Digital eye strain (DES)—often used interchangeably with
computer vision syndrome (CVS)—has become a widespread occupational and
lifestyle health issue as work, education, and social interaction increasingly
depend on screen-enabled devices. DES is not a single disease entity but a
symptom complex arising from the interaction of visual demands (sustained near
work, accommodative–vergence stress), ocular-surface disruption (reduced blink
rate and tear-film instability), and environmental and ergonomic factors
(glare, suboptimal lighting, viewing distance and posture). Contemporary
prevalence estimates indicate that a substantial proportion of digital device
users experience symptoms, with higher burdens reported in populations exposed
to prolonged screen time, such as information technology professionals,
radiologists, and school-aged children engaged in online learning. Assessment
has evolved from ad hoc symptom checklists to validated patient-reported
outcome measures, improving comparability across studies and enabling outcome
tracking in clinical and workplace interventions. Preventive
strategies—particularly task optimisation, ergonomic redesign, and structured
breaks—remain central to public health management, while therapeutic approaches
focus on correcting refractive and binocular vision anomalies, restoring ocular
surface homeostasis, and mitigating exacerbating exposures. Recent experimental
evidence suggests that break schedules more frequent than popular heuristics
may yield superior symptom relief and accommodation stability, underscoring the
need to align advice with emerging data. This review synthesises current
evidence on DES mechanisms, assessment, prevention, and treatment, emphasising
pragmatic, clinically actionable approaches and highlighting research gaps
relevant to modern digital environments. Therapeutic care should prioritise
task-appropriate optical correction and targeted management of binocular or
accommodative inefficiencies when visual symptoms dominate, while addressing
ocular surface stability when discomfort and dryness are prominent. Future
progress will depend on wider use of standardised symptom measurement, better
characterisation of risk by device type and task pattern, and pragmatic trials
that evaluate combined interventions in real-world environments.
Author(s) Details
Gayathri Rathinavelu
Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS), Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
A. M. Raja
Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS), Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Balamurugan R.
Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS), Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Praveena Daya A.
Department of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Arumuganathan
Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/msup/v5/7022
