Eye on squinting
SQUINTING, a common practice among computer users, can help
bring on the dry eye syndrome and the irritating symptoms that
come with it. Researchers said the irritation might occur
because when people squint to reduce glare, for example, or to
try to bring type into better focus they appear to blink less
often, putting strain on the eye.
For this study, the researchers hooked small electrodes to the
lower eyelids of 10 volunteers. The electrodes measured the
activity of a muscle involved in both squinting and blinking.
The volunteers were then asked to squint while looking at a
computer display. When they did, the researchers found they
blinked half as often. They also reported more eye problems like
dryness and tearing, the researchers said. The strain can be
brought on by other reading, as well.
The researchers, led by Dr James E. Sheedy of the Ohio State
University College of Optometry in the US, pointed to earlier
work that found that people blinked 22 times a minute when
relaxed, 10 times while reading a book and seven times while
viewing text on a computer screen.