Digital vision syndrome rising in youths of Bhopal

Digital vision syndrome, a medical condition where a patient suffers from dryness in eyes, chronic headaches and problems like neck and back pain, is likely to rise with the youths spending more time on mobiles, computers and televisions in Bhopal.

The trend of reading books on Kindle and watching movies on phones in darkness has further put the youth at risk, say medical experts.

‘Effects of prolonged computer use are not just vision-related’

“We have a lot of youngsters coming to us with dry eyes, itching, severe headaches and other symptoms. This is DVS. Earlier the syndrome was called as computer vision syndrome (CVS), as computers was the most used mediums for professionals. Televisions were for leisure but then came video game, smartphone and tablet, mobile app, movie-streaming site and the social media. Today even if the youths move away from computer screens, they will be seen using mobiles,” Ophthalmic Society’s Bhopal chapter secretary Dr Gajendra Chawla said.

The effects of prolonged computer use are not just vision-related, he said. Complaints include irritability, stress, neurological symptoms like chronic headaches and musculoskeletal problems like neck and back pain.

“Unlike words printed on a page that have sharp defined edges, electronic characters, which are made up of pixels, have blurred edges. It makes more difficult for eyes to maintain focus. Unconsciously, the eyes repeatedly attempt to rest by shifting their focus to an area behind the screen, and this constant switch between screen and relaxation point creates eyestrain and fatigue,” Dr Chawla said.

Another unconscious effect is a greatly reduced frequency of blinking, which can result in dry, irritated eyes, he added.

Dr Vasudha Damle, another ophthalmologist says that in short term DVS leads to burning, itching, dryness and redness, all of which can interfere with work performance but in the long run it leads to blurred or double vision.

Meanwhile, the Ophthalmic Society will organise a free check up camp from 10 am to 3 pm on January 8 at Gayatri Shaktipeeth, MP Nagar in Bhopal. The camp will be dedicated to spread awareness on diabetic retinopathy, when damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes. Doctors from Delhi, Chennai and Nagpur will conduct check-ups in this camp.