Computer Vision Syndrome

Could you be suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)? It results from prolonged use of computer, tablet and phone screens, and affects a large share of people who work in front of a screen every day.

Common symptoms

• Dry, tired eyes
• A feeling of something in the eye
• Blurred or double vision
• Headaches
• Neck and shoulder pain

Symptoms increase the longer you work in front of a screen, but usually ease off after a break.

How to manage it

• Reduce screen glare and set the brightness correctly.
• Use glasses with the right correction and blue-light filter coatings, if recommended by your optician/ophthalmologist.
• Make sure you have adequate indoor lighting and the right distance from the screen (roughly 45-65 cm).
• Blink deliberately and often, to refresh your tear film.
• Use lubricating eye drops, especially if you wear contact lenses.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for 20 seconds.
• Don’t forget your equipment either: even a fault in your screen or graphics card (flickering, incorrect color rendering) can add to eye strain — a routine technical check helps here too.

Medical content sourced from Optika Lappa.