BATES THERAPY ON EYE STRAIN

Background: Eye strain, also called asthenopia or digital eye strain, is a common concern among college students who use smartphones, computers, tablets, and other digital devices for learning and recreation. Symptoms may include headache, dryness, burning, watering, blurred vision, and difficulty focusing.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of eye strain among college students in a selected college in Coimbatore.

Methods: A quantitative approach with a descriptive, non-experimental design was used. The study included 87 first-year physiotherapy students aged 18–23 years selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire through Google Forms. Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage, were used.

Results: Of the 87 participants, 87.4% were aged 18–19 years and 70.1% were female. Headache was reported by 59.8%, blurred vision by 23%, repeated eye infection by 8%, and eye redness by 14.9%. Smartphones were the most used digital device. Screen-use duration varied across participants.

Conclusion: Eye-related complaints and digital-device exposure were notable among the students. Awareness, healthy screen habits, regular breaks, suitable lighting and posture, and timely eye examination may support eye health. The study describes prevalence-related findings; it does not establish the effectiveness of Bates Therapy.

Keywords: Eye strain, asthenopia, digital eye strain, college students, screen time, Computer Vision Syndrome, eye health.

Eye strain asthenopia digital eye strain college students screen time Computer Vision Syndrome eye health.