Eye strain is a fairly common eye condition that can be painful and debilitating. It can lessen productivity and can negatively affect daily activities. In this article, you will learn about the basic things about eye strain, including the type of people who are at risk, the causes, symptoms, and ways to deal with the problem.

What is Eye Strain?

As the name suggests, this condition simply refers to the straining of the muscles of the eyes. The eyes are made up of six muscles and a ciliary body around the eyes. When at least one of these muscles become strained due to over fatigue, a form of eye strain may occur.

Who are at Risk?

Anyone can experience eye strain, regardless of their age, social status, or gender. However, those who are at greater risk are those who tend to overuse their eyes. Some examples are:

Frequent Computer Users or Television Viewers

Prolonged staring at computer screens or any other type of screen can easily cause eye strain. The main reason is that working, watching, or playing on these light emitting sources involves tremendous eye concentration that may tire the eyes. With this, gamers and office workers who spend most of their time in front of the computer, as well as frequent television viewers  are more likely to experience the symptoms of eye strain.

People who read frequently.

Reading is another activity that can easily make the eyes tired. So intensive readers such as writers, journalists, students, teachers, editors, and librarians are at high risk for eye strain.

People whose jobs involve working on small details.

Some examples of jobs which require too much eye concentration on small details include model makers, tailors,seamstress, or even needlework enthusiasts. Focusing your eyes intensely on a particular spot or small detail for an extended period of time can easily cause eye fatigue and eye strain.

What are the Symptoms of Eye Strain?

It is fairly easy to recognize the symptoms of eye strain. Listed below are some of the most common ones:

• Headaches
• Lightheadedness
• Blurred vision
• Watery eyes
• Eye spasms or twitches
• Dry eyes
• Heavy eyelids
• Neck aches
• Eyes that are sore or feeling tired
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Itchy eyes
• Double vision
• Heavy feeling on the forehead
• Inability to concentrate
• Fatigue
• Problems when reading

What  are the Possible Causes of Eye Strain?

Below are the activities and conditions that commonly cause eye strain:

• Prolonged computer use
• Driving
• Intensive reading
• Pitching in baseball or softball
• Extended watching of television
• Working in low light conditions
• Too much brightness
• Stress
• Contrast levels of the screen are too low
• Fluorescent lighting
• Glare
• Fatigue
• Bad viewing angle
• Alcohol use
• Improper posture
• Uncorrected vision
• Drug use
• Tiredness

How to Deal with Eye Strain?

If you experience eye strain occasionally, you do not really need to consult with an eye doctor. You can easily alleviate the negative symptoms and discomfort by doing the following:

Relaxing and soothing your eyes

The easiest way to get relief from eye strain is by resting your tired eyes and soothing them. If you really need to finish something on the computer, a 15-minute rest for every two hours of computer use may be sufficient. When you feel that your eyes are already tired, close them for a while or take a nap. Moreover, you can also put tea bags or a slice of cucumber on each eye to soothe them.

Doing eye exercises

There are two types of exercises for the eye muscles, namely strengthening and relaxation. They are of equal importance and are both essential for maintaining eye health and improving eye performance. These exercises can easily be found on the internet.

If you experience eye strains regularly and feel severe pain, it is recommended to consult with your ophthalmologist immediately. Doing so will enable you to know the underlying cause of the regular eye strain and you will also be provided with effective solutions.