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Ask HN: Eyes failing due to programming job. Any way to stop it?

5 points by georgeburdell ↗ HN
First off, I am self-diagnosing this issue. I have an optometrist, but I am unable to go through a complete eye test because I experience vasovagal syncopes [1] from the combination of eyedrops and bright lights involved (3 times and counting).

I had 20/15 vision in both eyes in my teens. I am now in my early thirties. My eyes started to go astigmatic after starting a programming job in my late twenties, getting worse at the rate of about 0.25 diopters every 1-2 years. According to my optometrist, I am neither near nor farsighted. Both eyes now have what's called "against-the-rule" astigmatism, which is less common. I can, by looking at distant street lights at night, tell that the astigmatism is correlated with time staring at a computer screen.

I can't simply program less, so is there a way to "stop" the progression of astigmatism due to the screen viewing? One thing I thought of is if there were a visual device that allowed the screen to appear at infinity, for example. I have already switched to using a 65 inch television from a distance of 10 feet at home, but it doesn't appear to help much.

To be clear, I experience no pain from my condition, just apprehension that it will get worse and affect my driving.

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vasovagal-syncope/symptoms-causes/syc-20350527

9 comments

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AnimalMuppet
Stop messing around with self-diagnosis, and go to a real opthalmologist (not just an optometrist). Your eyes are too important to play "I know what's going on" games. Being able to see is a really big deal. (I learned this when I got cataracts, and watched myself slowly going blind for several months.)
peapicker
I second this. I have Keratoconus and was going crazy for a year due to extreme vision problems about a decade ago until I was properly diagnosed and treated.
viburnum
Yes, please see some experts.

Optometrists and opthalmologists have different training. I always assumed the MD was better, but for my condition optometrists were more help. See both. Get a second and third opinion. It’s important!

rajacombinator
Agreed. It’s likely OP’s self diagnosis is wrong as well, since there’s no reason looking at a monitor should lead to eyesight deterioration. I would throw out as a general caveat to be mindful of one’s screen brightness. But this sounds like way past “time to see a real doctor” time.
taurath
There are eye tests where they use optics rather than dilation. Go get that.
simonblack
"Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" fallacy.*

Programming will not cause astigmatism, which is due to the faulty curvature of your cornea-lens complex.

* it was after 'this', therefore 'this' caused it.

Very unlikely. You might as well blame getting out of bed in the morning for the astigmatism also, because the astigmatism happened after you kept getting out of bed.

muzani
Yeah, I've been programming, sitting in front of the computer for 20 years, since I was 13. My eyes are no worse today than they were when I was 19.

On the other hand there are plenty of outdoorsy friends who work in civil engineering and rarely sit in front of screens. They have much worse eyesight.

sethammons
Like the others, see a pro. Until then, get outside! Focus on things far away. Tops of trees, mountain sides, etc.
chrisbennet
What they said but also:

Big monitor(s).

I have a 34 curved and a 27. Both are high res.

That way I don’t need to wear glasses.