http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/14736790?source=Evening Standard Study links PC use with glaucoma By Lyndsay Moss, Evening Standard 16 November 2004 Heavy use of computers may be linked to the development of a progressive eye disease, researchers claim. A study in Japan has found that staring at a screen could be related to glaucoma, which can lead to blindness. The latest study, by the Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, finds the risk is particularly strong for the short-sighted. Glaucoma is more common in old age and happens when the optic nerve in the eye is damaged, leading to visual abnormalities. The exact causes are unknown. The researchers questioned 10,000 workers at four Japanese companies with an average age of 43. The researchers, writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, say that those classed as heavy computer users tend to be younger and male. The team says there appears to be a significant link between visual problems and heavy computer use among those with either long or short sight. A third of these workers were found to have suspected glaucoma. The researchers conclude: "Computer stress is reaching higher levels than have ever been experienced before."
the way my eyes feel after a day of work...i dont' doubt it at all. my eyesight has gotten progressively worse since i've been studying and practicing law.
I wonder if they made a distinction between regular monitors and TFT displays? Is it the flickering (which one does not notice) that is supposed to cause the glaucoma or is it staring at a small area in close distance for a very long time?
I do know certain sites have been known to cause blindness while at the same time controlling prostate cancer.
This study was done in Japan, a country known for a certain type of glaucoma that white/black people in this country rarely have. Asian's eyes are generally shorter and flatter so I don't think most of you should worry about staring at the monitor for too long to contract glaucoma.
