Slashdot Mirror
Computers Linked to Glaucoma?
An anonymous reader writes "Maybe we should have listened to our parents and gone outside instead of playing video games. In newly published study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, heavy computer users were 74% more likely to develop visual field problems as compared baseline in a group of 10,202 randomly selected workers. Furthermore, heavy computer users were found to be 81% more likely to develop glaucoma."
Nothing for you to see here.
I'll save my eyes and go play Pikmin.
Is anyone else having trouble reading the article?
People who stare at bright lights for 8+ hours per day without blinking frequently or changing their focus are more likely to have glaucoma. Do I get a +1, Insightful?
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
Hmmm, I can think of a good cure for that. Actually, many video game players already self-treat this condition.
And we all know what helps Glaucoma... right? Always reminds me of the classic Simpsons episode. All the pretty colors, huge donuts, and of course flying to work and then forgetting about everything. Ahh.. I can't wait!
Hmmm.
And what they were doing while they were looking at it.
Mom was right, it really does make you go blind
500 dollar reward for tip(s) leading to the arrest of the person(s) who stole my sig.
My eyes! The googles do nothing!
Honest officer, i've got a prescription but I left it at home. See my business card here? I'm a programmer!
Very ironically, heavy computer users also consume more marijuana, offsetting the glaucoma problem ;-)
It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
I'd better tell my boss and go smoke my medicine now.
...as I sit here with terrible vision, this is pretty obvious in my opinion.
And boy, do I smoke plenty of the stuff!
In another 50 years I doubt I'll have glaucoma at all at this rate!
Legalize it man!
It *does* have medical uses too......
zosxavius photography
It is true!
www.facebook.com/DareDefendOurRights
www.fairtax.org
I heart radiation
Class action baby. Let's sue the hell out of the monitor manufacturers. This will be bigger than aesbestos and silicone implants combined!
...now I'm going to have to quit my job to save my eyes.
here's the affliction: Glaucoma
here's the treatment: Treatment
:)
Large sections of the population use computers heavily.
Ergo large sections of the population may develop glaucoma..
Ergo Large sections of the population will have an interest in legalizing marijuana as a cheap means to treat the problem
Ergo the Libertarians now have a drawing card to people who would otherwise find the whole thing a bit kookie.
Trying to use sarcasm in text-based forums does not work.
For a non-slashdotted link to information on Glaucoma: clicketie-click
Couldn't read the article. Any mention of what types of monitors may increase the risks ?
I owe it all to a little friend I call "Yes-I-Cannibus"....WE HAVE A KITCHEN????
AccountKiller
I'm not sure if it's sitting at the computer so much as what they do while sitting at the computer.
See, they always told you you'd go blind.
And glaucoma sufferers are 77% more likely to smoke pot. Therefore, nerds = potheads.
Be proactive -- join NORML so that you'll have access to medical marijuana once you get glaucoma!
Wikipedia has an article about Glaucoma .
Now I know that glaucoma is no laughing matter, but does this mean if I keep working this hard I can get a prescription for Medical Marijuana?
there are 3 kinds of people:
* those who can count
* those who can't
Whenever sitting in front of a monitor, I self-administer large therapeutic doses of high-quality marijuana.
Can somebody tell my why I'm moving the mouse pointer over the submit button? I seem to have forgotten.
Weekend At Burnsies script
HOMER Ow, ow! I hate getting stitches in my eyes! Stupid crows.
DR. HIBBERT Don't feel bad for the crows, Homer. They weren't trying to blind you, they were just trying to drink your sweet, sweet eye juices.
HOMER (calmly) Hmm, fascinating. Say, Doctor, can you do something about my (hysterical) SEARING PAIN!?
DR. HIBBERT Well, there is medication, although it is a little... controversial.
HOMER Does it go in the butt?
DR. HIBBERT I'm talking about medicinal marijuana. Prescription pot. Texas THC.
HOMER Look man, I don't do drugs.
DR. HIBBERT Homer, for your eyes, the best tonic is chronic. You're not afraid, are you?
The bastards. Could they have told us this AFTER I finished winning Doom3, HALO, and HL2? Crap. And I don't have vision insurance right now.
Fuck it -- my wife says I'm good at groping around for things in the dark. I'll survive.
IronChefMorimoto
that with the explosive growth of the internet, porn is rampant leading to an explosion of hair growth in hand palms.
I wonder if anyone has studied the correlation between someone who plays a lot of video games and other recreational activities we've been told will make us go blind. What's really at fault?
So by 2000 all kids were using pcs/video games, so by 2060 you could rule with an iron fist over the blind elderly if you just keep away from pcs.
http://www.mfiles.org/Marijuana/medicinal_use/b3_g laucoma.html
This is not the greatest sig in the world, no. This is a tribute.
Can't be because glaucoma was very very present before anything similar to today's computer was ever produced. Read the article for entertainment purposes. Cb..
At least it's an activity that won't grow hair on your palms!
I don't believe it, I use a computer 12+ hours a day, and have for the past 15 years. My eyes are fine, I have better than 20/20 vision.
Yes, I am a smart ass; it's better than the alternative.
is how many hours of the day is spent looking up pr0n. Ohnos! mom was right! We're all gonna go blind!!!111
I'm thinking folks who work on computers for long periods of time just may fall into a couple stereoypes. Glasses wearing and/or overweight/out-of shape. (I know sitting at a computer all hours doesn't do much for my physical fitness)
People of shape are going to risk a higher rate of diabetes, which is a risk factor for glaucoma. Being nearsighted is also a risk factor.
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001620.htm
Let me be the first to say something other than I can't read the article because I can't see. (ha ha)
I wonder if the insurance companies are going to eventually look at us programmers and categorize us as "uninsurable" for eye care because we stare at the monitor all day? I mean, they can turn down or boost rates on smokers because smoking is very bad for your health. So why not boost rates or turn down us computer bound programmers because we will almost certainly suffer from carpal tunnel, or glaucoma or both? I know these are not nearly as expensive or deadly for the most part, but the costs will add up.
As the number of cases increase for people like us, will be be "uninsurable" at least as far as eyecare? Or even for our wrists (no funny Pr0n jokes) or hands, or necks because we sit and type and stare at a monitor for hours on end?
I can just imagine the questions...
1. Do you have a history of heart disease?
2. Do you smoke?
3. Do you have a history of cancer?
4. Are you a computer programmer?
The story is /.'ed, so I haven't read it... did they compare staring at LCDs vs CRTs? I know LCDs are easier on the eyes...
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
Does this mean I can get Medical Marijuana?
I can only speak for my own experience, and I don't know whether this study differentiates between CRT and LCD users, but when I first became a programmer using a CRT for 3 or 4 years straight, my eyesight deteriorated rapidly from 20 / 20 to needing glasses to read comfortably without getting headaches. Since switching to a dual LCD setup my prescription hasn't changed in about 2 years.
Your mileage may vary. But I'll never use a CRT again.
Lose Weight and Feel Great with Isagenix
Riiight. When a Gmail account is freshly created, the URL states for a while which address has been created. None of the above URLs do - they're all stale. So no, you didn't just create an account.
Computer users are probably not in as good shape as the general populace (face it, its true). Ergo computer users have a higher incidence of diabetes. Diabetes causes glaucoma.
IHNRTFA (I have not read the f-in article), but it seems to me this is yet another case of the misuse of statistics. Just because X% of PopulationY happens to also be in PopulationZ doesn't imply a causal relationship in any specific direction. It's just as likely that the real reason for the link is the opposite of what they suppose: that persons who have the genetic defects and/or environmental factors in their lives which lead to a higher rate of glaucoma are more likely to be computer users....
11*43+456^2
I have always thought that using CRT monitors heavily has caused nearsidedness in a lot of people. Now, I know the arguement that people who normally don't need to wear glasses, feel the need to wear some kind of reading glasses to read the monitor. But on top of that, in my lifetime I have seen so many cases of people becoming nearsided within months of owning their first computer. An eye doctor once told me that when looking at a CRT, your eyes end up focusing about an inch or two behind the actual image.
1. Did they control for the fact that people who use computers heavily are more likely to be sedentary. Could this lifestyle lead to increased diabetes and related vision problems (don't know about glaucoma)
2. Did they control for the possibility that people with vison problems or other problems originally might be less outgoing and likely to interact with others? What demographic uses computers heavily compared to the mainstream?
I know my distance vision has deteriorated from heavy computer usage, but I'd like to see whether glaucoma is caused by staring at a screen... or some other aspect of computer usage, like chronic inflammation from Carpal Tunnel or somthing like that.
___
It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
Maybe you do spend too much time in front of the computer. I usually complain about my goggles not protecting my eyes when I'm drowning in acid, not my search engine.
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
Yes I did. I know it becuase I just filled out the form and signed in to my account.
What exactly do you think the URLs show you?
"I told you you'd go blind..."
Now I can tell my friends/family that I've just been ;)
proactive all these years
The authors haven't broken down the type of computer use at all. It'd be interesting to see where the aetiology lies - extended use without blinking (eg gamers), bad lighting conditions (oh, gamers again), LED vs CRT use etc.
...I can convince my boss I really need two 21" screens on my desk.
If only someone had of told my great grandmother that back in the 20's, it might of been early enough to saver her from it..
You have 5 Moderator Points!
Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
Without having RTFA, is there a difference between users of CRTs vs. LCDs?
since it's already gone.
CRT or across all monitor types? LCDs may save more than desk space.
Besides, threats of blindness never stopped other favorite slashdot pastimes, why should this be different.
(Porn doesn't cause blindness, people USING porn causes blindness.)
I can't read the article without my glasses, is there anything in it about watching tv? Is TV any more or less damaging that watching a CRT monitor?
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
Before we go blaming the cause on computers, perhaps a causational study is in order.
Shouldn't they lose some weight?
I think this has more to do with heavy computer use promoting a sedentary lifestyle which is one cause of higher blood pressure than any direct affect computer monitors have on our eyes.
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Does this mean I get to claim I'm just taking it for preventative measures?
... or something like that.
After all, "an ounce of prevention is worth a kilo of cure"
sigs, as if you care.
Method:
Pour all ingredients over ice in a shaker. Shake well. Serve in Cocktail Glass. Strain into glass.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Remember folks, the statistical object represented by 1.86 out of 1,000,000 is 86% more likely to get [insert gloom-and-doom disease of the day (GADDOTD)] than the object represented as 1 out of 1,000,000. These are the kind of fear-based statistics used by infommercials to get people to eat [very expensive] dirt.
Slashmail.org "The Open Source Email Com
Every company I've worked for in the UK has offered free eye tests to heavy computer users (and has done for some time now). A study like this can only encourage this practice becoming wider-spread. One of the things I've been tested for in the past has been glaucoma too.
-- now where did I put that
French-speakers are far more likely to live in the France than the average person. Therefore, if you don't want to live in France you should make sure not to learn French.
*sigh*
...heavy computer users were 74% more likely to develop visual field problems as compared baseline in a group of 10,202 randomly selected workers. Furthermore, heavy computer users were found to be 81% more likely to develop glaucoma.
;)
Can't get to the article, because... well... you know.
But, I've seen stats used in this fashion before to shock. I'm ASSUMING (yeah, I know), that those "percentages" apply to the "risk factor for developing X disease."
So, if "81% more likely to develop" than, say, the "1% chance of developing," then you'd effectively up your chances to "1.81%," NOT "81%" (a HUGE difference, you should agree!).
Oh, I agree that it is important to consider, but without comparing it to a baseline probability, it just sounds scary. Just like if you smoke and drink, you're 4X (umm... 400%) more likely to develop heart disease (numbers courtesy of "out of the air") doesn't mean you'll develop it 4 times in your life instead of once. 8)
As they say, 90% of all statistics are just made up.
Diplomacy is the art of saying, "Nice doggie!" until you can find a rock.
Ive been a heavy computer user for about 17 years now, the early signs of Glaucoma appeared in June of this year....cant tell you how scary it is thinking you might end up blind...thankfully I caught it soon so currently getting monthly check ups and using some steroid eye drops to calm it. Not saying its because of computers, just saying I fit the profile that the article is stating. BTW> a non slashdotted link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4008185.stm
Laptop Reviews
Here's an example of a freshly used Gmail invite.
Note the difference between the troll links and this one. ZOMG! U R TEH LIAR!!!111!
Seriously, this is exactly how it happened. God looked at his creation on the seventh day and he saw that de devil left pot everywhere -and since he(god) cant unmake anything, he created republicans. So the devil made a disease that is cureable by said pot.And god said ahaa.. i will create medical slips to limmit its use, so the devil created programmers, and highly adictive computer games.Easy now that it all makes sense. Seriously though, what about Consoles? And what about people that watch to much tv?
"If only smart people like your shit, it ain't that smart."
Sure, it may not be exactly glaucoma, but poor vision is usually associated with nerds since the beginning of time.
:(
Why was it that nerds in the 50s wore glasses and the jocks didn't? Could it be that they read more? Then books would be to blame.
I hardly know anyone who is an academic that DOESN'T wear glasses and I am truly jealous of those who managed to luck out and have both brains and good eyes.
PS: I have neither.
Live forever, or die trying.
only a tiny minority of the people who would support legalizing marijuana would have anything to do with the Libertarian strategy of privatizing everything at ten times the pace of the Republicans.
If it wasn't for that, this would be a real gain for the Libertarians. (Yes, this is sarcasm.)
On Sunday, I went to the eyeglass place to get a new prescription and some glasses. The doctor who examined my eyes did a full exam.
Her VERY FIRST question was, "Do you work on computers?"
I thought it was for the screen glare.
Now I know it's because THEY know that we're all going to go blind from staring at screens all day!
(I'm not worried, however, as I intend to stimulate my pineal gland until it bursts forth from my forehead on a little stalk and gives me psychic powers.)
Geeeez, not only are they fat but they will go blind too?
Every hour or so for you sitting at your machine, sit back and close your eyelids, and completly relax and unfocus your eyes. Every night before you go to sleep, completly unfocus your eyes until you fall asleep. This will alleviate the pressure inside of the eye long enough for some of the fluid to drain and pressure to decrease, and will help combat the feeling that the moniter really isn't there nor are the words and the occasional difficulty reading them, or as I call it, virtual nausea, which tends to develope after a few thousand hours of using a computer without stopping for much. This is what I do, and it really helps to keep me focused. If you like meditation, it can really help you get focued and keep you from having problems seeing things. Anyone who games really should learn it. The other reccomendation, is to have a nice view to look at outside the window so you aren't always looking at the moniter, preferably by a strip club or beach or somethin ;).
Candy-Coated Knowledge
Your mother warned you about this. Playing with your joystick will make you go blind.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
I hear it's good for Glaucoma, or something. Could you pass the Doritos?
Transistors and Beer!!
I use a notebook, which is not a very heavy computer. I guess that means I'm in the clear.
LCD's are much much better, with CRT's your eye is trying to focus on the glare on the glass and leads to eyestrain.
After using CRT's all my life and only getting a few hours a day work done, I switched to a quality Apple Cinema Display and the pain is gone, I can stay on it for days.
You'll never get rid of us Mac users now.
http://g5support.com/group/viewtopic.php?t=1628
I don't see the established causality. Just because a certain set of people have an ailment at a higher rate, does not mean that that activity causes said ailment. It's a fallacious argument.
I hate sigs.
I was living in Taiwan in the nineties and doing tons of computer work on a little 15" monitor for weeks on end. My eyes were seriously going out. It was quite obvious. I was having trouble focusing.
So, there were all these Chinese medicine shops around where I lived and I decided to go in and ask for some herbs or accupuncture.
I got a Chinese friend to go with me and I communicated to the Doc that my eyes were going blurry from using the computer constantly.
The guy told me --stop using the computer.
I was impressed with his skill.
I call it anal Glaucoma cause I just don't see my ass doing much of anything today.
Now, see, I've had an actual class in ergonomics, and so I can say, without fear of argument, that my standard work position meets all ergonomic criteria.
That is, with my feet on my desk, and the keyboard in my lap.
First, my wrists are supported, and comfortable.
Second, the monitor is at eye level.
Third, I'm at least half a meter from the screen. Now we *know* that strobes, and even fluorescent lights can set off epileptics. When you're close, half or three-quarters of all the light falling on your eyes is strobing at 60 or 80 cycles per second, so further back is safer.
And if you don't like *that*, then I don't care if you call it a monitor, a CRT, or whatever, it's still A TV set, and didn't your mother never tell you not to sit so close to the TV?!
mark
Yes, but we're less likely to get lung cancer from inhaling all that coal dust down the mines, or to be crushed by a wooly mammoth, or bubonic plague.
Swings and roundabouts.
My other processor is big-endian.
But does pdf aversion syndrome count?
/.
The hazzards of computing:
- No women
- Super terrific carpal tunnel syndrome
- Bad eyes
- Hairy palms
The worst thing for you are those stupid stupid stupid feet on keyboard, somehow keyboard-feet-gnomes some into my office and put them up every so often, increasing the angle in stress as I type. There is an awesome paper on keyboard stress testing, which has some wierd spikey graphs showing that a 20% deviation in your wrists from the normal, for 8 hours, can completely cut off the nerve signals...
And typing numbs your finger tips...
Bad backs caused by office furniture, high cholesterol because of diet and inactivity... acute atrophy because of aforementioned a inactivity...
Stress and stomach ulcers from all the hard work^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H flame wars on
Its so much fun!
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
Apparently it has been slashdotted already.
Here's the google cache
Glaucoma
Great, another activity which makes you blind:-)
Does this also apply to LCDs, or just CRTs?
Where's my danger pay?
As someone who has borderline high eye pressure - I find this interesting. There is a syndrome called pigmentary dispersion syndrome - which is usually occurs in men, with brown eyes, who read a lot (close focus) - and can be aggrivated by changing light conditions - I wonder if it's related (I have pigmentary dispersion syndrome - it CAN lead to glaucoma)
-- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
Actually that's kind of a relief.
Considering my surfing habits, I thought I was going blind for... er... other reasons.
Watching C64/C128 and interlaced Amiga 500 screens on TV ruined my eyes? You must be lying! That's impossible!
The owls are not what they seem
Computer users are more likely to go blind thanks to easy access to porn. It's just the parents of the nation trying to scare their children out of self gratification.
DeMeH!!!
Doctors diagnose glaucoma and perscribe medication for it in many cases where the patient does not actually have glaucoma, but another very common condition known as "Wannaganga".
I'm a heavy computer user but whenever I have a glaucoma test, I get 5 points subtracted off the result because I have super-thick corneas, and that puts me back in the safe range. Doctors have only begun measuring thickness relatively recently, but studies show that the thicker your cornea is the less likely you are to develop glaucoma, and that people with very thick corneas can safely have larger scores on the glaucoma test.
One must keep in mind that a "heavy computer user" could easily mean "out of shape, not-very-active computer user with a poor diet". Obesity has been identified as a possible risk factor associated with glaucoma. Poor diet factored together with years of eye strain and obesity could facilitate the results of this study.
I'm not bashing the study. I admit it raises interesting questions. I'd like to see the results of a similar study with the individual's health and diet taken into consideration. --IHNRTFA disclaimer--
Here is some supporting material I read a while ago... As well as the good news, at least in canada you can get some medicinal marijuana to treat this Also on a side note I submitted this earlier this morning. To much PC can make you Blind?! Tuesday November 16, @09:14AM Rejected
I'd be worried about stuff like Parkinson's from long-term use of any sort of "neural interface".
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Maybe I'm just lucky, but I started computing at age 9 with 20/16 vision, and 25 years later I see better than ever (though perhaps my depth perception at long range is atrophied). I've always made certain my monitor was razor-sharp, at highest rez: CRTs mainly Trinitrons, and switched to LCD in the early 1990s. Maybe these kids are just sitting too close to a fuzzy TV, like Mom always warned against?
--
make install -not war
Is it that computer use causes eye problems, or is it that nerdly dweebs (myself included) are more likely to be using computers heavily and we seem genetically predisposed to have more eye problems anyway?
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Combine "don't sit so close to the TV" with "if you don't stop that, you'll go blind", and the real health problem here is too little effect of Mom's good advice.
--
make install -not war
Does this mean that computer professionals can get weed for preventative medical treatment? SWEEEET!
NORML tells me that pot can prevent glaucoma. So if I smoke pot I can sit as close to the monitor as I like for as long as I like.
Since marijuana is a pretty decent treatment for glaucoma and nerds are less likely to partake in illicit substances that could be part of the problem.
I guess it is time for us nerds to smoke up!!! We're doing it for our health after all!
eases my glaucoma!
The CRT manufacturers have been telling us for years that CRT's don't give off enough X-rays to harm you. Now we've got proof they do. Let's give 'em what for!
The difference between spam and poop is that you don't have to dig through septic tanks looking for real food. -- Me
as long as you can get your medical marijuana
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
I love these pointed studies. Any chance that no physical exercise and a shitty diet might cause glacoma, much like diabetes? Sitting in front of a monitor 12 hours a day eating nothing but but pizza and chips could cause that. It's kind of like the old study of a high percentage of fat juvenille deliquents... did high fat diets create criminals or is that fat kids can't out run cops?
Look away from the monitor every few moments and allow your eyes to focus on something far away. This will help relax your eyes and reduce strain. Obviously, better equipment and a reduction in time are the best preventative measures. And, hey, doesn't anyone handwrite pseudo-code these days?
I spend all day in front of the computer. I also spend all day smoking marijuana, so I guess I don't have to worry :)
Happy New Year, it's 1984!
We'll be more likely to get medical marijuana... at least in Canada...
whoa man, pass those cheese doodles...
Cheezit! We're boned! - famous 31st Century bending unit
What does viewing this article do to that 81%? How much does it pump it up?
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
This one is a no-brainer... Focusing your eyes intensely for long periods of time is no good. They need to be balanced between focused and unfocused states so that the muscles in your eyes can experience the full 'range of motion,' so to speak... Otherwise they'll end up atrophying and causing you all sorts of problems like near/farsightedness, glaucoma, etc...
I've been self-treating myself for YEARS. There is no way I could get it!
It has for quite a while been pretty well known that focusing your eyes on one particular area at the same distance tends (rule of thumb - not law) to diminish a person's visual capability. It is the same way with many people who read books constantly. Genetics play the largest role, especially with glaucoma, but other external factors play a role on eye pressure such as eye fatique/lack of sleep, amount of caffiene/nicotine, medicines...
By chance, I found out from my eye Dr when I was 24, that I'm very likely to get glaucoma because while on Prednizone (anti-flamitory steroid) for a short while, my eye pressure increased to almost glaucoma levels. Not sure if this was caused by sitting in front of a computer for 6+ hours a day, but I do have family history of the illness. I guess time will tell...
I can't read the article ..
Seems they studied four japanese company "heavy computer workers", they admited to the possibility of bias as the majority of those selected were men.
Hmm, does it make sense to apply these results to everyone?
that said,how do you Unfocus your eyes when you goto bed?
Why does yahoo do this
Solutions:
1. LCD Moniters
2. Marijuana
Insert Witty Remark Here ===>____________________________
... construction workers stands a higher chance of a brick falling on their head than other workers.
Thank god for pot!
Iam posting it here.
Who's at Special Risk?
Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, however, certain groups are at higher risk than others. It is recommended that people at high risk for glaucoma receive a complete eye exam that includes eye dilation every one to two years.
Those at high risk for glaucoma include:
* African-Americans Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among African-Americans and is six to eight times more common in African-Americans than Caucasians.
* People Over 60 People over the age of 60 are six times more likely to get glaucoma than those younger.
* Hereditary If you have family members (especially immediate family members) with glaucoma, this puts you at a much higher risk than the rest of the population. Family history increases risk of glaucoma four to nine times as compared to those who do not have glaucoma in their family.
* Asian-Americans Asians are not in a particularly high-risk group for glaucoma except that Asians appear to be at some risk for angle closure glaucoma. Angle closure glaucoma accounts for less than 10% of all diagnosed cases of glaucoma.
* Steroid use There is some evidence that links steroid use to glaucoma. For the most part, there seem to be no serious effects. However, a study reported in the Journal of American Medical Association, March 5, 1997, demonstrated a 40% increase in the incidence of ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma in adults who require approximately 14 to 35 puffs of steroid inhaler to control asthma. This is a very high dose and is only required in the cases of severe asthma.
* Eye Injury Glaucoma can occur as the result of an eye injury immediately after the injury or years later. This is also known as traumatic glaucoma and is most often the result of a blunt trauma such as a blow to the head or an injury directly to the eye. The most common cause is from sports related injuries such as baseball or boxing. When a blunt trauma occurs, it can cause damage to the drainage system resulting in traumatic glaucoma. Glaucoma can also be caused by a penetrating injury.
Why does yahoo do this
...demonstrated a high rate of one-handed typing speed and Web browsing.
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, START
But this is what this sitehttp://www.glaucoma.org/learn/cure.htmlhas to say about cure for Glaucoma.
Is There a Cure?
Currently, there is no cure for glaucoma [emphasis mine]. Glaucoma is a chronic disease that must be treated for life. However, much is happening in research that makes us hopeful a cure may be realized in our lifetime. There is exciting work being conducted by scientists all over the world in the areas of genetics, neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. These areas of study deal with the origins and pathology of glaucoma as opposed to managing symptoms.
A cure is on the way.
Why does yahoo do this
We all know this is just an excuse for more computer nerds to smoke pot.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
Glaucoma is more related to diabetes than watching a screen. There is absolutely no connection. You have to learn how to read "scientific articles", learn about statistics (and how to infer these statistics about a given population from an article), and learn that scientists/researchers can make anything look plausible.
Maybe japanese genes are different, it could be any number of factors. This is just as ridiculous as the claim that prolonged cell phone usage causes cancer.
Frankly, i think what they've really "discovered" is that heavy computer users might not get much physical activity and may be more prone to other health problems (e.g. diabetes) and may have an increased risk of developing glaucoma due to these problems.
Anyways, I'm not worried by the time I develop glaucoma we will have the technology to regrow eyes.
What about lcd monitors? Do they send out the retina killing beams as well?
The study seems flawed in manny respects.
The glaring one is that is did not study a single population over time. They are assuming, or implying, causation here and I don't see any reasonable evidence of that with their two, unrelated groups method. It might be that people who are visially impaired tend to gravitate toward jobs where their eyesight is not critical to success. It might not be that computer work causes eye problems, but people with eye problems tend to do computer work.
Article X: The powers not delegated... by the Constitution...are reserved...to the people
Referenced report is misrepresented.
THE REPORT concludes:"...heavy computer users with refractive errors seem to have increased risk of FDT-VFA. Glaucoma might be involved in an underlying disease and myopia is a risk factor for FDT-VFA.
Furthermore, the report is on a cross sectional survey of Japanese, predominantly males, and references that Japanese glaucoma distribution is "vastly different from Western population".
The crus of the report is that if you are Japanese, myopic, and use the computer a lot than it would be a good idea to have regular VFA assesment.
While not statistically meaningful, my glaucoma has improved since I
1)quite swimming in a brominated pool
2)have become a 'heavy' computer user.
Wonder how many of those nearsighted Japanese with glaucoma also swim in brominated pools?
Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle!
While I don't dismiss the findings, I will not be advising my patients anytime soon to stop their computer use. I think there needs to be a better control to the study to convince me more positively of the results, say "heavy cloud-gazing" as another "risk". (in our rush,rush society that won't happen) Normal tension glaucoma is still not well understood .
I have 2 monitors set up on my workstation. Maybe this would double the effects. Although I did just go through an eye exam and only have a slight astigmatism. Other than that, my eyes are healthy and I've been using computers my whole life practically.
Having a smoking section in a public restaurant is like having a peeing section in a public swimming pool.
ok... so what's a good herbal remedy for glaucoma?
Also, people with beards are 80% more likely to get a detached retina.
Shouldn't we have learned by now that nonsensical studies aimed at a specific result don't work? You're still giving press to every nut case with a lab for some reason.
I am NOT a number! I am a - oh wait, I'm number 761710. Look! 761710!
I have partial visual field loss at the age of 28. So far 2 docs and a specialist at a fancy eye hospital have not been able to diagnose it. They've all ruled out Glaucoma due to age... wonder if this changes things.
groping around in the dark in games will only halve your half life, spell doom for and finally leave you floating through the level with a halo :) ...except ofcourse in The Sims 2...it would get u a hot date there :)
Find a job you like and you will never work a day in your life.
Oddly the only person I've known with glaucoma is my father, who of course has been a cobol programmer all his career. I doubt though monitors had a great effect, as he developed the condition before computer terminals were common.
Computers links YOU to glaucoma.
The article says the problem is exacerbated by SHORT-sightedness, not NEAR-sightedness, thus only managers need be worried.
I spend most of my waking life in front of a computer being that I'm a sysadmin and own a web dev company on the side. Anywho, one day while sitting at work my eyes seemed to cross and STAY THAT WAY! I'm not sure if they were croseed or if they were just out of focus, but I can tell you that I could not focus no matter how hard I tried and I really started freaking out. I sat back and tried to relax and I would open them again with no change. I was starting to panic and I finally just shut the door to my office, turned out the lights and tried to relax and doze. When I sort of "woke up" everything was back to normal and I, of course, went right back to staring at the screen for another 4 hours. I never did have it checked out and just chalked it up to strain. Hasn't happened since.
I eat Mexican food while working on the computer.
Now I have guacoma.
Proverbs 21:19
Does this mean that in the near future, computer use will be linked to marijuana use?
Sounds like something the US nanny-government needs to declare a War On Computers(TM).
ELiTeUI
Ooooh-kay.
oi canmmn sderre gfinme!
I would be interested in seeing a comparison study done on avid readers.
Also, about a breakdown of those who use CRTs as compared to LCS screens.
for me but in the early 80's when the IBM PC first hit the market, I was a tech and was doing a LOT of soldering. Of course I had been soldering for 15 years prior to that but in the 80's I did a lot of intense, close up PCB work. I usually had a PCB within 4 inches of my eyes or less.
Now I'm 44 and I can't read a piece of paper that's closer than 12" from my eyes but I can clearly see the string on a balloon 100 yards away and count the telephone wires on poles a 1/4 mile away.
I have to use wally world reading glasses to do my hardware work now. I also keep a clip-on loupe at hand for the smaller stuff.
I'm also in the market for an electron microscope, I see them being dumped on ebay CHEAP but I want to trade or barter for one.
I don't really need the EM but I just want one. Why now??
So, pass that doobie to me!
by the time my eyes have been shot i'll be able to get a chip implanted in my barin so i don't need my broken eyes anymore... or maybe i'll just stop wasting time on slashdot... chip it is...
Get your torrents...
Their "conclusion" is that if you are a heavy computer user AND you have already present refractive errors (near- or far-sighted) then you're more likely to have some vision difficulties. However, among the people with visual field abnormalities 33% were light computer users, 48% were moderate, and 19% were heavy users (not exactly the data you'd want for a correlation), which oddly enough is the same as the people without visual-field abnormalities. I won't bore you with the rest of the analysis, but let's just say it doesn't show shit (among people without refractive errors, heavy computer users were twice as likely to not have visual field abnormalities which is pretty weird to me - seems like computer use is actually GOOD for you if you don't already have myopia) which is probably why it was published in the "prestigious" Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health...
My Sig is Sauer.
Right? Right?
Well, I guess it depends how friendly your dealer is feeling today doesn't it?
Does this include LCD users?
1-Crawl 2-Cnfg 3-ATF 4-Exit ?
Bah humbug - I'm looking forward to a 21" braile monitor.
Si tacuisses philosophus mansisses. If you had kept quiet, you would have remained a philosopher.
Well I see a lot of people posting a lot of jokes here here, but it doesn't really make laugh. As someone who works in front of a computer at least 10 hours a day and who has a genetic predisposition for that desease.
At least three persons in my familiy are blind because of glaucome and my father is gradually losing sight too and he used to have an excellent vision. There is no real cure for glaucoma and many drugs are ineffective for a lot of people and cause a lot of secondary effects. So if you have it prepare yourself to become blind at one time or another.
My worst nightmare has always been when it will be my turn.
Really depressing.
Hey I wonder if this means I can get hazard pay for my job now. I mean if people get hazard pay for dealing with deadly chemicals shouldn't I get hazard pay for increasing my risk of eye problems?
Food for thought
Here is what the glaucoma site says:
"Some studies have shown that significant caffeine intake over a short time can slightly elevate intraocular eye pressure (IOP) for one to three hours. However, other studies indicate that caffeine has no meaningful impact on IOP. To be safe, people with glaucoma are advised to limit their caffeine intake to moderate levels."
So... is there any correlation between computer users and caffein?
"he drew his sword Ringil that glittered like ice... and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds..."
For clarification for anyone that might read this and consider this conclusive, read this first, and understand that this just implies a POSSIBLE correlation, and in no way guarantees a correlation...this is also kind of implied in the story body, but I just wanted to make sure you all knew....
-knewter
...or do people who play video games and use computers have bad vision to begin with?
90% Professional Slacker
Give this topic a week and the threat will simply be a blur.
--I smoked my sig.
...an EXCUSE to TYPE it all in CAPS! (Tragically, the Slashdot lameness filter wouldn't let me.)
I have responded to this by changing my monitor's brightness to 100 and changing its contrast to 0. Now it appears dark, yet everything remains visible.
1-Crawl 2-Cnfg 3-ATF 4-Exit ?
Glaucoma seems more prevalent in African Americans, though this tie in to computer usage seems new. Best way to detect it seems to be to have your eyes examined through dilated pupils.
Furthermore, heavy computer users were found to be 81% more likely to develop glaucoma.
One word: shit. I use my computer for 8-12 hours every day, with a 60hz CRT monitor. If that isn't "heavy usage", I'm not sure what is. I already have glasses... man, I hope I don't get glaucoma.
And as for the point of this post... are any of you slashdotters going to cut down on computer usage due to this announcement, or is this news just poking the bull with a steel rod?
- dshaw
Im going to start filling out workers comp for weed money. Sweet I wonder if that will also cover the required hohos and ringdings!
I read this and have my friend that is a ophthalmologist this a limited study as the study has stated. I am a pilot and have no problem with visual field abnormalities and I use my computer 8 to 10 hours a day. However glaucoma manifest itself in more than just visual field abnormalities. Also they did look at people with myopia had a greater chance of having glaucoma due to lengthening of the eye that could be the cause of myopia in some people. Myopia can be caused by lengthening of the eye or change of the lens and they said that these where inconclusive for this study.
For me I have a laptop and I try to keep at arms length and get up and get outside occasionally.
IANAD, but I suspect It has nothing to do with your computer screen. Computer geeks, almost definion, spend their days totally motionless sans their fingers and the occational flick of the wrist to sip coffee. Computer geeks are fat. And obsessity is linked to diabetes, and that is linked to glaucoma.
how about blindness (if you know what I mean...)!!!!
By the time I'm 25 I should be able to legally smoke the ganje.
Or perhaps sooner if I make it to Amsterdam...
You're nothing; like me.
The state that gave us Silicon Valley is leading the fight for medical marijuana. Coincidence?
I think not.
WARNING: there is a trojan on your
For example as it says in the Main results part of the abstract on the first page of the article:
...
[...}In stratified analysis, heavy computer users with refractive errors showed a significant positive association with FDT-VFA [...], while those without refractive errors did not.[...] (Emphasis added for clarity)
I.e. other factors than mainly computer usage appears to have significance
Buy all your crazy japanese videogames from
Are they trying to convince me that as I write this comment I could suddenly and instantly go sjkçfhçklhufçilabk.b. bnm a dlvjlvxcxd
hrlp me 1111111
What did the article say? My screen is so blurry I can't make it out!
--- "To pee or not to pee, that is the question." ---
Have there ever been any studies like this of bookreading? Is it what your doing (ie reading for long periods) or what you're doing it on (on screen vs. on a page)?
... their $75/bottle eye drops work better than the $0 marijuana that they are legally permitted to grow in their basement.
Good luck growing weed in your basement for zero dollars.
None of that has anything to do with the study. They observer equal sized groups and statistically the ones who were more in front of computer screens developed this.
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating