Medical Students and Computer Vision Syndrome. A review

Aims: The increasing use of electronic gadgets from medical students raises awareness for related health disorders such as visual complaints. The aim of this review is to examine the association between medical students and computer vision syndrome (CVS).Methods: A research of the current literature was undertaken in PubMed using the terms: “medical students AND computer vision syndrome” in order to find related published articles referred to medical students. Studies written in English language and referred only to medical students were included. Results: Thirteen articles were found eligible and were included in the study. Additional sources of scientific associations were also taken into consideration. The majority of medical students suffered from visual and ocular problems. The most common symptoms were among other dryness, blurred vision including extra-ocular complaints such as headache, muscular pain and sleep disorders. The screen time varied and in some cases seemed to relate with the used device. Moreover, a considerable number of medical students had previous ocular disorders and most of them wore glasses. Conclusion: The prevalence of CVS should raise awareness. Rational use of screen time and the adoption of ergonomic practices should be encouraged in order to medical students revealed from such complaints.