Well, we’re screwed.
According to scientists, staring at computer screens all day “changes your eyes,” with your tear fluid altering to resemble that of people who suffer with the disease dry eye.
A report from The Independent states that a team “tested the tears from both eyes of 96 Japanese office workers and measured how much of the total protein content of the tears was MUC5AC,” with MUC5AC being the name for the protein that typically makes up the thin layer of mucus that keeps the eye moist.
The office workers whose jobs involved staring at computer screens for extended periods of time filled out a survey to reveal their working hours and symptoms of any eye problems, with the results indicating that those who spent lengthier periods of time in front of a monitor had lower levels of MUC5AC. The study’s author Dr. Yuichi Uchino said of the results: “When we stare at computers, our blinking times decreased compared to reading a book at the table.” The decreased blinking and the widening of the eyes caused by staring at the screens are believed to be the main contributors for the lack of MUC5AC.
Ways to prevent developing the dry eye condition include adding a humidifier to your office, avoiding being in direct contact with your office’s air conditioner and having your monitor at a lower height with the screen tilted upwards.
Photo: Getty Images
