title: Visual problems in young adults due to computer use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computer use can cause visual problems. The purpose of our study was to evaluate visual problems due to computer use in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in our study were 87 adults, 48 male and 39 female, mean aged 31.3 years old (SD 7.6). All the participants completed a questionnaire regarding visual problems detected after computer use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean daily use of computers was 3.2 hours (SD 2.7). 65.5 % of the participants complained for dry eye, mainly after more than 2.5 hours of computer use. 32 persons (36.8 %) had a foreign body sensation in their eyes, while 15 participants (17.2 %) complained for blurred vision which caused difficulties in driving, after 3.25 hours of continuous computer use. 10.3 % of the participants sought medical advice for their problem. There was a statistically significant correlation between the frequency of visual problems and the duration of computer use (p = 0.021). 79.3 % of the participants use artificial tears during or after long use of computers, so as not to feel any ocular discomfort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main symptom after computer use in young adults was dry eye. All visual problems associated with the duration of computer use. Artificial tears play an important role in the treatment of ocular discomfort after computer use.
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Laboratory, 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Greece. moschosmarilita@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Moschos
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Chatziralli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siasou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papazisis
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016526:Workload