What Is Eye Strain–And How Do You Prevent It?

Whether you’re working long hours in front of a computer, staring at a phone or tablet for an extensive amount of time, driving long distances at night or even in need of a new prescription in your glasses or contact lenses, it is likely you have experienced eye strain.

Eye strain is a common and uncomfortable occurrence that has become increasingly more prevalent due to the substantial surge of digital device usage. However, there are an array of ways to prevent it and lessen your chance of developing debilitating symptoms. 

What is Eye Strain?

Eye strain is “a feeling of fatigue and soreness that usually happens as a result of extended concentrated activities such as computer work or reading,” says Vicente Diaz, M.D, Yale Medicine ophthalmologist and assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Driving (especially long distances) and classroom work (such as reading a projector or chalkboard) can also result in eye strain, he adds.

Neda Shamie, M.D., LASIK, cataract and corneal surgeon at the Maloney-Shamie Vision Institute in Los Angeles adds that eye strain is a term to describe a set of symptoms, and is not a disease. 

During intense concentration, the natural blink rate of the eye slows down, making eyes more dry, uncomfortable and tired. “You may find yourself having a hard time focusing,” she says. “The eyes feel tired and you may feel like you need to close your eyes for comfort.” 

Eye strain can also be related to tired eye muscles. When we focus on closer objects like screens, our eye muscles have to work to keep the vision in focus, called accommodation.

“The muscles can go into spasm, much the same way your biceps may spasm after a strenuous exercise, and the eyes find it hard to relax and focus at a distance,” she says. 

Digital Eye Strain

Digital eye strain (DES) is the type of eye strain that occurs specifically as a result of digital use, including prolonged computer, phone and tablet use, explains Dr. Shamie. It can also be referred to as computer vision syndrome. The root cause of DES is the combination of looking at a close object that requires a high amount of visual attention for a long period of time, without taking a break. Glare from the screen is a component, too, as it makes the eye uncomfortable. 

Additionally, when viewing a screen, letters and numbers are not as precise or sharply defined as on a printed page and the level of contrast of the material to the background is reduced, according to the American Optometric Association. Viewing distances and angles also differ from other tasks, such as reading something close up and straight on, resulting in varying eye focusing and movement requirements that can also strain the visual system. 

Due to the increase of screen time and prolonged computer, phone and tablet use, dry eyes are also becoming a permanent problem, increasingly impacting younger patients. A 2018 study in BMJ Open Ophthalmology found that DES may impact up to half of the computer users.

Causes of Eye Strain

While staring at a screen is a major cause of eye strain, it’s not the only one. Other causes include: 

• Reading with dim light: Reading with a dim light can cause eye strain due to the struggle of getting your eyes to focus on the page, says Dr. Shamie.
• Focused tasks: Reading in general, for example, “can also cause one to not blink as much,” says Dr. Shamie. “This can then lead to eye strain.”
• Driving long distances or any other task requiring extended time of focus: Long distance drives can often result in eye strain, as eyes often struggle to focus on the horizon, especially after long periods of intense concentration, says Dr. Shamie. 
• Having an underlying vision issue or wearing the wrong contact lens or glasses prescription: Wearing the wrong prescription either in contact lenses or glasses forces the eyes to try to focus through that correction, explains Dr. Shamie. “This overexerts the focusing muscles in the eye as well as the muscles that help one squint to bring an image into focus, causing strain and headaches.”
• Stress or fatigue: Stress or fatigue is often the result of long projects, mounting tasks and countless hours working on the computer, staring at screens with little break, says Dr. Shamie, “which in turn leads to eye strain caused by dry eyes.”

Symptoms of Eye Strain

If you experience any of the symptoms below, you may be experiencing eye strain.

• Burning, fluctuating vision and redness: Due to dryness that can occur with eye strain, burning, fluctuating vision (meaning changes in clarity of vision) and red eyes are common signs of eye strain, says Dr. Shamie. 
• Difficulty focusing: A key symptom of eye strain is difficulty focusing when you look at something in the distance. If the eye muscles are strained too much after prolonged screen time, the muscles will go into accommodative spasm, making even your distance vision blurry.
• Headache and brow ache: Due to the muscle spasm and dry eyes, headache and brow ache signal eye strain, according to Dr. Shamie. 
• Non-ocular symptoms: Some non-ocular symptoms specific to DES include stiff neck and general fatigue and backache due to the physical strain that can occur during an attempt to visually focus, according to a 2018 review in Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 

The Best Ways to Prevent and Alleviate Eye Strain

There are no long-term health consequences of eye strain. “It does not usually have a long term impact on the eyes, but can be debilitating at the time,” says Dr. Diaz. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to prevent or alleviate eye strain. 

Reduce digital device use

The best way to lessen digital eye strain would be by lessening the use of digital devices when possible, says Dr. Shamie. “Alternatively, I recommend the 20/20/20 rule with digital devices,” she says. For every 20 minutes staring at a screen, look away for 20 seconds at a distance of 20 feet. “By doing so, the eyes can have a break from the near focus that is causing the spasm of the focusing muscles.”

Lubricate the eyes periodically

Using artificial tears (or eye drops) is an easy way to combat dry eyes, which are a “big component of eye strain,” says Dr. Diaz. “There is research that shows the blink rate goes down when the person is doing a concentrated activity.” 

Have adequate lighting

Because eye strain is more common at night or in poor lighting, as it makes it harder for eyes to focus, good lighting can make a huge difference in preventing eye strain, says Dr. Diaz.

Strategic screen placement

Dr. Shamie also emphasizes the importance of properly positioning yourself in front of a screen. “Place the screen lower than the eye level to prevent the need for the eyes to lift up towards the screen,” she suggests. By having a downward gaze when you look at your screen—instead of looking directly straight ahead or upwards to see your screen—your eye muscles will be in a more comfortable position. 

Try a screen cover

Anti-glare screen covers, which can be purchased for a smartphone, tablet or computer, can sometimes be helpful, notes Dr. Shamie. This is because too much glare can make it difficult to see objects on the screen, forcing your eyes to strain in order to focus. 

Take frequent breaks

Try not to spend hours at a time on a screen. “Taking a five-minute break every 30 minutes or so will help significantly with fatigue and strain,” says Dr. Diaz. 

Do Blue Light Glasses Help Digital Eye Strain?

Over the past few years, blue light glasses (eyeglasses with purported blue-light blocking filters) have been marketed as a way to prevent eye strain and other types of computer-related eye damage. However, per the American Academy of Ophthalmology, they aren’t effective in preventing digital eye strain. Instead, the symptoms of DES are linked to how digital devices are used, and not the blue light coming out of them. 

Digital eye strain is caused by more than just glare from a screen, and that’s why blue light glasses aren’t a full solution. Instead, the eye strain and discomfort is caused by prolonged periods of time at a close working distance with a highly visually demanding task, so the best way to prevent or reduce symptoms is to take breaks and reduce time looking at devices.

Sources

Sheppard AL, Wolffsohn JS. Digital eye strain: prevalence, measurement and amelioration.

Coles-Brennan C, Sulley A, Young G. Management of digital eye strain. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 2018;18-29.

Abusharha, AA. Changes in blink rate and ocular symptoms during different reading tasks. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2017;9:133–138.

Coles-Brennan C, Sulley A, Young G. Management of digital eye strain. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 2018;18-29. 

Porter, D. Blue Light and Digital Eye Strain. American Academy of Ophthalmology