VSP Provider Dr. Roger Phelps, OjaiEyes Optometry
VSP Provider Dr. Roger Phelps served as the subject matter expert on Computer Vision Syndrome with Forbes.com in a recent article titled: Do Computers Really Fry Your Brain? Here is a snippet of the interview with Dr. Phelps and Forbes writer Jenna Goudreau.
In 2005, a medical term was coined to diagnose some of these problems, now known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). A review of the syndrome in the Survey of Ophthalmology, a peer-reviewed journal, calls it “a repetitive strain disorder that appears to be growing rapidly, with some studies estimating that 90% of the 70 million U.S. workers using computers for more than three hours per day experience it in some form.”
If you spend several days a week gaping for hours at a computer screen, you’re likely familiar with the symptoms. Eyestrain and eye fatigue, irritation, blurred vision, head and neck aches and nausea can all be associated with prolonged computer use.
“People are sitting in front of a computer all day,” says Ojai, Calif.-based optometrist Roger Phelps, who has been practicing for decades. “You are looking at a light source, not focused at the proper distance, and staring. It causes strain.”
Phelps believes that the damage caused by CVS is temporary and can be reversed. The main issue, he says, is that people tend to stare at electronic screens, not blinking or looking away as often as they might while reading a book or magazine.
Why do we stare? Phelps thinks that the technology, from gaming to surfing, is inherently more interesting–colorful and fast-paced–so we don’t want to miss a second. Staring at screens commonly leads to dry eyes, which he sees in more than one-third of his patients and says worsens with age.
Phelps suggests using eye drops and adhering to the 20-20-20 rule, which stipulates that after 20 minutes of computer use, you should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The break will allow your eyes a rest and a chance to refocus.
To read the entire article, visit the Forbes website.
Patient Jacqueline B. before new glasses
Patient Jacqueline B. after new glasses
