Do you find that after staring at a computer screen all day, you struggle to focus on distant objects? Do you sometimes feel like your eyes are tired, strained or experience eye twitching? Are you reading this article with a headache? The bad news is that you probably have Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). The good news: it can easily be prevented and treated.

What is CVS?

CVS is a common condition that is caused by focusing your eyes on a computer screen for prolonged, uninterrupted periods of time. While its effects are usually temporary, it can have long term consequences on your vision if you do not treat it properly.

What are the symptoms of CVS?

Anyone who spends more than two hours a day staring at a computer is likely to suffer from the discomfort of CVS. Its symptoms can range from eyestrain; dry, burning, red and/or tired eyes; blurred or double vision; distorted colour vision; headaches; light sensitivity; and even neck and backaches. Sufferers of CVS can experience one or all of the above mentioned symptoms, which can lower work productivity and cause fatigue.

Prevention and treatment

So you have CVS, join the club. Fortunately you can treat it cheaply and simply. For starters, you can try blinking more often. When working on a computer, people are said to blink about five times less than normal, which dries out the eyes. Have some lubricating eye drops close by if you still have dry or red eyes.

Another trick is to look away from your computer (roughly every 20 minutes) and stare at a distant object (at least seven meters away) for 20 seconds. This will exercise your eye lenses, reducing the chances of nearsightedness or blurred vision. You may also have to get glasses that are specifically customised for use on the computer. Your everyday glasses and contact lenses may cause your eyes to strain when focusing on your computer screen. Don’t rely on your reading glasses either. If nothing else relieves your CVS symptoms, you probably need to get prescription computer glasses. These will not come cheaply, but without the correct computer eyewear prescription, you could potentially have to spend more money on correcting your vision in the long run.

The computer screen should be between 50 and 62cm from your eyes. Any closer or further could increase eyestrain and damage your vision. You should also try to be aware of any glare or light reflection on your computer screen that could potentially tire out your eyes.

People all over the world suffer from CVS and are often unaware of the causes until they are suffering from prolonged discomfort, which can be ‘blinking awful’. Remember to exercise your eyes frequently and to make sure that you are prescribed the correct computer eyewear by your eye specialist. If you do this, you can treat and protect yourself from the discomfort caused by CVS.

Share this post