Eye Strain, Dry Eyes, Fatigue and Headaches Associated With Those Spending More Than Four Hours in Front of Digital Devices

/PRNewswire/ -- Eye strain, fatigue and headaches are common indicators that your digital devices - including computer monitors, smart phones and video games - might be causing you discomfort.

According to recent research with VSP Vision Care eye doctors, 33 percent reported that nearly one third or more of their patients suffer from symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome or digital device-related vision problems. The most common symptoms of patients suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome include eye strain (82 percent), dry or irritated eyes (74 percent), fatigue (70 percent) and headaches (61 percent). Yet, two in three eye doctors report 20 percent or fewer of their patients even know what Computer Vision Syndrome is, showing a low level of understanding of the condition.

Computer Vision Syndrome is a serious condition that can have a major impact on the well-being, work productivity and learning capacity. As six hours is the average time spent in front of a digital device, American workers alone are spending in excess of 200 billion hours a year in front of a digital screen.

"Computer Vision Syndrome is a major problem for Americans," said Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford, VSP provider. "For professionals with this condition, work productivity can decrease by as much as 20 percent. We are seeing patients uncomfortable in the workplace with neck pain, headaches, eye strain, blurred vision, etc. that could easily be avoided. It's important for people to discuss their digital usage with their eye doctor and make sure they are getting annual eye exams."

VSP Vision Care recommends the following tips to help lessen the symptoms of computer-related eye strain:

1. Blink Often: When looking at a computer or hand-held digital device,
it's common for you to blink two to three times less than you normally
would. This can lead to "dry eye." Blinking bathes your eyes in
tears, and tears are naturally therapeutic for the eyes.
2. The 20/20/20 Rule: When spending long periods in front of a digital
device, every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet
away to allow your eyes to rest.
3. Ensure Proper Lighting: Poor lighting often causes eye strain. To help
ease the strain on your eyes, keep bright lighting overhead to a
minimum and position your desk lamp to shine on your desk, and not at
you. Position your computer screen in a way that reduces reflections
and glare from windows or overhead lights.


"Today, digital device eye strain is the number one computer-related complaint ahead of carpal-tunnel, neck and back pain," Dr. Bonilla-Warford continued. "Eye doctors are trained to help patients mitigate the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome, and can even offer computer vision glasses, which are prescribed glasses that provide the optimal lens power for viewing your computer screen at the correct distance, without the need for excessive focusing or squinting."

For more information about computer-related vision problems visit the "My Eyes" tab at www.facebook.com/VSPVisionCare.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Smoking Causes Blindness

/PRNewswire/ -- AMD Alliance International strongly urges all smokers to participate in the Great American Smokeout on November 19 to save their eyes and protect their vision from the debilitating effects of macular degeneration.

Research has demonstrated that age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressive disease that causes the loss of central vision, is two to three times as frequent among tobacco smokers, and the risk is dose dependent(1, 2). In other words, the more you smoke, the greater the risk and the faster the progression of the disease. For patients with certain genetic backgrounds, regular heavy smoking can increase the risk of AMD a stunning 144-fold(3).

AMD is the leading cause of blindness among those older than 50.

"We salute the American Cancer Society and its efforts on behalf of the Great American Smokeout," said David Herman, Chairman of the global AMD Alliance International. "And we add vision loss to the list of significant and debilitating health risks that are caused by smoking. If you quit today, you can immediately begin lowering your risk of losing your sight to macular degeneration."

In addition to quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, AMD Alliance International recommends regular visits to the eye doctor to check for onset of macular degeneration.

For more information about how to prevent, treat and manage AMD, please visit AMD Alliance International at www.amdalliance.org.

Notes:

1) Seddon JM et al. A prospective study of cigarette smoking and age-related macular degeneration in women. JAMA 1996 Oct 9 276 1141-1146.

2) Christen WG et al. A prospective study of cigarette smoking and risk of age-related macular degeneration in men. JAMA 1996 Oct 9 276 1147-1151.

3) DeAngelis, Margaret M. et al. Cigarette Smoking, CFH, APOE, ELOVL4, and Risk of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology January 2007 125 49-54.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page