NEW YORK -- A common condition known as computer vision syndrome causes millions of dollars of lost productivity at work every year, according to a new study.

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Computer Screens Can Strain Eyes

Staring into a computer screen all day causes stress on the eyes, which can lead to headaches and drowsiness.

A new vision test that checks for the syndrome was featured last weekend at the New York City Vision Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Similar to a routine vision checkup, the new examination tests how well a person can see a replica of a computer screen at the distance at which a monitor would normally be located on a desk.

"The edges of pixels of the computer don't have the quality and sharpness of letters on a piece of paper," Dr. Stephen Rozenberg, an optometrist, said. "The eye is constantly refocusing in order to make it clear."

Computer vision syndrome decreases work productivity by an average of 9 percent and increases errors by up to 36 percent, according to the study.

"I do a lot of writing and a lot of researching on the computer," said attorney Hank Bullock, who spends long days at a keyboard. "I use a laptop a lot outside of the office, probably anywhere from six to eight hours a day, six days a week."

Bullock developed headaches 1½ years ago. He also became less efficient.

"It was a more stressful environment," he said. "The more I would have to look at the computer as the day wore on, the harder it got for me to focus and concentrate."

College student Angelica Rolon had the same complaint.

"I'd get very tired very quickly," she said.

Bullock and Rolon thought they were seeing computer screens clearly, but the new vision test revealed that they were not.

"Most people read at approximately 16 inches from the plane of the eye," Rozenberg said. "People who work at computers work at anywhere from 23 [inches] to 30 inches. The eyes focus and work differently at differently distances."

People who suffer from the syndrome can obtain prescription glasses made specifically for working on the computer.

"It's a world of difference," Bullock said. "Everything is a lot clearer and a lot brighter and larger."