Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To investigate the effect that warming the circumocular region has on accommodation.Methods: The subjects were 10 healthy male volunteers with a mean age of 39.3+2 years (range, 36-43 years) who typically performed near work for 7-8 hours per day and had a best-corrected visual acuity of not less than 20/20. In the present study, two experiments were performed, each after the subjects performed near work for 7-8 hours. In the Lid Closure Group (LC Group) experiment, the subjects wore an eye-mask and closed their eyelids for 10 minutes. In the Warming Sheet Group (WS Group) experiment, the subjects applied a warming sheet (KAO Co., Tokyo, Japan) to their eyelids and the surrounding region, wore an eye-mask and closed their eyelids for 10 minutes. Accommodation, near vision and pupil diameter were measured immediately before, immediately after, and approximately 90 minutes after the experiment. Accommodation was measured with best-corrected visual acuity using a KOWA NP accommodometer (KOWA Co., Nagoya, Japan).Results: In the WS Group, there was significant improvement in accommodation, both immediately after and 90 minutes after the experiment compared to immediately before the experiment, whereas no significant improvement was observed in the LC Group. The ratio of eyes with an accommodation improvement of not less than 0.5 D immediately after and 90 minutes after the experiment was significantly higher in the WS Group than in the LC Group (p=0.00267 and p=0.0045, respectively). The ratio of eyes with improved near vision after the experiment also was significantly higher in the WS Group than in the LC Group.Conclusions: There was a significant improvement in accommodation and near vision in the WS Group compared to the LC Group. Warming the circumocular region with a warming sheet appears to be a useful method for reducing the strain and fatigue eyes experience when performing near tasks for a long time.
Keywords: accommodation • aging: visual performance • visual acuity