Eye strain (asthenopia) is a group of troublesome symptoms that appear when the eyes are worked hard or for long periods. People with eye strain often describe heavy or tired eyes, dryness, stinging, headaches (mainly on the forehead or around the eyes), blurred vision and even difficulty concentrating.
The causes of eye strain
The causes vary and fall into three main categories:
- Refractive problems
- Often an unconscious effort of the eye to focus, because of a still-undiagnosed or under-corrected refractive error (such as long-sightedness or astigmatism) or early presbyopia.
- Modern lifestyle
- Long, uninterrupted focus on digital screens (computers, tablets, phones) dramatically reduces how often we blink, which also leads to dryness.
- Muscle imbalance
- A slight weakness in the coordination of the muscles that move the eyes (convergence insufficiency) may be hiding, so the visual system works too hard to keep a single image.
How it is treated
The first and most important step is a detailed eye examination. Depending on the findings, individual solutions are suggested, such as prescribing the right glasses, using artificial tears and advice on ergonomic changes at work.