Computer Vision Syndrome: How It Affects More Women and Ways to Protect Your Eyes

Computer eye strain affects quality of life. (Photo credit: Pexels)

Across countless industries, women’s careers depend on looking at screens for hours. Whether you're participating in online meetings or writing reports, you'll probably find yourself looking at a screen for extended periods. Unfortunately, although we may be predisposed to long hours of productivity, our eyes aren't. A study from SAGE Open Medicine explains that computer vision syndrome is becoming a major public health concern, especially now that we do more work digitally. It can affect your vision and lead you to make more mistakes, become less productive, and ultimately lower your job satisfaction. What’s more, 74% of women than men are more likely to experience this syndrome.

No matter where you are in your career, your health is your biggest asset. That makes caring for yourself more crucial than ever. If you want to be more vigilant about a condition as impactful as computer vision syndrome. Here’s more on how it can affect you and what you can do to prevent it.

How computer vision syndrome affects women

Also known as digital eye strain, this syndrome is often caused by your eyes needing to work harder than usual when focused on a screen. That’s because letters on digital devices aren’t as sharply defined as they are on paper. A screen's reflection and glare can aggravate this strain. You may have also noticed that you blink less when working on a computer, which results in dry eye. With computer vision syndrome, you may thus experience discomfort, irritation, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and headaches.

SAGE Open Medicine does not mention precisely why women are more susceptible to these symptoms. However, a study published in Biology of Sex Differences may explain why women are generally more vulnerable to vision problems. It found that women’s eye health disparities may be attributed to the fact that women have a longer life expectancy than men. Because of this, they're more likely to experience age-related macular degeneration. Women are also more likely to suffer from thyroid eye disease, dry eye disease, migraines, and disruptions to eye health due to pregnancy.

Basically, your biology naturally works against you when it comes to your eye health—and computer vision syndrome is just the latest condition women are experiencing as they work in the digital age. Fortunately, there are ways you can guard against the condition.

There are ways to protect your eyes.

Wear blue light glasses
Scientists continue to research blue light because they believe it's one of the factors that make computer screens particularly stressful for the eyes. It’s been linked to computer vision syndrome, retina damage, age-related macular degeneration, and other permanent vision changes. Since you're more susceptible to these conditions, it's vital to protect your eyes with blue light glasses as you work. These have a coating that filters out blue-violet light while letting healthier blue-turquoise light pass through. You can get them on glasses with or without a prescription, so you can use them even if you already need vision correction. This way, you can minimize how much your eyes are exposed to blue light and continue working comfortably.
Use lubricating eyedrops
A symptom of computer vision syndrome is dry eye, which can lead to inflammation, corneal abrasion, and vision impairment when untreated for too long. Unfortunately, dry eye can become more common with age—especially among premenopausal women experiencing hormonal changes—so lubricate your eyes with artificial tears. Applying these regularly helps moisturize your eyes, so try to do so throughout the workday. Doing so protects your vision so you can continue performing optimally.
Rest your eyes frequently
For women who have to oversee many tasks in their professional and personal lives, it can be tempting to work nonstop to get things done quickly. But with computer vision syndrome being a serious risk, you must rest your eyes frequently. Fortunately, the 20-20-20 rule can offer quick relief. You simply have to rest from the screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Even just after two weeks of regular practice, researchers observed markedly decreased dryness, sensitivity, and discomfort. If you're starting to feel cramped from sitting down for too long, you can use these breaks to stand up and walk around for a bit—and effectively hit two birds with one stone.
Your health should be the number one priority at any stage of your career—whether you’re just starting out, seeing new heights, or achieving long-term goals. By taking measures to reduce computer vision syndrome, you can comfortably perform optimally at work.

Rose Joneses is a lifestyle and business blogger.