What is eye strain?

Eye strain is common. It happens when you use your eyes to concentrate on something for a long time. Lots of things can cause eye strain. There are things you can do to prevent it. Eye strain is uncomfortable, but it usually goes away if you rest your eyes.

What symptoms are related to eye strain?

If you have eye strain, you may get tired, sore or itchy eyes. You may notice that your eyes are watery or dry.

You may have trouble adjusting your eyes to focus on a far object after spending a long time on near tasks.

Eye strain can also cause:

• a burning sensation in your eyes
• blurred eyesight, or double vision
• difficulty concentrating
• sensitivity to light
• headache
• sore neck, shoulders or back due to muscle tension

Try healthdirect's online Symptom Checker for help on what to do next.

What causes eye strain?

Eye strain is not a disease. You can get eye strain from:

• using computers, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles for a long time
• driving for a long time
• reading for a long time
• straining to see things when the light is bad
• being tired or stressed
• bright or dazzling lights
• not wearing your glasses or contact lenses, or wearing unsuitable glasses or contact lenses
• medical problems with your eyes

If you are concentrating for long periods of time on a printed page or digital screen you tend not to blink as often. This can lead to dryness of the surface of your eyes and make your eyes feel tired.

When you focus on a near object or screen for a long time, your eye muscles are working hard. As with other muscles in your body, eye muscles can tire out if you don’t give them a chance to rest and relax.

How is the cause of eye strain diagnosed?

If you think you might have eye strain, think about what you were doing before you began to experience the symptoms. You can make notes on when it happens so that you can tell your optometrist.

An optometrist will examine your eyes and might test your vision. They might also ask you questions about what is causing your eye strain.

When should I see my doctor?

You should see your doctor or an optometrist if your symptoms of eye strain do not get better after resting your eyes or if your symptoms get worse. There are some serious conditions that can cause symptoms like eye strain.

You should also have an eye check-up if you are finding your glasses are not helping as much as they used to.

You can find a doctor or an optometrist near you using healthdirect's service finder.

How is eye strain treated?

The best treatment for eye strain is rest. Resting your eyes will usually ease the discomfort, at least in the short term.

Your doctor or optometrist might also talk to you about:

• eye exercises to make your eye muscles stronger
• glasses or contact lenses, perhaps with coatings and tints

Your doctor or optometrist might recommend other treatments if you have another problem with your eyes.

Self-care at home

You can buy lubricating drops, also known as artificial tears, at your pharmacy. These might help your eyes feel better. And remember to blink.

Can eye strain be prevented?

There are several things you can do to help prevent eye strain.

It's very important to take breaks if you are concentrating on something for a long time, including:

• when you read
• when you use devices like computers and phones
• when you drive

Try the 20/20/20 approach: rest every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You could set an alarm to remind you.

Children can get eye strain too, especially if they use their phones a lot, play video games, or watch TV for a long time. They need to take regular breaks. Using electronic devices less often may help.

Adults and children should spend time outside regularly. Relax your eye muscles by looking at something far away.

You could use a humidifier to increase the moisture in the air. This might help stop your eyes drying out. Or you could reduce air flow, by turning down your fan or air conditioner.

Smoking can dry your eyes out too. If you smoke, learn about support to help you quit here.

Preventing eye strain at work

If you are reading or doing close work, it might help if you adjust the lighting so that the light is behind you and shining directly on what you are doing.

If you use a computer a lot, try adjusting the contrast, the brightness and the size of the words on the screen. Adjust your monitor so that the top of the screen is just below eye level. Keep your screen clean to avoid glare and reflection problems caused by dust and dirt.

Resources and support

Visit Optometry Australia for more support.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline for advice of eye strain on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.