Digital eye strain in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

The epidemic situation of Covid-19 since late 2019 until present is a situation that develops so rapidly and severely that the disease spreads in many countries causing countless damages around the world. People need to modify their lifestyles differently from their original living. This adjustment creates new inventions and also bring new technology to apply in many aspects of living such as education, communication, business, and work. The new normal of working from home generate a more frequent and a longer duration of using an electronic media by most people resulting in eye strain, which has symptoms of blurry vision, double vision, abnormal focus (accommodation dysfunction), dry eye, eye fatigue, burning sensation and tearing. With the increasing of digital eye strain, the ophthalmic healthcare providers including ophthalmologists, optometrists, and ophthalmic practitioners should be able to advise people on the cause, management and prevention of eye strain from using electronic devices. With a good understanding and awareness about digital eye strain, this knowledge will help people to have good eye health and prevent the eye strain in the digital era.