Computer users cautioned against syndrome

Hohoe, Aug 21, GNA - Mr Mohammed Kamil-Mohammed, an optometrist at the Sight Savers International Low Vision Centre at Hohoe, has cautioned computer users against 'Computer Vision Syndrome" (CVS), a medical term for symptoms caused by long-hour usage of the facility. He appealed to stakeholders to mainstream awareness creation on CVS towards stemming its likely effect of becoming a major health issue.

Mr Kamil-Mohammed told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that sufferers of CVS usually exhibited symptoms such as transient myopia, grittiness, sleepiness, headaches, photophobia (light sensitivity), double vision (diplopia) and soreness of the shoulders and neck. He said research undertaken by the American Optometrist Association has confirmed that these visual symptoms were reported among 50-90 percent of all computer users.

Mr Kamil-Mohammed said the human eye expended more energy in reading from computer screens than printed materials even though reading characters on the screen might appear simple and harmless. He said remedial measures of CVS include a prescription of specially designed glasses different from all reading glasses. Proper positioning of the computer monitor in a straight line with user's eyes and harmonizing room lighting with that of the monitor could stem the effects of CVS.

Mr Kamil-Mohammed said frequent blinking of the eyes as well as adherence to Bill Sorensen's 10-10-10 rule of undertaking a near work for 10 minutes, focusing on anything 10 feet away for a period of 10 seconds refreshes the eye.