Visual display work causes eyestrain

A Norwegian study showing that visually demanding computer work leads to eye-related pain and mental stress symptoms has highlighted the need for regular eye examinations of VDU users.

The study 'Does visually demanding computer work increase eye-related pain' was recently published in the American Academy of Optometry's journal Optometry and Vision Science.

Researchers randomly selected a group of healthy young adults with normal vision who were tested during a two-hour working session, with eye-related symptoms recorded on a laptop. They were exposed to visual stressors such as glare and small fonts, with muscle load and blood flow measured. At the end of the session levels of eye-related symptoms before and after the two-hour experience were compared.