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."

Comments

Hardly surprising

[LurkerXXX]

The article seems to be slashdoted, so I can't see it but...

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

Re:Hardly surprising

[cj_goth]

There is also a statistical linkage between myopia and intelligence (and quite a few different theories as to what mught cause the linkage) - it's not just a stereotype.

Some might say (people around these parts?) that higher intelligence might mean greater likelihood of computer use, hence linking the myopia risk factor to the computer use.

CRT vs LCD?

[FortKnox]

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...

Re:CRT vs LCD?

[pherris]

Or for that matter what about dot pitch or scan rate? Does being on a 20" high quality LCD screen cause less damage than a 14" Packard Bell CRT?

With such a wide variety of "computer displays" available it seems it would be worth reinvestigating the results and looking for a relationship.

CRT vs LCD

[DigitalRaptor]

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.

Re:CRT vs LCD

[DigitalRaptor]

And there are plenty of people who smoke their entire life and never get cancer or drive every day without a seatbelt and never die in a car accident.

That doesn't mean there isn't increased risk by smoking.

Did they properly control the experiment

[PsiPsiStar]

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.

Ive recently developed it.

[Izeickl]

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

Re:Obviously

[CriX]

All joking aside, I find this very disturbing. I'm still using a CRT at work, which I am at pretty much 8 hours a day. Being employed in a technical field I anticipate working with computers the rest of my life... I'm sure I'm not alone in this respect.

So, what then? Use a TFT display? Wait for bionic eyes (that would rule :)?

Don't say "Smoke up," damnit.

Simple, inexpensive cure to this

[TyrranzzX]

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 ;).

Re:Obviously

[Mysticalfruit]

Basically, it just means we need to dump some real R&D money into neural interface devices.

I don't want to have to sit and look at the screen and type the code, I want to think the code and just have it appear...

Re:CRTs probably cause nearsidedness

[JeffTL]

Well, that's because a CRT is basically an HDTV -- it shows you a high res image that doesn't actually exist, but is rather an optial illusion produced by scintillations of beta radiation on phosphors. The screen is thick and has lead in it so the beta particles don't get out and cause any problems associated with small quantities of radiation.

That's probably why LCDs produce less eye strain -- the image is actually there (having been created by the electricity activating the liquid crystals) and it's where you perceive it as being. It's got a fluorescent light behind it in most modern cases, and that's why you can use it in the dark -- non-backlit LCDs depend on available darkness.

Re:Obviously

[2nd Post!]

Why do you think that neural interface devices wouldn't cause headaches, aneurysms, tumors, and strokes?

Re:Obviously

[dnoyeb]

I stare at computer screens all day, and then when I get home often all night till I go to sleep.

Anyway, when I used my first LCD display on a laptop, I immediately quit using my 21" CRT all together. The LCD was just WAY easier on my eyes. No refresh flicker, no glaring colors.

I will never buy another CRT ever. Maybe a TV, but never for a computer.

P.S. my boss tried to order some LCDs for us but they tricked him and sole him some Flat Screen CRTs. Suckx.

Re:Ironically,

[BlackHawk-666]

It's also pretty good for treating pain in knuckles and reducing inflamation in joints. If you're an I.T. worker then dope is a virtual wonder drug. It reduces blood pressure, stress and glycoma related problems, helps with arthritis, and is a pretty nice psychoactive to boot. The only big negatives are increased risk of lung and mouth cancers, a lowered motivational drive, lowered short term memory and the fact that it's illegal and in some repressive countries can land you in prison (oh, and your short term memory goes too). I've been an I.T. worker for 24 years now, and a regular pot smoker (most days, but only small amounts of heads and only after my personal "watershed" hour) for 21 years and I can heartily recommend them both.

Interesting to note, recently I ran out of smoke and thought it might be a good time to take one of my breaks from it for a few months to let my system flush and clean out. Within a few weeks I had serious issues occurring with my sight, and I was developing a tic in one of my eyes that wouldn't go away. My knuckles became inflamed and I wondered if I could keep working with a PC. The joints of my entire body swelled, and sleeping became incredibly difficult at night. When doing sit-ups I had crunching sounds coming from my spine and a deep cracking in the lower back. ALL of these symptoms went away went I went back to smoking weed! Now, I know the long term effects aren't exactly conducive to our profession (computer programmer) but they are definitely the lesser of two evils here.

Another useless study

[gerardrj]

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.