News Computer use could make you blind 16/11/2004Prolonged computer use may be a factor in the development of glaucoma, an eye disease that can result in blindness, according to a Japanese study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.The risk may be higher for heavy computer users who are also short-sighted, says the report, compiled by a team of researchers led by Dr Masayuki Tatemichi of Toho University School of Medicine.Glaucoma is a relatively common eye disease that develops very slowly, characterised by progressive sight defects or visual field abnormalities, as the disease damages the optic nerve over time. Once damaged, the optic nerve cannot be repaired, but early detection of the disease can limit further loss of vision.Glaucoma most commonly affects people over the age of 60, and is found in 2% of the population over the age of 40. A family history of the disease increases the risk by a factor of four to nine times. Its exact cause is unknown, although potential risk factors, including smoking and high blood pressure, have been suggested.Assessing the link between computer use and glaucoma, the research team tested the sight of workers in four different Japanese companies, employing over 5,000 people each.In all, some 10,000 workers, with an average age of 43, were randomly selected for testing as part of a general medical check-up. They also completed questionnaires about their computer use, both at home and at work, and any history of eye disease.Computer use was categorised in blocks of five years, ranging from less than five years to more than 20 years. The average amount of time spent at the screen per session, ranging from one hour to more than eight hours at a time, was also taken into account in classifying participants as light, medium or heavy users. Those classified as heavy users tended to be men and younger.The test revealed that 522 (5.1%) employees had visual field abnormalities, and there appeared to be a significant link between these abnormalities and heavy computer use among those with either long or short sight, collectively known as “refractive errors.”An in-depth eye test then revealed that around a third of these workers (165) had suspected glaucoma, characterised by distinct visual field abnormalities. There also appeared to be a significant link between these and heavy computer use among workers who were short sighted, said the report.In fact, as the most common refractive error was short-sightedness, the authors speculate that the optic nerve in short-sighted eyes might be more vulnerable to computer stress than it is in normal eyes. But the researchers recommend that further study is needed before this conclusion can be confirmed, as short sightedness is a recognised risk factor for glaucoma anyway.“Computer stress is reaching higher levels than have ever been experienced before. In the next decade, therefore, it might be important for public health professionals to show more concern about myopia and VFA [visual field abnormalities] in heavy computer users,” concludes the report.
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