Hopefully the warm summer weather has encouraged you to spend more time outdoors and away from television, computer and tablet screens. It’s inevitable that in this technological age we are going to see significant screen time.
With computers at nearly every desk, mobile devices in nearly every pocket and a television in nearly every room, it’s becoming more and more difficult to get away and give your eyes a break. But, all of this time spent staring at the screen may be doing more damage than you think.
The American Optometric Association acknowledges eye health issues associated with too much screen time as Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS. CVS symptoms include eyestrain, fatigue, headaches, blurred vision, dry or irritated eyes, neck or backaches and double vision.
According to Dr. Harit K. Bhatt, an ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., says that most symptoms of CVS are temporary and will dissipate as people reduce their time in front of screens. But some of those symptoms may persist and need to be checked out by an eye care professional. Many of these symptoms are caused by a reduction in the blink rate of the eye while looking at a screen.
What steps can you take to help reduce the risk of CVS? The Vision Council recommends that you follow these steps:
To learn more about what you can do to help care for your eyes, contact Cabarrus Eye Center at https://www.cabarruseye.com, call us at (704) 782-1127 or visit us at: Cabarrus Eye Center, 201 LePhillip Court, Concord, North Carolina 28025