Eye strain, medically known as asthenopia, occurs when your eyes become tired, achy, or dry from intense or prolonged use. You might experience eye strain after reading, driving, or working on a computer for extended periods.
Eye strain symptoms can vary from person to person. These symptoms can develop during or after activities that require visual focus. You might notice these symptoms while you’re engaged in the activity or only notice them once you take a break.
Common symptoms include:
- Tired, heavy eyes
- Headaches
- Dull ache or soreness around the eyes
- Burning sensation in the eyes
- Blurred or double vision
- Watery (tearing) eyes
- Dry or itchy eyes
- Increased sensitivity to light
- The feeling of something, like a grain of sand or an eyelash, in your eyes when there isn’t
- Facial muscle fatigue (from squinting)
- Neck pain or discomfort
Eye strain occurs when the muscles around your eyes become tired from prolonged use, especially during tasks that require intense visual focus, such as watching TV, playing video games, driving long distances, or working on a computer.
Near work is also a common cause of eye strain. Near work is any activity involving focusing on objects close to you, like reading, writing, using a smartphone, or doing detailed crafts like knitting or sewing. These activities require continued focus on nearby objects, which can strain the eye muscles over time, especially for extended periods without breaks.
Factors that can contribute to eye strain include:
- Overly bright or dim lighting
- Digital screen glare
- Small text size
- Poor posture while sitting
- Close proximity to a vent or fan that’s blowing hot or cool air
- Uncorrected vision problems or an incorrect prescription for glasses or contacts
- Lack of adequate breaks
Risk Factors
Anyone can develop eye strain, including children and adults, but certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of experiencing it, like if you:
- Spend two or more hours looking at digital screens, such as a computer monitor or smartphone, daily
- Have underlying refractive errors, including myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism
- Have dry eye syndrome (lack of adequate moisture in your eyes)
- Wear contact lenses
Eye strain is a symptom, not a formal diagnosis. Most cases of eye strain improve quickly after resting the eyes, and medical attention isn’t usually necessary if the discomfort goes away within a few minutes of taking a break.
However, frequent or ongoing eye strain symptoms may be a sign of an underlying issue, such as dry eye syndrome or vision problems like nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism.
An eye care specialist, such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist, can review your medical history and perform a comprehensive eye examination to determine what’s causing your symptoms. A comprehensive eye exam involves:
- Visual acuity test: This test measures the sharpness or clarity of your vision at different distances. During this test, you’ll read letters on a chart at a set distance (near and far). You’ll test each eye individually and cover the eye not being tested, respectively. The results help determine how well your eyes can focus on objects far away and up close.
- Refraction test: This test determines the prescription for glasses or contact lenses by assessing how light rays bend as they enter your eye. During this test, the eye specialist uses a device called a phoropter, which has lens options you’ll look through. As you look through the different lenses, you’ll let the eye specialist know which ones make your vision clearer. This process helps identify whether you have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism and the necessary correction to improve your vision.
- Slit lamp test: This test allows your eye specialist to closely examine the structures at the front and inside of your eye. The slit lamp is a specialized microscope with a bright light that creates a thin, intense beam to illuminate the eye. For the test, your provider will place drops in your pupils to dilate (widen) them, which gives a clearer view of your eye structures. Then, during the test, your provider will look for abnormalities, such as signs of cataracts, corneal damage, or glaucoma.
- Tear film testing: This test evaluates the quantity and quality of your tears to diagnose dry eye syndrome. It involves placing a small strip of paper beneath your lower eyelid to measure how much moisture it absorbs over a short period, typically five minutes. Some tests for diagnosing dry eye involve placing dye in the eye to observe tear distribution and determine if your eyes produce enough tears or if the tears evaporate too quickly.
Most cases of eye strain improve once you take a break from the activity causing the strain. Resting your eyes, adjusting your digital screen settings, or improving your posture can often relieve symptoms without medical intervention. However, additional treatments may be necessary to address the underlying cause if symptoms persist or become chronic.
Artificial Tears (Eye Drops)
Lubricating eye drops can help maintain moisture on the surface of your eyes and relieve some eye strain symptoms. Artificial tears are available over the counter at most pharmacies, drugstores, online retailers, or large retail stores.
Artificial tears may provide relief for people with mild or occasional dry eye symptoms. Always follow the packaging instructions or consult an eye care specialist for guidance on how often to use them.
Corrective Lenses
If an uncorrected vision problem like nearsightedness or astigmatism contributes to your eye strain, prescription glasses or contact lenses may be necessary. Your eye doctor might recommend:
- Computer glasses: These are special lenses designed to reduce strain from digital screens and help your eyes easily switch focus between different distances. These can be helpful if you spend a lot of time working on a computer or attend meetings that require you to look back and forth between printed papers and a whiteboard or computer screen.
- Single-vision or multifocal (multifocus) lenses: These lenses address nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Single-vision lenses can correct one vision problem at a time, while multifocal lenses can correct multiple vision problems at a time. For example, bifocals correct both nearsightedness and farsightedness with the same lens.
- Anti-reflective coatings: These are eyeglass lenses with coatings that reduce glare from screens and bright lights.
Simple adjustments to your habits and work environment can help prevent eye strain. These include:
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, shift your eyes away from what you’re doing and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
- Screen adjustments: Adjust your computer screen to 15-20 degrees (4-5 inches) below eye level. Keep your screen clean and remove fingerprints and dust to decrease glare.
- Take breaks: Every two hours, take a 15-minute break from the activity to give your eyes an opportunity to rest.
- Improve lighting: Use appropriate lighting for screen work and near work (like reading or sewing) to avoid excessive eye strain.
- Blue light protection: Blue light from digital screens and fluorescent lighting may cause eye strain. However, there isn’t strong evidence that blue light causes serious damage to the eyes. As a precaution, consider wearing blue light glasses or purchasing screen covers to reduce blue light’s potential impact on your vision.
- Wear corrective lenses: If you wear glasses or contact lenses to correct a vision problem, wear them when engaging in activities that require vision focus.
- Remember to blink: You normally blink about 15 times per minute, but you may only blink between five and seven times when looking at a screen. Blinking keeps your eyes moisturized, so remember to blink when looking at digital screens for long periods of time.
Ongoing eye strain can worsen your discomfort and potentially contribute to other problems, including:
- Frequent headaches: Persistent eye strain can lead to tension headaches, which may feel like dull, aching pain around the forehead, temples, and neck.
- Dry eyes: Extended periods of eye strain, particularly from screen use, can disrupt the natural tear film on your eyes, leading to dryness, redness, irritation, and discomfort.
- Blurred vision: Eye strain may cause frequent episodes of blurry or double vision, making it difficult to focus on near or distant objects.
- Neck and shoulder pain: Prolonged eye strain can cause muscle tension and pain in your neck and shoulders.
If you’re experiencing persistent eye strain, making small adjustments to your habits and environment can provide quick relief. If you continue to experience eye strain even after making these adjustments, consult an eye care specialist. They can determine if your symptoms are related to eye strain or another eye-related condition.
