Reading, computers can hurt eyes

Studying may be hazardous to your health. According to a study done at the PENN Optometrics Vision Center, many individuals strain their eyes by reading and using computers. This causes and worsens nearsightedness, or myopia, and impairs reading function. Myopia is exacerbated by reading and working on computers with glasses or corrective lenses. "If you [are nearsighted and] use glasses to read, you may get more nearsighted," PENN Optometrics eye doctor Barry Millis said. "If you enter college nearsighted, you have a better than 50 percent chance of getting worse." The clinic has developed a myopia control program, which helps nearsighted people select better glasses and teaches people suffering with myopia how to relax their eyes. "The control program chooses appropriate lenses so that people don't read through distance lenses," Millis said. "It also includes visual skills training." Patients' vision is first evaluated by a computer program, the Visual Abilities Profile. The program, which was developed by the doctors at the center, compares the patients' vision to a programmed standard. The visual skills that are tested by the program include skills such as accomodation, eye-hand coordination, and visual memory. The software used, called the omniscreener, was created by Barry Millis and Stephen Galanter, PENN Optometrics's eye practitioners. "We developed and have the patent on the omniscreener," Millis said." The program is not a cure, however. "It will not reverse myopia, but it will prevent or dramatically slow down myopia from getting worse," Millis said. "People who have gone through the program improve more than 90 percent of the time." The future of this program remains to be seen, but the developers have big plans for it. "Ultimately, the program is to be used in elementary schools across the country," Millis said. "20 percent of learning disabilities are really vision problems." The program, which usually costs between $400 and $500, usually does not involve more than eight sessions. Most health insurance policies will pay for the majority of the fee, Millis said.

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