Heavy computer use and damage to your eyes. (o/t)

[Mike Haven]

After all the scaremongering fuss caused by the press picking up on Tatemichi's research report "To study the association between computer use and visual field abnormalities (VFA) and to assess whether heavy computer users have an increased risk of glaucoma" the "good news" that seems to have been overlooked was in a reply to a letter to the authors:

"* What we found: a positive association between the heavy PC users and visual field abnormalities, only among those with refractive errors. Similar association was not seen among those without refractive errors.

"*We do not know whether: heavy PC use will cause or hasten the development of glaucoma, as the study we ran was not designed to test the cause-effect relationship; heavy PC use will heighten the risk of glaucoma through worsening of myopia, a known risk factor for glaucoma, as our study was not designed to test this hypothesis."

Still of concern to those of us with refractive errors, but possibly not quite as worrying as we all first thought.

[mattw]

smoke weed? just kidding.

[DCWGaming]

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smoke weed

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ZimbuTheMonkey]

Yeah, what are refractive errors?

[CORed]

It would be interesting to see a comparison of CRT vs. flat panel. I suspect that flat panel monitors might be easier on the eyes becase they don't strobe like CRT's.

[byronkincaid]

Refractive errors means you already wear glasses?

[Mike Haven]

If you have a "refractive error" it means simply that your eyesight isn't perfect.

[Shoe]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have a "refractive error" it means simply that your eyesight isn't perfect.

[/ QUOTE ]

If i get laser eye surgery does that lower the risk?

[Mike Haven]

That's an interesting question.

You could ask the author, here.

[Keith Fellmy]

I do have astigmatisom and yes I do wear glasses...since third grade. I am also a pool player. My pool game used to be real good, but since I found online poker, my game has suffered. Not only from lack of interest (more money in poker) but I have noticed that I can't cut a ball like I used to. I used to be great at razor thin cuts. I find that I can no longer do it. It has to be a combonation from not playing pool every day during the past two years (gotta keep the edge) and from the fuzzy edges of the letters on a computer. Maybe? Maybe not? But I can still bank like a champ.