[Digital eye strain. Symptoms, prevalence, pathophysiology, and management]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Digital Health
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• The digital revolution has led to increased screen time, impacting visual health.
• Digital eye strain (DES), also known as computer vision syndrome (CVS), is a common condition affecting regular digital device users.
• DES is characterized by symptoms such as blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches, and light sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize existing literature on the symptoms, prevalence, pathophysiology, and management of digital eye strain.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of DES.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on digital eye strain.
• Synthesis of data on symptoms, prevalence, risk factors, and underlying mechanisms.
• Analysis of current management strategies for DES.

Main Results:

• DES affects at least 50% of digital device users.
• Key risk factors include prolonged exposure time, age, female gender, and work environment.
• Pathophysiology is multifactorial, involving accommodative-convergence disturbances and dry eye, with blue light's role still under investigation.
• Increased prevalence of dry eye is consistently observed in screen users.

Conclusions:

• Digital eye strain is a prevalent condition with significant impact on visual health.
• Understanding the multifactorial pathophysiology is crucial for effective management.
• Further research is needed to clarify the role of factors like blue light and to refine treatment strategies.