New Frontiers in Children’s Computer Vision Syndrome with Astaxanthin

By: Susan Hamrahi|
February 27, 2025

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Categories: Eye Health

Tags: antioxidant, Computer Vision Syndrome, healthy vision, kids vision

Excessive screen time has become a significant concern in children’s visual health and performance. Digital screens may negatively impact the eye’s ability to accommodate—its capacity to focus on objects at varying distances—leading to short-term discomfort experienced as eye strain and temporarily blurred vision. Other long-term consequences on myopic progression and learning are the subject of current scientific investigation and discussion. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and exploring effective interventions are crucial for addressing the impact of excessive screen time on children.

Understanding How Accommodation Works

Accommodation is mediated by the ciliary muscles of the eye, which adjust the curvature of the lens to focus on near or distant objects. This process requires proper coordination between the brain, ciliary muscles, and the visual system. Data increasingly points to a correlation between excessive screen time and the development of accommodative challenges in children.  One of the key mechanisms at play is the static nature of near-vision tasks associated with screens. Unlike dynamic environments that provide regular visual stimuli at varying distances, screen tasks encourage a prolonged, fixed focus on near objects. This sustained near focus can lead to accommodative fatigue, where the eye’s ability to maintain clear focus temporarily diminishes over time.  

Prolonged accommodative fatigue can lead to several visual complaints, including blurred vision, eye strain, headaches, and a sense of visual discomfort, often reported as “digital eye strain” or Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).  In children, CVS can also manifest as difficulty with near tasks such as reading, writing, and focusing on schoolwork, which can affect academic performance. Additional extraocular discomfort has also been reported such as neck, shoulder, and back pain associated with posture and position for computer use. 

The American Optometric Association (AOA) defines CVS as a set of visual disturbances resulting from prolonged use of video display terminals (VDTs), such as computers, tablets, e-readers, and cell phones. While the AOA asserted that 2 hours of daily screen time is enough to induce CVS symptoms, a survey of Americans found that from 2019 – 2021, children aged 8- to 12-year-olds were exposed to an average of 5.5 hours of screen media daily, while13- to 18-year-olds averaged 8.5 hours of screen media daily.

Astaxanthin: A Nutritional Way to Help with Computer Vision Syndrome in Kids

Astaxanthin, a red-colored carotenoid derived from the microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis has been shown to cross the blood retinal barrier, modulate ocular markers of oxidation, support accommodative function, and reduce sensations of eye strain resulting from computer use in adults. The ciliary body, being highly vascularized and involved in numerous metabolic processes for accommodation, is especially susceptible to oxidative damage under conditions of visual stress. Prolonged “near vision” work or excessive screen exposure generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can impair the function of the ciliary muscles, leading to accommodative fatigue and CVS. Astaxanthin’s antioxidant properties have been shown to help mitigate this oxidative load, supporting the ciliary muscles and other structures in the eye during periods of visual strain. Therefore, utilizing Astaxanthin to support and nourish the ciliary body in developing children has emerged as an effective strategy.

A novel 2025 randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study, published in Advances in Therapy, investigated the effect of AstaReal® Astaxanthin supplementation in school-aged children experiencing eye strain resulting from digital device usage.

This study investigated the effects of a 4 mg/day AstaReal® Astaxanthin dietary intervention on developing eyes in a cohort of 64 children, aged 10-14 years, who had a history of using digital devices for at least 4 hours daily. The research focused on both chronic and acute eye strain, utilizing subjective assessments through the Computer Vision Symptom Questionnaire (CVS-Q) and the Asthenopia Visual Fatigue Likert Scale (VFLS). Additionally, the study evaluated objective measures of stereopsis (depth perception), pupil light reflex (which measures the sustainability of the pupil’s response), and the Schirmer I test (which assesses tear production), all measured over the course of 3 months.

The findings of this study indicated that dietary supplementation with 4 mg/day of AstaReal® Astaxanthin effectively alleviated both chronic and acute eye fatigue in school-aged children experiencing Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). In addition to reducing subjective eye strain, as measured by the CVS-Q and VFLS, the study also found improvements in objective visual performance measures, including stereopsis and pupil light reflex, suggesting that Astaxanthin may enhanced visual function during periods of acute digital screen exposure. Furthermore, the improvement in Schirmer I test results in the Astaxanthin group, compared to baseline, suggested that Astaxanthin supported tear production, potentially mitigating the dryness associated with prolonged digital device use.

These findings make AstaReal® Astaxanthin a promising option for managing the effects of CVS. With the demand of extended periods on digital devices for schoolwork and recreation, supporting eye health and addressing long-term visual fatigue in school-aged children is particularly important. As a natural antioxidant, AstaReal® Astaxanthin has been proven in clinical research to offer a safe and effective dietary supplement to help safeguard eye health in adults. This groundbreaking study is the first to demonstrate the benefits of natural astaxanthin for eye health in children, offering crucial support to help them thrive in the demands of the digital age.