What are the Symptoms of Eye Strain?

Your eyes are as vital organs of your body. As a result, you need to care for your eyes. One of the significant issues with the eyes is eye strain. Almost everyone can experience eye strain. 

What Is Eye Strain?

Eyes strain can be defined as tiredness of the eyes resulting from excessive use, such as focusing on computers or digital devices and driving long distances. Eye strain has a significant impact on the health and wellness of the eyes. It also causes discomfort.

Although eye strain can go away once you rest, it can cause eye discomfort. Also, eye strain symptoms can indicate an underlying eye condition that needs you to visit an optometrist.

Causes of Eye Strain

How can you develop eye strain? Of course, by one of the following acts:

1. Exposure to glare or bright light
2. Stress and fatigue
3. Staring at digital device screens for a long time. 
4. Reading non-stop without resting your eyes
5. Underlying eye condition such as uncorrected vision (refractive error) and dry eyes
6. Reading in very dim light
7. Engaging in activities involving extended focus
8. Exposure to dry moving air from a fan, air-conditioning, or heating system.

Symptoms of Eye Strain

Here are some of the symptoms of eye strain that you need to know:

1. Dry or watery eyes
2. Headache
3. Itching, burning, sore or tired eyes
4. Difficulty concentrating
5. High sensitivity to light 
6. Aching shoulders, neck or back
7. Blurred or double vision
8. Difficulty keeping eyes open 

As soon as one of the above signs is persistent, visit an optometrist as soon as possible for all the help you can get. 

How Do You Relieve Eye Strain?

Apart from visiting an optometrist to test for an underlying eye condition that requires urgent treatment, there are other ways to relieve eye strain:

1. Reduce the brightness of your digital device
2. Limit the number of hours spent on digital devices screens
3. Adjust your the lighting of your computer or television
4. Take breaks frequently and look away from the screen.
5. Boost the quality of air in your space by preventing fume or smoke. Turn on a humidifier to improve air quality.
6. Use artificial tears if you have chronic dry eyes. You need to see an optometrist if you have this condition.
7. Blink often to keep your eyes moist and comfortable

Takeaway

Try to prevent aim as much as you can. And if you have any of the symptoms above, work on the likely causes, as suggested above, and visit your optometrist.