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ABSTRACT
Reading is the most common near work encountered. With the advent of technology, the amount of time spent on near work has increased to significant figures. For reading to occur at near, accommodation must be present. However, the accommodative process affects the structures responsible for the production and drainage of intraocular pressure. This study was aimed at determining the effect of prolonged reading on intraocular pressure. Thirty-eight participants within the age-range of 20–29 years (23.95 ± 1.68 years) participated in this study. Participants had their baseline IOP measured with the Perkins Applanation Tonometer (Kowa) and, thereafter, read chapters 1-5 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain in print size N6 for 30 minutes at 40 cm. The data obtained from the study was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. The effect of accommodation state on change in IOP was analysed using the paired t-test. Descriptive statistics (percentages, tables and pie chart) were used to represent data.Baseline IOP ± SD was found to be 14.72 ± 3.17 mmHg in the study population. After 30 minutes of reading, IOP ± SD was 14.82 ± 3.64 mmHg. There was no statistically significant change in IOP from baseline values after 30 minutes of reading at 40 cm (p<0.05).
