Are you Affected by Computer Vision Syndrome?

Caught amidst the digital revolution, the first part of our body that falls victim to the overuse of computers and other digital devices is the eye.

Computer Vision Syndrome, also referred to as CVS, is the stress experienced by the eyes due to prolonged use of mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, or computers.

If your job demands work with computers and other digital devices every day and you are experiencing one or more of the below symptoms, it is probably the right time to visit an optometrist in Albuquerque!

1. Blurred vision

Prolonged use of computers can result in decreased flexibility of the visual system to change focus rapidly. The patient is unable to focus on the computer screen for a long time and a blurry vision interrupts the work routine significantly.

How to handle: Changing the point of focus from the screen to other parts of the room at regular intervals can help. See 20-20-20 rule (https://www.aoa.org/documents/infographics/SYVM2016Infographics.pdf)

2. Eye Strain

Uncorrected vision problems like farsightedness, astigmatism, inadequate eye coordination abilities and aging of the eyes can all contribute to eye strain when using a computer or digital device.

3. Headaches

Albuquerque-based optometrists believe most cases of chronic headache that they attend to are caused by overuse of digital devices. The brightness and contrast from the computer screen causes an indirect glare on the eyes and the results can be more severe than the effect of direct glare light from common sources like overhead lights and natural sunlight.

4. Dry Eyes

People staring into the monitor screen for a long time, blink only half the number of times than they would otherwise do! The lack of blinking prevents the eyes from replenishing the tears thus leading to lack of moisture and dryness.

How to handle: Eye doctors in Albuquerque recommend patients to make a conscious effort to blink frequently while using computer.

5. Body pain

If you are suffering from constant pain around the neck and shoulder region, then it is best to consult an optometrist in Albuquerque without delay. While working with computers for a long time, we tend to alter our posture for increased comfort. This results in slumping and slouching of the body that ultimately causes severe neck and shoulder pain in patients.

The author is a reputed Doctor of Optometry in Albuquerque. She offers various tips that will benefit her patients through this blog. Read accentonvisionabq.com to know more.

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