10 Eye-Opening Secrets for Tackling Eye Strain More Effectively

Eye strain is a common issue many of us face, especially as we spend more time in front of screens and under artificial lighting. If you’re struggling with eye strain, you’re not alone. It’s so common that around two-thirds of all people experience it now and again.

What is eye strain?

Eye strain refers to the discomfort or fatigue experienced after prolonged use of the eyes, often associated with activities like reading, using digital devices, or driving.

Why should we address eye strain?

Our eyes play a significant role in our health. When your peepers aren’t healthy, the rest of your body suffers. So, too, does your quality of life! That’s why it’s incredibly important not to brush eye strain under the rug and pretend it isn’t a big deal.

Maintaining our vision: They say eyes are the window to the soul, but they work both ways. They’re also our windows into the world around us! Sadly, eye strain can make us want to pull the curtains on those windows and stay inside all day. Catching eye strain early is important for clear vision, which we need to carry out our daily activities, enjoy hobbies, and spend time with our loved ones without discomfort.

Taking care of our health: Untreated eye strain can lead to discomfort, headaches, and fatigue. Needless to say, this can hinder our productivity and make daily tasks an uncomfortable chore! What’s more, chronic eye strain may worsen underlying eye conditions, such as glaucoma. That’s why it’s important to catch the problem early and take action!

Preventative care: Aging eyes are more susceptible to strain due to changes in our lens’s flexibility and reduced tear production. Yep, sometimes, our tear ducts retire when we do. A good roster of preventative care includes regular eye exams, lifestyle adjustments, and glasses (when needed)!

Symptoms of Eye Strain

When it comes to eye strain, identifying your symptoms is important so you can take the next steps to fix it! I don’t have to tell you that the symptoms of eye strain are uncomfortable physically and visually. If you’re an older adult like me, here are a few to watch out for:

• Headaches: Do you get headaches a lot? Does the pain seem to radiate around your forehead and temples? Then you, my friend, may just have eye strain. The muscles around the eyes may tense up, leading to tension headaches. So, the next time you get a headache, don’t reach for the Ibuprofen and hope for the best. Consider scheduling an appointment with an eye doctor instead.
• Dry eyes: Nobody likes the feeling that their eyes have turned into the Sahara Desert. That uncomfortable sensation of dryness, grittiness, or itchiness in your eyes, where you can hear your eyelids scrape together as you blink. Yikes! Staring at screens for a long time without blinking can make your eyes struggle to produce tears, resulting in those all-too-troublesome dry eyes.
• Blurred vision: Sometimes, our vision is blurry because we just woke up or just had a good cry. However, sometimes, it’s blurry for a more concerning reason, like after we stare at screens for far too long. Blurriness can affect near or distance vision, making tasks like reading or driving challenging. And it may also be a sign that you are dealing with eye strain.
• Shoulder or neck pain: Believe it or not, strained eye muscles can trigger tension in the surrounding areas, such as the shoulders and neck. Ouch! Worse still, poor posture while focusing on your computer or a task can exacerbate muscle strain and discomfort. Double ouch!
• Trouble focusing: Even without eye strain, focusing on objects, screens, or text can be a challenge. However, if you’re having more trouble focusing than normal, you might be dealing with eye strain.

Impact on Daily Activities

Eye strain is more than just uncomfortable. It can also make our daily tasks and routines ten times more difficult! For example, you may struggle with:

• Reading: Are you a bookworm? Do you have a TBR list a mile high? Unfortunately, eye strain can make your favorite hobby a painful chore instead. Words may appear blurry, and your eyes may feel dog-tired after you put down your book.
• Driving: When I was younger and would drive long distances for vacation, my eyes felt tired afterward. Signs looked like red and yellow blurs, and trippy halos surrounded all the lights. However, if you’re experiencing those symptoms while simply driving to the store or church, you might be a victim of eye strain.
• Using electronic devices: For better or worse, we’re all technology buffs. We have tablets, smartphones, iPads, Kindles, and laptops. While electronic devices are convenient, they’re not exactly healthy for our eyes. And using them excessively can lead to discomfort, dryness, and fatigue. In other words…eye strain.

Recognizing Signs

• Eye discomfort: If your eyes itch, burn, or feel gritty in a way that eye drops can’t address, don’t brush it aside and assume it’ll get better with a nice, long sleep. Chances are, you’re struggling with eye strain.
• Squinting: Straining to see clearly by squinting doesn’t just mean you need glasses. It might also mean you have eyestrain. And while squinting might make the world around you a little less blurry, it can also make your eyestrain even worse.
• Frequently rubbing your eyes: We all tend to rub our eyes when they’re tired. However, if you’re rubbing your eyes like there’s a genie inside that might grant your wish for pain-free vision, you’re probably making your eye strain worse. Instead of rubbing, try some gentle eye exercises. If that doesn’t work, take some breaks. Step away from the screen, put down your book, and let your peepers rest.

10 Helpful Tips on Dealing with Eye Strain

If you’re a victim of eye strain, you don’t have to stay that way! Fortunately, there are things you can do to alleviate your pain and make life a little less uncomfortable:

Eye Exercises and Relaxation Techniques

Doing a few simple eye and relaxation exercises can reduce your eye strain and enhance your focus:

• Eye exercises: Doing exercises like eye rolls, focusing on distant objects, or practicing palming (covering the eyes with palms) can help relax your peepers. These exercises can loosen up your eyeballs and relieve some of the tension those pesky screens cause.
• Relaxation techniques: Incorporating a few relaxation practices, such as deep breathing and even meditation, can reduce overall stress, which, in turn, can reduce eye strain-related tension. Relaxation techniques can help both your eyes and mind rest, which can give you some much-needed relief.

Should I Go to the Doctor if My Eye Strain Lingers?

Maybe you read my list and said to yourself, “Been there, done that.” Maybe you’ve tried everything on my list and every tip you’ve ever read on the internet, and you’re still fighting a daily battle with your eyes. If that’s the case, you need to click away from this article and do this instead:

• Consult an eye care professional: In cases where your eyes hurt no matter what you do, you need to contact an optometrist. These eye care professionals can give you a thorough exam and figure out what’s causing your eye strain. They can also create a treatment plan especially for you and your peepers. It might be a more expensive option, but trust me—it’ll be worth it!
• Get specialized treatments: Your optometrist might decide you need glasses (or a stronger prescription if you already have them). Or they might recommend a few vision therapy exercises. They might even prescribe special eye drops specifically for eye strain. Whatever the case, they can help address the core issue and help you and your eyes get back to themselves!

By seeking treatment and taking action, you can manage your eye strain and enjoy long-term eye health and comfort. Now, without further ado, here are 10 more tips that may just help you find relief, too!

1. Give audiobooks a try.

If you’re a bookworm, eye strain is more than an inconvenience. It can be a major hindrance to your favorite pastime. Fortunately, you don’t have to shelve your books! The next time your eyes are too tired to read, try out an audiobook. Many online retailers offer them, including Audible and Scribd. You may even be able to find audiobooks at your local library!

2. Step away from your computer screen.

Chances are, if you work in an office, your eyes are glued to a computer screen eight hours a day, five days a week. Even if you’re not an office drone, your job still might require you to stare at a screen for hours on end. You could always invest in blue light glasses. These nifty little accessories are designed to filter out blue light, meaning they can protect your peepers from eye strain. Of course, another solution that I recommend is taking frequent breaks. Step away from your computer screen, walk around for a bit, and stretch those muscles. It’s important for both your eyes and your body!

3. Adjust lighting.

Retina-burning. The perfect descriptor for some TVs. As technology has improved, so has lighting. And while a crisp HD picture with bright lights might make for a more magical viewing experience, it can also hurt your eyes. My recommendation? Adjust the lighting on your TV. You can even adjust the lighting on your phone, tablet, or other devices. Don’t subject your poor eyes to bright lighting unless it’s absolutely necessary. They go through enough, as it is!

4. Get proper sleep.

We’re all guilty of staying up past our bedtime. Maybe you just couldn’t sleep until you binge-watched the entire first season of that new show everyone’s talking about. Or maybe you just couldn’t resist getting a cup of coffee on the way home from work. Whatever the case, inadequate sleep wreaks havoc on your eyes. Studies show that sleep deprivation may cause eye strain, twitchy eyelids, and other unpleasant symptoms. The good news is, the solution is simple. Get enough sleep! Trust me—you (and your eyes) will feel so much better.

5. Swap your contacts for glasses.

For some, wearing contact lenses is like second nature. However, contact lenses may actually contribute to eye strain. Not only can they cause dry eye, but they may actually exacerbate digital eye strain! You don’t have to put away your contact lenses forever. But on days when your eyes just aren’t feeling contacts, don’t force it. Alternate between wearing contacts and glasses to give your eyes a rest. You may feel more confident in contacts, but there’s nothing more beautiful than feeling your best.

6. Get regular eye exams.

Preventative care is important, especially when it comes to our eyes! Regular eye exams can help you keep up with your optic health and adjust your prescription as necessary. When you wear the wrong prescription, it puts you at an increased risk for eye strain. Additionally, your eye doctor can give you helpful tips on how to avoid eye strain and keep your peepers nice and healthy!

7. Get blue-light blocking glasses.

In our world, it’s hard to avoid screens for too long. Whether you work on a computer all day or can’t pry yourself away from your Kindle, most of us are staring at a screen for the better half of the day. Unfortunately, computers and other devices emit potentially harmful blue light, which can increase the risk of eye strain. The solution? Blue light-blocking glasses! These nifty little devices block blue light, allowing you to stare at screens for longer periods while keeping headaches and eye strain at bay. While you can always purchase these glasses on Amazon, you can also ask your eye doctor about prescription blue light-blocking glasses.

8. Blink more.

It may sound like obvious advice, but when we hyper-focus on something like work or reading, we have the tendency to not blink as often. But blinking is actually healthy. Not only does blinking lubricate our eyeballs, but it may actually prevent digital eye strain. Experts recommend blinking every 10 to 15 seconds while you’re staring at a screen. It’ll keep your vision nice and sharp and make you less susceptible to eyestrain. The very definition of a win-win!

9. Adjust your screen settings.

If you don’t like the default settings on your computer or other devices, you can readjust them to your liking! In fact, lowering your screen brightness and adjusting text size may prevent eyestrain. So, if your computer feels a little bit like a supernova, don’t subject your eyes to that bright light forever. Instead, turn down the brightness. Make the text bigger. Do whatever you can to make your computer time—and your eyes—more comfortable!

10. Keep your eyes moist.

Dry eyes are scratchy and uncomfortable, like a desert in your sockets. Worse still, dry eyes put you at an increased risk for infection. Of course, staring at screens for long periods of time can also contribute to dryness. Consider getting artificial tears and using them periodically. You can also purchase a desktop humidifier, like this one available on Amazon. Not only are these devices good for dry eyes—they can also help dry skin, too. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

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