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Long hours spent staring at your computer screen may increase your chance of suffering from glaucoma, a progressive eye disease that can cause permanent blindness. Those at risk from the ‘no-symptom’ disease are intensive computer users who already have some defect with their vision, whether they are short or long-sighted. This emerges from researchers at the Toho University in Japan, who said male professionals working in stressful jobs appear the most vulnerable. From the study, which examined 10,000 workers – predominately male and about 43 years old, a statistical link was exposed between heavy computer use and eye problems, including myopia and glaucoma. Just over 5 per cent taking part had visual field abnormalities through existing long or short sight conditions, directly correlating with ‘excessive’ hours spent in front of a screen. Two thirds of the 500 with a visual glitch were found to have traces of glaucoma, causing scientists to recommend checks for workers needing to remain in their screen-based environments. Surprisingly, those without any sight defects were found to actually decrease the risk of glaucoma infection - the more they used a computer. This was the case for other eye diseases – such as cataract or diabetic retinopathy. It is understood most glaucoma infections begin when nerve fibres on the periphery of the retina become damaged, meaning people often suffer a loss in their vision without actually knowing it. The disease effectively means fluid cannot flow out of the eye because meshwork in the iris becomes blocked. Overall, the study found that when factors such as family history of glaucoma are excluded, short-sighted computer users still achieve an 82 per cent higher risk of infection. The study examined other factors, such as stress, which the International Glaucoma Association said needs more attention to create a better analysis of computer induced eye problems. David Wright, chief executive of the IGA, said: “This is the first evidence of a link between computers and glaucoma, but the wide spread use of computers is at unprecedented levels and it is reasonable to expect some effect on the visual system.” “Anyone over 40 should have routine, regular and comprehensive eye tests,” he said, adding that caught in its early stages, glaucoma can be treated with eye drops. Tokyo-based researchers warn that for African-Caribbeans the risk is four times higher than compared to whites – while those with diabetes or family history are even more susceptible. Stress factors affecting computer users and possibly fuelling the disease was something the researchers said, requires action from today’s health professionals. "Computer stress is reaching higher levels than has ever been experienced before," said Dr Masayuki Tatemachi. “In the next decade, therefore, it might be important for public health professionals to show more concern about myopia [short sight] and visual field abnormalities in heavy computer users.” The method used by the Doctor to calculate ‘excessive’ computer use involves three categories of light – moderate and heavy usage. Typically usage ranged from; 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 or 20+ years and were multiplied by a subject’s daily hours - anything from an hour to the highest band of eight hours plus. Having been given an index rating, final calculations are made: Someone using a PC for under five years for three hours daily is a light user, with 0 per cent risk from glaucoma. Yet the moderates demonstrated a 34 per cent higher risk of glaucoma infection, compared to the heavyweights, spending up to 20 years at eight hours – and accounting for a risk of 74 per cent. Experts said it is now important to follow the study with further research to verify or expand upon the “potential problem.” The research contradicts years of advice, which suggested that gazing at computers had no adverse affect on the optical nerve. Nov 17, 2004 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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