[Computer screen allergy--a Swedish problem?].

Abstract

Since autumn 1985 many Swedish employees with skin problems have attributed them to their work with visual display units (VDUs). However, studies have shown the prevalence of skin signs and skin diseases among people exposed to VDUs to be comparable with that among controls; and provocation studies of subjects exposed to electromagnetic fields have failed to show any relationship to exist between the occurrence of such symptoms and work with VDUs. On the other hand, there are studies showing that the symptoms might be due to work-related stress. Occasional cases of symptoms among people working with VDUs have been reported from other countries, but not with the same order of epidemiological prevalence. Outside Sweden the occurrence of the same types of skin symptoms is attributed to other causes than exposure to VDUs or other electromagnetic sources.