Computer Vision Syndrome: Associated Diagnoses and Causes

Abstract

<em><strong>Objective</strong><em> to identify the factors associated to each symptom of the computer vision syndrome (CVS) and analyze their main causes. <em><strong>Methods</strong><em> integrative literature review in the SciELO, Lilacs and Pubmed platforms of the past thirty years. <em><strong>Results</strong><em> 32 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected, in which the CVS categorization was found in different types of symptoms, each associated with different visual or ocular diagnoses, including accommodative and vergence alterations, or ocular surface alterations, such as dry eye. The terminology used to name the symptoms and the assessment of visual and ocular alterations is varied and makes it difficult to perform a proper analysis of diagnoses and symptoms associated with CVS. <em><strong>Conclusions</strong><em> Visual symptoms of CVS indicate problems of binocular vision and accommodation, caused by high demands of near vision. Dry eye is the main symptom of the ocular category of CVS, but is not always present. In some cases the simple dryness of the eye, caused by extreme environmental factors that increase excessive tear evaporation (air conditioning, fans, high temperatures or low humidity in the workstation), can reproduce ocular symptoms of the syndrome. Poor working habits with the computer, combined with extreme environments at the workstation, threaten the visual and ocular health of computer users.