Heavy computer use tied to glaucoma

CBC News ^ | November 15, 2004

[NCjim]

Men who spend hours staring at a computer screen may be at increased risk for glaucoma, a disease that can cause blindness, Japanese doctors say.

Researchers studied more than 10,200 workers with an average age of 43 for signs of glaucoma, a gradual disease of the optic nerve leading to loss of peripheral vision.

The workers were randomly selected for testing at their medical check-up. Participants filled out questionnaires about their eye health and use of computers at home and in the office.

Dr. Masayuki Tatemichi of Toho University School of Medicine in Tokyo and his colleagues found one-third of the workers had suspected glaucoma, according to tests.

Those who sat in front of a computer for more than eight hours a day were twice as likely to have glaucoma as those who were light or medium users, the researchers found.

There appeared to be a significant link between workers who were short sighted or myopic and were heavy users of computers.

The optic nerve may be more vulnerable to computer stress in those who are short sighted compared to those with normal eyes, the team speculated.

Since more workers are now using computers, doctors may need to monitor the prevalence of myopia and signs of glaucoma in workers, the researchers said in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, published by the British Medical Association.

The researchers acknowledge the study is limited by its cross-sectional design, adding the results may be skewed since most of the volunteers were male.

They note more research is needed to investigate the suspected link.

Glaucoma may be caused by high pressure inside the eye. It affects one in 100 Canadians over age 40, according to the Canadian Opthamalmological Society.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Only if they are spending all that time on porn sites. :)

And can type with one hand.

[Paleo Conservative]

Heavy computer use tied to glaucoma

But what about the use of lightweight laptops?

[codyjacksmom]

How insulting to grandma's everywhere. We're not all THAT old!! LOL

[southernnorthcarolina]

If you can read this easily, you probably have no vision problems. But if it's difficult for you to read this, perhaps you should get your vision checked by a professional.

[smonk]

---If you can read this easily, you probably have no vision problems. But if it's difficult for you to read this, perhaps you should get your vision checked by a professional.---

that was much more time consuming that it originally appeared, wasn't it?

[southernnorthcarolina]

that was much more time consuming that it originally appeared, wasn't it?

Heh. Yeah, probably a dubious use of time and effort to produce something of only marginal amusement. They can't all be winners.

[Right Angler]

"Only if they are spending all that time on porn sites. :)"

I haven't experienced any vision problems but it hurts like hell when the hair in my palms gets stuck in the keyboard.

[kidd]

Complete hogwash. This is a hereditary effect. From the Glaucoma Reseach Foundation website
http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/

"Normal tension glaucoma is also known as low tension glaucoma or normal pressure glaucoma. In this type of glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged even though intraocular pressure (IOP) is not very high. Doctors do not know why some people’s optic nerves are damaged even though they have what is considered to be "normal" (between 12-22 mm Hg) pressure levels.

Those at higher risk for this form of glaucoma are people with a family history of normal tension glaucoma, people of Japanese ancestry, and people with a history of systemic heart disease, such as irregular heart rhythm. Normal tension glaucoma is usually detected after an examination of the optic nerve."

So a Japanese firm surveyed 10,000 Japanese, thus proving what was already known.