Words Moving on Computer Screen

[keddy1221]

I am a 27 year old female, and I've worn glasses since age 8.  The prescription for my left eye is -7.0 and my right is -6.5 - highly myopic is what my opthamologist says.  I've got a cataract in each eye and lattice degernation in my left.  My latest eye problem is that I've been noticing the words on my computer screen slowly moving in a waving motion, up & down and side to side.  I don't notice it so much when reading a paper document.  

Could this problem be related to my cataracts & lattice, or is it a new symptom of something else?  I read about Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome and thought maybe this is my problem.  I also experience mild vertigo (rocking boat sensation) and I'm unsure if it's related to my eyes.  Or maybe my eyes are just fatigued from looking at a computer screen 8 hours/day.

Any feedback you can provide would be most helpful.

Thank you!
Kelly

[Big_Khola]

If you have an older Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) computer monitor the words may actually be "rocking."  Note: If your monitor is thick / heavy it is a CRT monitor.  Furthermore, the refresh rate in your screen adds to eye strain if under 70 Hz.  Both problems cause eye strain which leads to stress which can lead to other problems.  Sell it and buy a LCD screen and keep using the drops until your condition improves.  Also, make it a priority to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night (even the weekends!).

Note: An LCD screen's refresh rate does not cause eye strain because the pixels stay illuminated until the next frame is loaded.  It doesn't rock because the pixels are hardwired into the screen.

[keddy1221]

Dear Doctor,

I notice the words moving on the screen in the morning after I've had a full night's sleep, so I don't think those instances are caused by fatigue.  Is there anything else that would cause words on a computer screen to slowly move around as if they were floating?  

Kelly

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

It is probably fatigue.

Dr. O.