Does using the Computer Ruin your Vision?

May 25, 2020

This past couple of weeks, I have been focusing on the risks of computer use in your eyes. The first article covered the 7 ways to alleviate digital eye strain. The second one talked about blinking and how important it is for our vision and to prevent long term dry eye. And, the third article talked about digital devices causing sleep disruption and how that has long term effects.

In this article, I will cover the effects of prolonged computer use on the clarity of your vision in general. Increases in nearsightedness have long been a concern (and a topic of research) amongst eye doctors.

I know this is a detour from my usual topics of all things related to dry eye. Screen time does have significant effects on dry eyes. But, I thought it would be remiss to leave out another important side effect of spending too much time on the computer. With so many people starting to work from home and many kids turning to the computer to replace in-class learning, it is an important topic that needs to be addressed.

What is Myopia?

Myopia is the medical term for being near-sighted. It gives the person clear vision up close, but far vision is blurred. A correction, like glasses or contact lenses, is needed to clear the image in the distance.

Nearsightedness develops in eyes that focus images in front of the retina instead of on the retina, which results in a blurred image. This is usually because the eye is longer than average. The longer eye prevents incoming light from focusing directly on the retina. However, myopia may also be caused by an abnormal shape of the cornea or lens.

What are the symptoms of myopia?

Headaches
Eyestrain
Squinting
Difficulty seeing far away objects

What causes myopia?

The causes of myopia are both genetic and environmental. Researchers have made important progress towards understanding the mechanisms behind the development of nearsightedness. The actual mechanisms are not completely understood and can be complicated to discuss. However, the two main theories are of myopia being caused both by genetics and the environment.

What is the Genetics of Myopia?

A study at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has revealed there are at least 9 genetic risk factors causing myopia. The development of myopia is difficult to understand.

However, the correlation between children and their myopic parents is clear. If one parent is nearsighted, there is a 33% risk of their child being nearsighted. If both parents are nearsighted the risk of the child being nearsighted increases to about 66%.

Environmental Factors can lead to Myopia

Even though the tendency to develop myopia may be inherited, its actual development may be affected by how a person uses his or her eyes. Individuals who spend considerable time reading, working at a computer are more likely to develop myopia.

What's wrong with being nearsighted?

There is nothing inherently wrong with being nearsighted or wearing glasses. In fact, a small amount of nearsightedness can be beneficial if you spend long periods of time doing near tasks. Myopia makes it easier for you to focus up close.

However, myopia does cause some increased risks of eye disease later in life. People who have significant amounts of myopia have a greater risk of developing glaucoma and retinal detachments later in life. And nearsighted patients must have their contact lenses or glasses in order to do most tasks. Meaning, they need glasses in order to drive, see the teacher or the board in class, watch television, or enjoy a good movie.

Being excessively nearsighted causes more problems. Usually, this is because the eye has grown longer than it should. This is called Degenerative Myopia and usually begins in early childhood. Luckily, the condition is rare in the United States. It is sometimes also referred to as malignant myopia or pathological myopia because the often leads to blindness.

Can Myopia be Prevented?

Both eye strain and increased amounts of myopia can be prevented. Check out the Digital Eye Strain Relief Guide. The best way to do this is to take breaks while doing near tasks and activities. Follow the 20X20X20 Rule. This means taking a break every 20 minutes to refocus your vision 20 feet away. Hold the focus for at least 20 seconds.

Make sure that you choose a distant object with some detail like a clock on the other side of the room or the street numbers of the house across the road. Focus on these images until they are clear. The act of looking far away actually relaxes the focusing muscles in the eyes and gives them a break.

Studies have also shown the more time children spend outdoors and in activities where they can look further away, the risk of myopia decreases. Increased time outdoors is effective in preventing the onset of myopia as well as in slowing the myopic shift in refractive error.

What is Myopia Control?

The effort to control or limit the amount of myopia a child develops is its own realm of research and subspecialist eye doctors. This being a blog on dry eye, I would like to just list the myriad of ways that nearsightedness can be halted. If this topic interests you, you can find a ton of more information at http://www.myopiacontrol.org/

The most common way to treat myopia is through contact lenses and glasses at first. These correct a patient's vision and allow them to see clearly again. After the age of about 22, the visual system is thought to have reached maturity. And, the patient may be eligible for LASIK surgery to correct the vision.

In the meantime, the development of nearsightedness can be limited with myopia control. Myopia control is achieved through multifocal or bifocal glasses, multifocal contact lenses, overnight wear of corneal reshaping contact lenses and medicated eye drops that inhibit focusing up close. If you are a nearsighted parent, it is important for you to understand the risk factors for your child developing the same level or more of myopia.

CONCLUSION

There are several risks of excessive screen time for anyone using digital devices. However, there is an additional risk in children, which is the development of myopia.

Myopia can be both prevented and controlled. For more information on how to set your child up for success with their digital devices download the Parent's Guide to Screen Time.

And, if you would like to set up your own work from home station to increase your productivity and decrease your risks of eye strain, dry eye, and sleep disruption, use the Digital Eye Strain Relief Guide.