Online Facts and Stats

• computer-related complaints -- eyestrain, fatigue, sensitivity to light, dry eyes, double or blurred distance vision, trouble with near vision, colour changes, headaches, even nausea -- are reported in 70-75% of heavy users and appear in 10-15% of routine eye exams
• blinking prevents dry eye and irritations -- blink rate decreases with squinting: 22 blinks per min when relaxed, 10 for reading a book, and 7 for viewing text on a computer
• computer use >/=3 hours a day is associated with significant Meibomian gland dysfunction
• in a study on Japanese office workers, the odds ratio of glaucoma for those with refractive errors was 1.82; of these, 96% had myopia
• the optic nerve in short-sighted eyes may be more vulnerable to computer stress
• LASIK surgery isn't protective against CVS -- 70% of soft contact lens wearers and those with surgical correction experienced asthenopia
• for dry eye, artificial tears should be applied every 30 minutes during computer use
• pain is lessened when gazing downwards toward the screen at an angle >/=14°
• for presbyopia, single vision computer glasses may be better than bifocals or progressives
• the rate of myopia is increasing -- in Singapore, 80% of 18-year-old army recruits are myopic, up from 25% 30 years ago
• in the U.S., the best-selling video game alone sold 1.8 million copies in 2006