General EYE ADVICE

Eye Irritation and VDU Work

Apart from the symptoms that arise due to fatigue of the visual system, about 20% to 30% of computer operators also complain of irritation of the eyes. These include a feeling of dryness, burning and gritty sensation of the eyes. The underlying causes for these symptoms are usually already present. They include common chronic infective conjunctivitis and dry eyes due to a variety of reasons including incomplete and infrequent lid closure etc. VDU use simply aggravates these symptoms of irritation mainly due to the decreased rate of blinking that is associated with intensive computer use. If eye irritation is only felt after prolonged VDU use, emphasis should be placed on adequate blinking during the course of computer work. One should aim for atleast twelve full blinks (complete lid closure) per minute. Air-conditioning and ducted heating tend to aggravate the symptoms of "dry eye". For treatment of chronic conjunctivitis and dryness of the eyes please refer to the above links.

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