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Eye strain, also medically termed as asthenopia (), is a common eye condition characterized by non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, pain in or around the eyes, blurred vision, headache, and occasional diplopia.
These symptoms tend to arise after long-term use of Computer, staring at phone screens, digital devices, reading, or other activities that involve extended visual tasks. Various causes contribute to eye strain, including uncorrected vision problems, digital device usage, environmental factors, and underlying health conditions. When concentrating on a visually intense task, such as continuously focusing on a book or computer monitor, the ciliary muscles and the extraocular muscles are strained, also contributing to the symptoms. These symptoms are broadly classified into external (related to the ocular surface) and internal symptom factors (related to eye muscles).
Eye strain is highly prevalent among individuals engaged in prolonged near-vision tasks such as reading, writing, or digital work, with studies reporting that 50% to 90% of people experience related symptoms. Severe eye strain is linked to greater difficulty performing visual tasks and reduced efficiency in work or daily life.
A systematic review estimated that 69% of individuals experience eye strain symptoms across populations engaged in prolonged near-vision activities. Certain populations were identified as being at higher risk, including university students (76.1%), contact lens wearers (73.1%) and females (71.4%). Both behavioral and biological factors contribute to the development of eye strain.
Treatment involves environmental modifications, visual aids, and taking periodic breaks. The experience of eye strain when reading in dim light has given rise to the common misconception that such an activity causes permanent eye damage.Rachel C. Vreeman, Aaron E. Carroll, "Medical Myths", The British Medical Journal (now called The BMJ) 335:1288 (December 20, 2007),
Symptoms of eye strain can include:
Symptoms can be grouped by affected area or underlying mechanism(s):
The recognition of these categories helps describe eye strain presentations and guide potential interventions.
Structured break schedules are supported by research as an effective strategy to prevent or reduce eye strain. Planned break regimens have been shown to reduce eye discomfort, decrease headaches, and improve ocular accommodation. Short, frequent breaks have been found to reduce visual fatigue more effectively than longer, less frequent ones. This makes scheduled breaks a useful strategy to mitigate eye strain.
In addition to break regimens, environmental adjustments and ergonomics can help reduce eye strain. Adjusting screen brightness and contrast, optimizing ambient lighting, and changing the color of text further improves comfort during prolonged tasks.
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