In this day and age, eye strain is an all too common experience. Learn what it is, and ways your eye doctor may recommend finding relief or helping prevent it from happening in the first place.
It’s important to know that eye strain isn’t a disease, it’s a general term used to describe the feeling of tired eyes. Also known as asthenopia, many people experience eye strain when they do activities that require a lot of focus, like reading, driving, or using digital devices for hours. Different people describe it in different ways—some might say their eyes feel dry or watery, while others might complain about blurriness or headaches. It’s common and can affect anyone, but if your feelings of eye strain are concerning, persistent or severe, contact your eye care professional for guidance and treatment.
Eye strain can be experienced a number of different ways, depending on the cause of the strain. You may experience:
If you’re experiencing symptoms of eye strain that are persistent or severe, reach out to your eye doctor for their recommended treatment options or lifestyle changes.
If you have uncorrected vision issues like nearsightedness (trouble seeing far away), astigmatism (irregular eye shape causing blurry vision), or presbyopia (age-related farsightedness), you may feel eye strain more often. When your eyes don’t see well, you may try to compensate with things like squinting or leaning, which can lead to muscle fatigue in the face, neck, shoulders and back. If you find yourself frequently squinting or leaning closer to get a better view, see an eye care professional for a comprehensive eye exam.
Today, many of us spend hours on computers, smartphones, or tablets for schoolwork and entertainment. When you’re focused on a screen, you tend to blink less often, which can lead to dryness and irritation. The bright light from screens can also make it more challenging for your eyes to relax. It’s important to recognize that this prolonged screen time is a significant contributor to eye strain and that regularly breaking up your screen sessions can help.
Reading is a great activity to relax and stimulate your imagination, but if you do it for too long without stopping, your eyes can feel tired and strained. This is especially true if you don’t take breaks or are reading very small print.
When you drive, your eyes are working hard to keep your focus on the road and continually adjust to changes in light and distance. This constant adjustment can create strain.
Proper lighting is important, especially when you’re using your eyes to focus for long periods of time. Working in bright environments or dimly lit spaces can increase eye strain. If there’s too much glare from bright lights or not enough light to clearly see, your eyes have to work harder.
There are some simple ways to help ensure that you won’t struggle with the feelings of eye strain, even if your work is computer-intensive or you enjoy reading a lot.
This rule is a simple and effective way to give your eyes a break. Every 20 minutes, look at something that’s at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will help your eyes relax and help prevent them from feeling too tired from focusing up close for too long. You can even set a timer on your phone to remind you to take these breaks.
Having a good, ergonomic setup at your computer or desk can make a huge difference. For many, this means having their screen positioned about 20 to 26 inches away from your eyes and slightly below eye level. Keeping the brightness and contrast comfortable for your surroundings is also essential. Your screen shouldn’t be significantly brighter or dimmer than the rest of the room. If you need to, try using an anti-glare screen cover to help reduce reflections on your screen.
The light in your workspace matters! If the lighting is too bright, it can create glare, and if it’s too dim, your eyes will struggle to see properly. Be sure to use lamps that direct light onto your desk and avoid sitting in direct view of bright, glaring lights. Keeping your area well-lit can help ease the strain on your eyes.
When you’re focused on something like your computer screen, you blink far less than you would otherwise. Blinking is super important—it’s your eye’s natural way of cleaning off irritants and staying lubricated. You can remind yourself to blink more by writing a note that says “Blink!” and sticking it near your screen.
Make it a habit to step away from your work. Consider taking short breaks every hour to stretch your legs, grab a snack, or just relax your eyes. This can mean closing your eyes for a moment or looking out the window for a little while. Taking time to recharge is crucial to keeping your eyes feeling comfortable.
While some cases of eye strain can be managed with simple changes, seek out help if your eye strain concerns you or if you experience:
If your eye strain symptoms don’t seem to improve after you’ve taken breaks and made changes to your work environment, it’s time to make an appointment with an eye doctor. Remember, your vision can change at any age, and sometimes it’s hard to recognize. Annual eye exams can help detect these changes so that your eye doctor can correct them and help prevent associated eye strain.
If you notice a change in how clearly you see things—like frequent blurriness or difficulty focusing, even when you’re not straining your eyes—it’s important to get this checked out. An eye doctor can help figure out if you need glasses or if there’s another issue causing the change.
If you experience pain, headaches that don’t go away, or any strange symptoms that you haven’t had before, don’t hesitate to seek care. These might indicate a more serious problem that requires treatment, so it’s always best to err on the side of caution.
The information provided on this page and across the entire Acuvue.com experience is designed to offer educational insights into eye health, referencing expert advice from reputable medical and government organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Optometric Association and the National Eye Institute. While we research, report, and review the content on Acuvue.com and its extended social media to deliver accurate and up-to-date vision, vision care, and vision correction information, we do not make any assurances, and content accessed on or through Acuvue.com and its extended social media is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any eye conditions or health issues. This brings us to our #1 eye health tip: Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized medical guidance and care.
