Too much gaming is bad for your eyes, say optometrists

Mom was right - staring at that screen all day will, in fact, make your eyes go funny.

According to the Minnesota Optometric Association, hardcore gamers are at heightened risk for Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a condition marked by a variety of symptoms including "eye irritation, dry eyes, headaches, pain in the eyes or surrounding facial muscles, squinting, excessive blinking, increased sensitivity to light and difficulty focusing." What, no runny nose or hacking cough?

Alas, CVS is caused by strain from constant eye movements, often due to long hours in front of a monitor or television screen. By way of lengthy gaming sessions, gamers in particular are susceptible to developing problems, but non-gamers should also be wary of how long they watch. A survey by the American Optometric Association found that 82 percent of Americans frequently work at a computer and that 41 percent of its respondents have suffered from eyestrain.

But don't quit your IT job or trade your Wii for bifocals just yet. According to Dr. G. John Lach, president of the MOA, a few simple steps can significantly reduce your chances of developing CVS:

- Avoid glare by sitting directly in front of the screen instead of at an angle

- Lower your monitor or television to just below eye level

- Consider using specially-designed computer glasses (nerd!)

- Take frequent breaks from gaming or intense computer work

- Remember to blink!

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