Research: Many employees suffer from eye strain due to long hours spent in front of screens

Blurred vision, itchy eyes, headaches - many employees suffer from eye strain due to long hours spent in front of a screen, but preventive measures can help limit it, ophthalmologists and orthoptists point out.

In a survey released by the French Association for the Improvement of Visual Health (AsnaV) on the occasion of Quality of Life and Working Conditions Week, 32 percent of French adults surveyed reported suffering from eye strain.

"Eye strain remains one of the under-researched problems in workplace prevention," said AsnaV's scientific director, orthoptist Veronique Moren.

The survey, conducted by OpinionWay for AsnaV on a sample of 857 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over, shows that respondents significantly underestimate the number of hours spent in front of a screen per day.

AsnaV is concerned that "with a less controlled work environment (long-term postures, fewer preventions), remote work exacerbates visual risks associated with screens," the study states.

"During the coronavirus period, there was support and a lot of communication about this issue, but now there is a clear decline in interest," the scientist said, calling for preventive work to raise awareness of simple rules that can limit these problems.

She specifically advises that when working remotely, there is "a light source turned on in the room to provide consistent, even lighting that does not vary throughout the day" and that the desk be placed near a window to avoid backlighting or glare from the screen.

It is noted that working in front of a screen for several hours can lead to eye strain, but with symptoms that disappear after rest.

It is emphasized that there is currently no evidence that screen work causes vision problems such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

Laurence Desjardins, administrative director of the French Society of Ophthalmology, said that the worsening effect of remote work on eye strain has not been proven, but she highlighted certain factors, such as symptoms associated with long hours in front of a screen including dry eyes, air conditioning that dries out the eyes and lack of breaks.

She advised looking away from the screen every 20 minutes to look "at the horizon," about six meters away for 20 seconds.

Another recommendation is to take breaks at least every two hours, stopping looking at the screen for 10-15 minutes.

Experts recommended regular blinking, especially if you have dry eyes or wear contact lenses, as well as the use of eye drops, so-called artificial tears, to maintain visual comfort.