By Joshua Levine, Health Correspondent
Are you tired of sitting in front of your computer all day at home or at work, aimlessly squinting away at your screen, trying to focus on letters and numbers which seem to phase out now and again?
If so, you are experiencing either the initial or long-term effects of vision reduction. Whereas at one point in time you believed that you had perfect vision, it's probably deteriorating by now, and fast. So before your vision gets worse, keep an eye out for these simple preventive measures. If you want to find out more about the mechanics of the eye, look at the end of the article.
It's time to quit
A recent article in Reuters Health Information (RHI) states that cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing age-related cataracts, clouding of the lens in the eye that impairs vision. Study results published in the August 9 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that quitting does reduce cataract risk -- and also provides evidence that only some smoking-related damage to the lens is reversible.
"Compared with men who continued to smoke, men who had quit less than 10 years before study entry had an approximately 20% reduced risk of cataract diagnosis after adjustment for other cataract risk factors and average number of cigarettes smoked per day or age at starting smoking," according to Dr. William G. Christen of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues.
The study found that men who had quit smoking had a 23% reduced risk of cataract diagnosis and a 28% reduced risk for cataract extraction -- a surgical treatment -- compared with men who currently smoked.
The researchers conclude that their findings show that smoking cessation reduces the risk of cataract primarily by limiting total smoking-related damage to the lens, but also that some damage in the lens may not be reversed with smoking cessation, underscoring the importance of early cessation of smoking and, preferably, the avoidance of smoking altogether.
Preventive measures
Eye-related health care and glasses for problems related to video display terminal (VDT) use costs Americans nearly $2 billion each year.
Citing figures from the American Optometric Association (AOA), James Sheedy, O.D., Ph.D., Walnut Creek, CA, noted that eye-related complaints are among the "top problems" cited by computer users. "They can also cause problems in other areas of the body," he said.
The most common eye and vision-related complaints are eyestrain, eye fatigue, eye irritation, and blurred vision. Computer users also frequently complain of tired, burning, itchy, and watery eyes; headaches; flickering sensations and double vision.
Dr. Sheedy defines these complex eye and vision-related problems associated with using a computer, as Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS. "Since working at a computer is such a visually-intense task, people use their bodies to locate their eyes so that they can best see and interact with the computer."
There is no "I" in eyesight
- Keep the computer screen four to nine inches below eye level.
- Place the computer straight in front of you if you're looking at it most of the time.
- Use drapes, shades or blinds to control window lighting and glare. Vertical or horizontal blinds can be used to direct light away from the computer user and the computer.
- Create an adjustable workstation. This means an adjustable table and chair; an adjustable copyholder that fastens either to the desk, the computer or on the computer itself; a detachable keyboard; a screen that can be turned or tilted; and adjustable brightness and contrast controls.
- Screen brightness should be the same as the brightness of other objects in the room.
- For the color of the screen, black characters on a white background are easiest on the eyes.
- Try a glare reduction filter. Filters that carry the AOA Seal of Acceptance are available at office supply stores and can enhance screen contrast and increase character legibility.
"The eyes lead the body," Dr. Sheedy explains. "If the eyes are suffering when working at a computer, then, commonly, the body will also. Your optometrist will target the problem and prescribe solutions to solve it. In most cases, it may only mean a pair of special glasses, which is a lot less expensive and painful than neck and shoulder treatments."
Save your vision
Stand or sit 4 feet away from your computer screen. Then try to read as many letters as you can on the following chart. As you read the letters, jot them down on a piece of paper, then approach your screen and see how many letters or complete lines you got right. If you correctly identified 6 or more lines, then you don't need to worry yet. Anything under 6 lines, I recommend that you visit your optometrist as soon as possible.
The mechanics of the eye
- Cornea: The clear front window of the eye. The cornea transmits and focuses light into the eye.
- Iris: The colored part of the eye. The iris helps regulate the amount of light that enters the eye.
- Pupil: The dark center in the middle of the iris. The pupil determines how much light is let into the eye. It changes size to accommodate the amount of light that is available.
- Lens: The transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.
- Retina: The nerve layer that lines the back of the eye. The retina senses light and creates impulses that are sent through the optic nerve to the brain.
- Macula: A small area in the retina that contains special light-sensitive cells. The macula allows us to see fine details clearly.
- Optic Nerve: The nerve that connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the impulses formed by the retina to the brain, which interprets them as images.
- Vitreous: The clear, jelly-like substance that fills the middle of the eye.
Source: http://www.askmen.com
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