Staring at your screen for a long period of time can lead to muscle aches, headache, tired eyes, eye strain, blurred vision, eye irritation and other symptoms of CVS (computer vision syndrome). What appears surprising is, CVS can also result in decreased productivity and can cause more work mistakes. According to the research, around 50% to 90% of people working at a computer screen has few symptoms. What seems to be a bigger threat is, not just working adults but kids too who spend a long time staring at tablets or using a computer can have issues too, especially if the posture and lighting are incorrect.

Computer vision syndrome occurs because the eyes follow the same path in a repetitive motion. The longer you continue the movement, the worse it gets. Working on a requires focusing and refocusing all the time, therefore the eyes react to changing images on the screen to create so that the brain can process as per the image. To add to the woes, computer screen adds glare, flicker, and contrast. As you age, computer work gets harder as the eye lenses become less flexible and the ability to focus on the near and far object significantly reduces. This condition is termed presbyopia.

  

Regular use of computer causes discomfort and eye strain, however, there is no proof that it can result in long-term damage to the eyes. If you continue to ignore the symptoms, it can take a toll on your work performance along with the eyes. Simple changes in the workspace can improve the symptoms like- adjusting the contrast, brightness and font size, visiting an eye doctor for a regular examination, following 20-20-20 rule and blinking often to keep the eye moist. It is also advisable to keep the monitor below eye level and around 20-28 inches away from the face. You should also change the lighting around to decrease the effect on the computer screen.