How to Protect Your Eyes from Computer Vision Syndrome

Transcription

1 Summer 2010 How to Protect Your Eyes from Computer Vision Syndrome Upwards of 100 million Americans suffer from eyestrain caused by working at computers daily, according to an estimate by the American Optometric Association. Yet eyestrain is only one of the symptoms associated with sitting at a monitor for hours every day, notes Dr. Meiya Liao, Coastal Eye optometrist. There are definitely a lot of people out there who experience eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, difficulty focusing, burning and watering who do not connect those symptoms to the all-day use of the computer, says Dr. Liao. These patients also frequently complain about neck and back pain and just plain fatigue. They often do not associate computer use with blurry distance vision after work. CVS Takes Heavy Toll The constellation of symptoms to which Dr. Liao refers is known as computer vision syndrome (CVS). Not surprisingly, CVS takes a heavy toll on worker productivity. Dr. Liao thinks CVS is becoming more prevalent as people use computers more for longer hours in the workplace, and at home for personal tasks and rec- reation. In general, the more time spent in front of the computer, the more computer vision problems. Preexisting eye coordination problems, presbyopia and other refractive errors will only serve to worsen the problem. Solution: Stop Overworking Your Eyes Our eyes and brain react differently to characters on a computer screen than they do to printed characters, explains Dr. Liao. Words on a computer screen are composed of pixels of light with varying intensities obviously quite different from the well-defined contrast of printed letters. Eyes have difficulty focusing on pixel-generated images, she says. They must focus and refocus thousands of times a day when using the computer. The focusing muscles get overworked and cause CVS. The good news is that computer eyeglasses can be prescribed to alleviate CVS. Computer glasses work by letting the lenses do the work of the constant refocusing effort that the eyes normally do when using the computer, says Dr. Liao. When prescribing a pair of computer eyeglasses, I pay attention to that individual s particular workstation setup, to make a pair that is customized for them. Can Vision Care Help Maintain Brain Power? See page 3

2 Dr. Liao offers recommendations to computer users: u Rest your eyes at least every 20 minutes for 20 seconds by looking at something in the distance. u Blink. People tend to blink less frequently when working on the computer. Blinking more often can help combat CVS. u Use artificial tears as needed if you have dry eye problems exacerbated by computer use. u Take frequent breaks to help alleviate head and neck strain. u Place your monitor directly in front of you. Center of the screen should be positioned about 10 to 15 degrees below the eyes, and the top of the screen should be tilted slightly away from you. u Maintain good posture, which is very important to alleviate strain. u Decrease overhead lighting to prevent excessive glare. u Adjust the brightness of the screen to make it about equal to that of the room. Adjust the font for maximum visual comfort. u Consider using an anti-glare screen on the monitor itself. u Get regular eye exams. Patients suffering from CVS symptoms should get an eye examination at least once a year to verify that the correction is optimal for their computer s monitor distance. COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME (continued from page 1) She considers several factors, for example, how far the individual prefers to position himself/herself from the monitor. This is usually closer than distance vision and yet farther away than reading distance. Computer glasses can be made with single vision, bifocal, trifocal or progressive lenses, depending on the patient s needs. Light tints can be applied to the lenses to make them comfortable. Anti-reflective coatings can help reduce the amount of glare and reflected light that reach the eyes. I get a lot of positive feedback from those who use specific computer glasses, says Dr. Liao. Patients usually report that they are able to use the computer more comfortably and for longer periods of time. The glasses help them to perform their job better or play that game even longer. -0- Editor s Note: If you re planning to come into the Coastal Eye Specialists office for an exam knowing you want computer glasses, you can help the doctor determine your optimal prescription. Before the exam, simply sit at your workstation and measure the comfortable distance from your eyes to your computer monitor, and bring that information for your doctor. Find us on Facebook to discover more about Coastal Eye and your eyes, and be a fan. 2

3 Vision Care May Help Maintain Brain Power Taking good care of your eyes by having regular exams will help protect your vision and it might even help you maintain better brain function in your advanced years, suggests a recent study published by University of Michigan researchers in the February 2010 American Journal of Epidemiology. The investigators documented that untreated poor vision is a contributing factor to the development late-life dementia in seniors, particularly Alzheimer s disease. They also found that treating poor vision might delay the onset of dementia. For example, study participants who had at least one visit to an ophthalmologist were 64 percent less likely to develop dementia during 10 years of follow-up than those who did not visit an ophthalmologist. Having a procedure to treat eye disease further reduced the risk of dementia in the study group. Of the patients with poor vision, those who did not see an eye doctor had an over 9 times greater risk of Alzheimer s. Previous studies have shown a link between poor vision and cognitive decline. But does poor vision contribute to dementia or does dementia cause poor vision? Doctors have speculated that visual impairment interferes with social interaction and consequently, brain stimulation. The current study, importantly, shows that addressing the visual impairment reduces the risk of progression to dementia. What is really remarkable about this study is the suggestion that seeing an eye doctor is associated with a reduced risk of progression to dementia, regardless of the degree of visual impairment, observes Dr. Lee Wan, Coastal Eye Medical Director. Somehow, receiving eye care before cognitive decline occurs provides some protective effect. We don t yet understand exactly why. Perhaps the patients who take care of their eyes are receiving better general medical care. But that, says Dr. Wan, does not explain the lack of a similar correlation with, say, hearing treatments or general medical visits. I suspect that eye doctors, although we focus on the eyes and vision, do try to see the whole patient, and may be able to recognize and refer patients for treatments of conditions that might contribute to cognitive decline. The study indicates that not only seeing better, but just having your eyes checked regularly, reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer s in seniors. Latinos Have Higher Rates Latinos have higher rates of developing visual impairment, blindness and certain eye diseases than non-hispanic whites, according to recent findings reported by researchers with the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES). The study found that Latinos have a particularly high incidence of type 2 diabetes, diabetic retinopathy and open angle glaucoma, observes Dr. Ruth Marquez, Coastal Eye optometrist. The good news is that early detection and ongoing treatment of diabetic eye disease and glaucoma can preserve vision in most cases. What can Latinos do to protect their eyes? First and foremost, just like any other patient with diabetes and/or glaucoma, they need to have yearly dilated eye exams, says Dr. Marquez. This enables the doctor to get a better view of the retina (the tissue in the back of the eye), which can be affected by diabetes. In patients with glaucoma, we are looking at the eye pressure, peripheral vision changes and 3

4 Coastal Eye Doctor and Optician Volunteer at Free Clinic Dr. Ruth Marquez, Coastal Eye optometrist, and optician Claudia Umeda were among hundreds of health care professionals volunteering their services at the recent Remote Area Medical (RAM) free clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. When we arrived at the Sports Arena, there was a line going all the way around the block, with people camping out for a spot to get medical care, recalls Dr. Marquez. Between April 27 and May 3, more than 6,500 patients received free medical, dental and vision services. Dr. Marquez taught volunteers how to test vision, performed eye exams, tested patients for glasses, and checked eye pressures to detect possible glaucoma. She lost count of how many individual eye exams she performed that day. Mrs. Umeda helped patients select and fit glasses, and worked with a lab on site to have glasses made. If eye disease was suspected in patients after they were refracted, their eyes were dilated and they were referred to the Mobile Jules Stein Eye Clinic, which was also on site. Dr. Marquez found several patients with previously undiagnosed eye disease, such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. The patients who received eye exams and glasses were very grateful and happy, says Dr. Marquez. The most rewarding part of the RAM L.A. project was being able to use my skills to help people see better. It was so amazing to meet men and women from all walks of life, and to be able to share the experience with Claudia. Dr. Marquez (left) with Claudia Umeda at RAM free clinic. They are holding sports bottles and t-shirts which were given to volunteers. of Eye Disease, Study Finds any changes to the optic nerve. Sometimes there are barriers to care, but they can be overcome, says Dr. Marquez. Many if not most eye care offices (such as Coastal Eye) have Spanish-speaking doctors and technicians. People who are low-income and uninsured can find preventive eye care and patient education from a variety of sources, such as health fairs throughout the state and hospital programs. St. John s Regional Medical Center, for example, offers a no-cost Community Wellness Outreach program. This includes diabetic eye disease screenings performed by Coastal Eye s Dr. Meiya Liao and Dr. Marquez. Investigators published the study results in the May issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Begun in 2000, LALES is the nation s largest and most comprehensive study of vision in Latinos. It is supported by the National Eye Institute. 4

5 Dr. Wan Helps Train Vietnamese Eye Doctors For the second time in two years, W. Lee Wan, M.D. traveled halfway across the world to help improve medical eye care for patients who need it the most. The Coastal Eye Medical Director was among an international faculty of 30 volunteers traveling in June to Hue, Vietnam to lecture and teach modern eye surgical techniques to Vietnamese ophthalmologists. The faculty volunteers were all leading eye specialists from the U.S., Canada, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Vietnam. Dr. Wan and his fellow faculty traveled to Vietnam at their own expense to donate their time and expertise. More than 425 Vietnamese eye surgeons from throughout the country came to learn from them. Training was provided in modern surgical techniques for cataracts, glaucoma, laser, corneal, retinal and ocular reconstructive surgery, as well as the latest diagnostic and treatment advances. The program included daily lectures translated into Vietnamese, combined with individualized surgical instruction. Last summer, Dr. Wan traveled to Vietnam on a humanitarian surgical mission. He performed nonstop Dr. Wan demonstrates surgical techniques in lab. Delivering lecture to ophthalmologists. cataract surgery for two straight days, restoring vision to the poorest of the poor, who had trekked into Ho Chi Min City from their outlying villages to receive much-needed care. On that trip, he and his visiting colleagues also helped train local Vietnamese ophthalmologists. The nonprofit Hawaiian Eye Foundation sponsored and coordinated this year s international teaching effort as part of its third biennial Imperial City Eye Meeting. Based in Honolulu, the charitable foundation has conducted humanitarian eye care and training expeditions in the Pacific for over 25 years, including Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. For more information, or to make a tax deductible contribution in support of the Foundation s sight-saving work, see org. 5

6 W. Lee Wan, M.D. Meiya Liao, O.D. Ruth Marquez, O.D North Rose Avenue, Suite 200 Oxnard, CA (805) PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OXNARD, CA PERMIT NO Americans are Becoming More Nearsighted The distance vision of more and more Americans is becoming a blur, according to a large-scale study conducted recently by investigators at the National Eye Institute and published in the journal, Archives of Ophthalmology. The researchers found a whopping 66 percent increase in myopia (nearsightedness) over the last 30 years. In people aged 12 to 54, myopia increased from 25 percent in to 41.6 percent in Why? The study offered no definitive scientific explanations because it was strictly an observational investigation. Hereditary factors seem to be involved in the development of myopia. Nearsighted parents tend to beget nearsighted children. But the ways we use our eyes may have an effect as well. It is thought that long periods of close-up work such as reading and sitting for hours at the computer and using the eyes less to focus at a distance contribute to myopia. Some studies suggest that people who spent more time outdoors using their distance vision tend to get less myopia, even if they also did a lot of reading and work at the computer. At this point, however, these findings are not set in stone. The good news is that in most cases, myopia is easily treated with glasses, contact lenses or laser vision correction, observes Dr. Lee Wan, Coastal Eye Medical Director. It s surprising how many times we see patients who are nearsighted but don t realize it, he says. They muddle along because they have good close vision, so they can read and do things up close. They don t realize what they re missing off in the distance. Myth Exposed Myth: It is okay to swim while wearing contact lenses. Fact: Water and contact lenses don t mix. Potentially blinding eye infections can result from swimming or using a hot tub while wearing your contact lenses. You should always remove your contact lenses before engaging in any of these activities. For more information on caring for your contact lenses, visit contact_lens_care.cfm This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology s EyeSmart campaign. Notice: Coastal Eye Specialists distributes this newsletter to educate our patients about eye health and care, and the services we provide. It is normally mailed to patients who have had a recent appointment in our office. If you wish to be added to or removed from our mailing list, or receive a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices, please call (805) or send an to info@coastaleye.net.