{"id":1925,"date":"2026-10-20T08:53:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-health\/conditions\/digital-eye-strain-and-screen-time\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:58:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:58:37","slug":"digital-eye-strain-and-screen-time","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-health\/conditions\/digital-eye-strain-and-screen-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Eye Strain from Screens: Symptoms, Causes and How to Relieve It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
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  4. Eye Strain from Screens: Symptoms, Causes and How to Relieve It<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Eye Strain from Screens: Symptoms, Causes and How to Relieve It<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    Eye strain from screens, also called digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome, is tired, sore, dry or blurry eyes, often with a headache, after long spells of near work. The main trigger is blinking far less while you look at a screen, often made worse by an uncorrected prescription, glare or a poor set-up. It is usually temporary and does not damage the eye. Regular breaks, conscious blinking, a better screen position and an up-to-date eye test relieve most cases. Eye surgeons Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sat\u0131c\u0131, Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer and Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram see these complaints regularly.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

    What is eye strain?<\/h2><\/div>

    Eye strain is the tired, aching or irritated feeling your eyes get when they work hard for a long time. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) describes it as eyes that feel sore, burning, watery or dry, sometimes with blurred vision, headaches or tired facial muscles. When it comes from phones, tablets, computers and e-readers, doctors call it digital eye strain<\/strong> or computer vision syndrome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    It is very common. A 2018 review in BMJ Open Ophthalmology<\/em> estimated that 50% or more of computer workers have it. A 2024 survey of working adults in the UK and Ireland found 62.6% met the criteria for digital eye strain, with an average of 9.7 hours of device use a day, and symptoms were most likely in people working from home. Only 8.1% said the symptoms were significant enough to affect their work, which fits what most people experience: annoying, not dangerous.<\/p>\n

    In this guide, “eye strain” means this screen-related, temporary kind. If your eyes are painful or red, or your vision has dropped, that is something different, and the section on when to see an eye doctor tells you what to look for.<\/p>\n

    Looking up a term? See the<\/em> Eye glossary A\u2013Z \u2192<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    What causes eye strain?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t

    The short answer: your eyes are doing a job they were not designed for, for hours without a proper break. Several eye strain causes combine.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

    Cause<\/th>What happens<\/th>Why it causes strain<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Blinking much less<\/th>People normally blink about 15 times a minute; at a screen this can halve (AAO). One study measured a drop from 22 to 7 blinks a minute, another from 18.4 to 3.6<\/td>Each blink spreads tears over the eye. Fewer blinks means a drier, less stable tear film: stinging, burning, watering, blurred vision<\/td><\/tr>
    Constant near focusing<\/th>The eye’s focusing muscle stays tensed to keep a close screen sharp<\/td>Aching eyes, headache behind the eyes, blur when you look up<\/td><\/tr>
    Uncorrected or out-of-date prescription<\/th>Long-sightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia (age-related loss of near focus) are not fully corrected<\/td>Even 0.50\u20131.00 dioptre of uncorrected astigmatism makes viewing less comfortable<\/td><\/tr>
    Glare and poor lighting<\/th>Reflections on the screen, a bright window behind it, or a very dark room<\/td>The eyes work harder to see the text<\/td><\/tr>
    Wrong distance and posture<\/th>A screen too close, or too high or too low<\/td>Eye strain plus neck and shoulder pain<\/td><\/tr>
    Eye coordination problems<\/th>The two eyes do not work together as smoothly as they should<\/td>Tiredness and headaches when reading or at a screen<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

    Sources: AAO, American Optometric Association (AOA), Sheppard and Wolffsohn 2018.<\/p>\n

    Two points are worth stressing. First, the cause is reduced blinking and sustained close work, not the screen somehow “radiating” the eye. Second, a screen is not the only cause: any long, close task, such as reading a book or sewing, can strain the eyes in the same way.<\/p><\/div>\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    What are the symptoms of eye strain?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t

    The most common eye strain symptoms are tired or sore eyes, dryness, watering, blurred vision and headache. Doctors group them in two kinds:<\/p>\n\t\t\t

    Type<\/th>Typical symptoms<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Surface (dry-eye type)<\/th>Burning, stinging, grittiness, irritation, watering, dry or red-looking eyes<\/td><\/tr>
    Focusing (internal) type<\/th>Aching or strained eyes, eye strain pain around or behind the eyes, headache, blurred vision that clears and returns<\/td><\/tr>
    Outside the eye<\/th>Neck, shoulder and upper-back pain<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

    Eye strain symptoms usually build up through the day, are worse on long screen days and ease when you stop. They are normally in both eyes.<\/p><\/div>\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    What does an eye strain headache feel like, and how do you relieve it?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    An eye strain headache is typically a dull ache around or behind the eyes, or across the forehead, that builds during or after long near work and eases with rest. Headache is one of the four main symptoms the AAO lists for computer eye discomfort, and researchers describe the internal, focusing type of strain as an ache and headache behind the eyes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    How to relieve an eye strain headache:<\/p>\n

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    1. Stop and look away.<\/strong> Look at something far away, ideally out of a window, for a minute or two, and blink fully several times.<\/li>\n
    2. Rest your eyes<\/strong> for a few minutes, away from all screens, in comfortable light.<\/li>\n
    3. Use lubricating eye drops (artificial tears)<\/strong> if your eyes also feel dry. The AAO recommends them for screen-related dryness.<\/li>\n
    4. Fix the cause.<\/strong> Move the screen to arm’s length, reduce glare and brightness, and take regular breaks (see below).<\/li>\n
    5. Book an eye test<\/strong> if headaches keep coming back. An out-of-date prescription is a common and easily fixed cause.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Not every headache that happens at a screen comes from the eyes, so if you get frequent or severe headaches, or they come with other symptoms, speak to a doctor.<\/p>\n

      If your headaches or dizziness started after getting new glasses, that is a separate problem with its own causes:<\/p>

      New glasses giving you headaches or dizziness? <\/svg><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

      Why do I have eye strain in one eye?<\/h2><\/div>

      Digital eye strain usually affects both eyes, so strain or pain in only one eye deserves a little more attention. Common reasons include:<\/p>\n