[On-screen work and visual fatigue and its course after ophthalmologic management]

The number of staff subjected to significant amounts of on-screen work with visual complaints is currently increasing.

This epidemiological study aimed to observe the influence of changes in working conditions and an ophthalmological treatment on vision and eye complaints due to on-screen work.

This comparative study included a transversal initial study on the visual symptoms and function as well as a longitudinal follow-up of the efficacy of the recommendations given by the company medical officer. The studied subjects were be exposed to screen irradiation for at least 4 hours a day during the study. The control group was selected according to the age, sex, and education level of the investigated group.

We examined 814 subjects under investigation and 325 control subjects. The subjective signs of visual fatigue with on-screen work (burning or stinging eyes, diplopia or blurred vision after work, tearing, globe heaviness and fatigue, and headaches, the latter particularly in female subjects) were significantly more frequent in the exposed group than in the control group. A statistically significant correlation was found with the following factors: poor working conditions, frequent keyboard data entry, far vision optic correction, far vision significantly more often corrected to less than 10/10 at least in one eye, and, finally, near vision exophoria more than 7 diopters. We re-examined 465 exposed and 139 control subjects 1 and 2 years after consultation with the company medical officer. Following the recommendations proved to be effective in 50.5% of the employees. Improving vision by changing the optical correction showed the strongest statistical relation with the decrease in visual fatigue complaints. Organizational and material improvements also led to positive effects on functional discomfort.

The far vision of those exposed to screen irradiation was significantly worse than in those who were not exposed. The people from the exposed group had vision correction significantly more often. The probable relation between progressive myopia and on-screen work is not excluded, but further investigation is needed. The proposed measures were effective for preventing visual fatigue. However, 49.5% of the study group had persistent visual symptoms, probably because of not following the recommendations, not having an ergonomic correction, or because modifications of blinking, tear film, and the ocular surface were ot taken into account.

The coordination between the occupational medicine and ophthalmology departments during this study has significantly reduced visual fatigue. Nevertheless, there is still a considerable number of people from the exposed group with persistent symptoms.