COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME

 If you find yourself rubbing your eyes or experiencing headaches by 3:00 PM, you aren’t alone. You might be experiencing Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) .

In medical terms, CVS (also known as Digital Eye Strain) is a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged screen use including laptop, tablet and smart phone.

Your eyes weren’t designed to stare at a glowing rectangle for eight hours a day. When you stare at a screen, your eyes have to work much harder than when you look at a printed page. This constant effort tires out the muscles in your eyes, leading to discomfort.

 Why Your Eyes Hurt

 1. Accommodative Stress (The "Autofocus" Fatigue) 

 This refers to the eye's focusing system (the ciliary muscle) being stuck in overdrive.  It’s like holding a weight out at arm's length for hours; eventually, your arm gets tired. Similarly, so do your eyes when staring at screens.

2. Vergence Insufficiency (The "Cross-Eye" Struggle) 

This describes the eye’s ability to turn inward to look at a near object.   If you do this for too long, those muscles get exhausted. This causes that "pulling" sensation you feel behind your eyes. 

 3. Reduced Blink Rate (The Dryness Dilemma) 

 People normally blink about 15 to 20 times a minute. When we stare at a screen, we only blink about 7 times a minute. This means your eyes aren't getting the "windshield wiper" effect they need to stay wet. The result? Dryness, redness, and that gritty feeling like you have sand in your eyes. Reduced blinking leads to poor oil secretion from the lids' Meibomian glands, which contributes to the problem. 

How On Point Optical Can Help

At On Point Optical, we specialise in managing digital eye strain. We assess your eyes focusing efficiency: autofocus function, vergence strength, and for presence of dry eyes. 

These are three main solutions as part of your treatment: 

1. Computer Lenses: Standard glasses aren't always enough for screen work. We offer lenses specifically designed for the computer screen distance, which reduce the focusing demand on your eyes.
2. Holistic help: We can coach you on simple habit changes, diet and lifestyle that may support healthier eyes and vision, in conjunction with Dr Jenny Livanos, our visiting dietician.
3. Dry Eye Therapy: If there are signs of dry eye, we offer treatments to help heal your eyes and stay comfortable.

Don't Let Digital Eyestrain Slow You Down

 Do you experience any of these after a few hours of screen time?

• Headaches: Usually located at the front of the head or temples.
• Blurred Vision: Words on the screen look fuzzy or vision remains blurry long after stopping screen work
• Dry Eyes: A burning, gritty, itchy, stinging sensation.
• Neck and Shoulder Pain: Often caused by leaning forward to see the screen better.