LIFE> Health
|
LIFE> Health
|
|
Gone in the blink of an eye
By Li Cheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-05 13:47 Most office workers have to sit for long hours in front of a computer screen and this can lead to much eye discomfort.
 Wang Wei, 26, works for a travel agency and routinely spends 10 hours staring at a computer screen, every day. Five years ago, she underwent laser eye surgery to correct her deteriorating vision. But she now has to grapple with a new problem - visual fatigue. "After surgery, I can see clearly without the use of spectacles or contact lenses," she says. "But my work puts much strain on my eyes." Changing lifestyles that have more people working on computers, watching television and playing video games for long hours, have made people more prone to eye problems, says Qiu Lixin, head of TCM department of Tongren Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, one of the best eye hospitals in Beijing. Eye doctors including Qiu are calling for better awareness of eye health, with the National Eye Health Day falling tomorrow. An estimated 158 million people around the world either need glasses and don't wear them, or wear glasses that are not powerful enough, according to an independent study by researchers in Australia, South Africa and the United States. One of the most common eye problems is visual fatigue, says Qiu. Its symptoms include blurred or double vision, burning and watering eyes and headaches. "Those who work at computers tend to be troubled by dry eyes and conjunctivitis," says Qiu. When working at a computer, people blink less frequently - about five times less than normal, according to studies. |
