by Dr. Deborah Bauers

Created on: March 04, 2008   Last Updated: September 26, 2011

Close to 150 million people sit staring at a computer monitor for several hours each day without realizing how it may be affecting their eyes.  Many spend in excess of two hours at a time just blogging or connecting on social network sites.The internet has become a common tool used for business, entertainment and even shopping. If you are one of the millions of those who spend a significant portion of the day in front of a computer screen, you may be putting yours eyes at risk for developing

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVA).

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

According to the American Optometic Association, CVS is a set of symptoms that is all related to working in front of  a computer monitor. These symptoms can affect both the eyes and muscular-skeletal parts of the body. Very simply, CVS occurs when an individual overtaxes the human eye by asking it to spend prolonged amounts of time staring at images that can overwork and tax its capabilities.

What If I'm Skeptical of the Reality of CVS?

Many people are skeptical of yet another set of symptoms that have been labeled a "syndrome," thereby creating a new medical problem for a society that is already burgeoning with physical ailments. Before you shrug off this new condition that can allegedly affect the health of your eyes, consider the information that is available about CVS.

The earliest symptom of CVS is often a stinging or burning sensation after an hour or so in front of the computer. Eventually, the eyes begin to water to compensate for the dryness, due to lack of blinking, that often accompanies staring at anything for a period time. Individuals with CVS frequently notice that their distance vision is blurry and out of focus after spending time in front of the computer. Sometimes this can last for up to an hour.  People who do not realize that they may be suffering from CVS are often worried about whether their vision is deteriorating because of the symptoms they experience.

What Are the Visual Symptoms of Someone Who Suffers With CVS? (Keep in the mind that these symptoms are generally experienced after prolonged periods of computer work or, over time, due to progressive eye strain associated with CVS).

1. Blurred Vision when looking into the distance
2. Double Vision
3. Stinging of the eyes
4. Excessive tearing of the eyes
5. Headaches

What Causes CVS?

Unlike printed matter, a computer screen displays words and images through

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