slide an eye chart back and forth to simulate different distances.The Journal article lists a number of solutions involving various types of lenses and even surgery.
Patients should also keep track of how many hours they typically spend focusing at each distance during the day. More than 40% of Americans spend three or more hours a day staring at a computer or hand-held, according to the American Optometric Association. "Every individual is different, and too often, in the hustle and bustle of seeing patients in practice, we don't stop to ask, 'What is your working distance? What are your hobbies?' If you go fly-fishing, you need to focus up close for hooking your flies as well as seeing at computer distance," says Glen Steele, a professor at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn.
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