I Dont Need Glasses

DRY EYE SYNDROME: EMERGING CHALLENGE IN OPHTHALMOLOGY

 Prof.DR. M. R. JAIN M.S,  F I C S( USA), FACLP ( LONDON), FAMS

MEDICAL DIRECTOR

M. R. J INSTITUTE AND JAIN EYE HOSPITAL, JAIPUR ( India)

Email: drmrjain55@gmail.com

Dry Eye Syndrome, which has been recently termed as Dry Eye Disease (DED) (Beherens et al 2006; Lemp 2008), is the most frequent disorder in Ophthalmology. Fortunately, only infrequently it becomes most severe. Although the condition was recognized as a clinical disorder in the year 1920 and described clinically in the early 1930’s, the greatest amount of information both from an epidemiological and pathogenetic perspective has accrued during the last ten years.

Dry eye syndrome

It’s a disorder of the tear film that occurs because of decreased tear production, excessive tear evaporation or abnormality in mucin or lipid components of the tear film. This leads to itchiness, redness or a feeling of burning sensation in the eyes.

Several factors responsible for eye dryness are:

• Menopause in women.

• Long periods of contact lenses usage.

• Excessive computer usage or TV watching

• Excessive exposure to dust

• Insufficient sleep

Computer eyestrain is just one symptom of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) which the American Optometric Association defines as “the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to computer use”.

As the term “syndrome” implies, the condition is characterised by a cluster of associated symptoms, including headaches, neck and shoulder pain, dry or irritated eyes and blurred vision.

Eyestrain, though, remains the number one office-related health complaint. Fortunately, the symptoms can be substantially reduced if the simple tips below are followed:

The majority of people who suffer from the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) – blurred vision, eyestrain and burning – are middle-aged and presbyopic. Presbiopia is the inability to focus at all distances with symptoms including squinting and headaches.

So, getting computer glasses can transform the office environment for millions of workers at their workstations. As the glasses correct the intermediate zone of your vision, which is the typical distance (20-24″) from your eye to the computer monitor screen, they enable the eye muscles to move from keyboard to monitor and back more easily. This alleviates the CVS symptoms of blurred vision and eyestrain.

As a parent you might often encourage your child to use the computer, perhaps as early as 3 years old. A computer could be seen as a visually demanding toy, along with finger paints and building blocks, that will improve your child’s eye-hand co-ordination skills and serve as a good learning aid. But computer use by young children can be a double-edged sword: computer vision syndrome increasingly represents a real danger for young, underdeveloped eyes.

It’s ironic, isn’t it, that as a parent you know, without good vision, your child can be severely disadvantaged educationally, but the very thing you imagine will help them to learn can damage your child’s eyes?

Computer vision syndrome is a very common problem detected among the people working on computers. Children working on computers at home or school as well as the working people related to computer are its targets. This happens due to prolonged computer usage which may stress you eyes and result in impaired vision.

Vision Syndrome and Computer User

According to the AOA definition, Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is “the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to computer use.” The symptoms that most often accompany this condition are eyestrain, headaches, blurred distance or near vision, dry or red eyes, neck and/or back ache, double vision, and light sensitivity. The factors that most often contribute to CVS in children are a combination of improper classroom conditions, poor work habits, and existing refractive errors. Lighting, vision, and posture are all interrelated concepts. We are visually directed creatures, and will alter our posture to alleviate stress on the eyes. Therefore, one’s body posture may be indicative of a visually stressful situation. Some of the symptoms of CVS actually concern the head, neck, and shoulder areas of the body.