Computer vision syndrome among individuals using visual display terminals for more than two hours

Abstract

Purpose Nowadays exposure to visual display terminals (VDT) is an integral part of our daily life. Adolescents are also exposed to extended use of VDTs. This study aimed to assess the proportion of individuals experiencing various ocular symptoms according to their VDT usage and age.Patients and methods This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted from April 2017 to March 2018. Validated computer vision syndrome (CVS) questionnaire was used for the assessment of CVS. The questionnaire includes 16 symptoms that are scored using two rating scales, one for frequency and the other for intensity. Study participants were divided into two groups: group I included individuals using VDT more than or equal to 6 h per day and group II included those using VDT for less than 6 h per day.Results A total of 120 individuals were included in this study. The total symptom severity score of more than or equal to 6 (i.e. with CVS) was recorded in 83 (69.2%) patients. The median symptom severity score was 8 (SD: 10.2, range: 0–46). In CVS patients, headache (79 patients=95.2%) was the most prevalent symptom followed by blurred vision (70 patients=84.3%), dryness (57 patients=68.7%), heavy eyelid (57 patients=68.7%), eye redness (55 patients=66.3%), and eye pain (53 patients=63.9%). Among group I, 50 (68.4%) patients had CVS while in group II, 33 (70.2%) patients had CVS (P=1.0; c2 test). In adults, 57 (67.1%) patients had CVS compared with 26 (74.3%) patients among adolescents (P=0.001, Fisher’s exact test).Conclusion The proportion of CVS among individuals who were using VDT for more than 2 h was significantly higher in adolescents as compared with the adult age group.