Eye strain, also known as asthenopia (from Greek ''a-sthen-opia'', grc, ἀσθενωπία, ), is a common
eye
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
condition that manifests through
non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, pain in or around the eyes,
blurred vision
Blurred vision is an ocular symptom where vision becomes less precise and there is added difficulty to resolve fine details.
Temporary blurred vision may involve dry eyes, eye infections, alcohol poisoning, hypoglycemia, or low blood pressure. ...
,
headache
Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches.
Headaches can occur as a result ...
, and occasional
double vision. Symptoms often occur after long-term use of computers, digital devices, reading or other activities that involve extended visual tasks which are broadly classified into external and internal symptom factors.
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. This causes discomfort, soreness or pain on the eyeballs. Closing the eyes for ten minutes and relaxing the muscles of the face and neck at least once an hour usually relieves the problem.
A page or photograph with the same image twice, but slightly displaced (from a printing mishap, a camera moving during the shot, etc.) can cause eye strain due to the brain misinterpreting the image fault as
diplopia and trying in vain to adjust the sideways movements of the two eyeballs to fuse the two images into one.
Eye strain can also happen when viewing a blurred image (including images deliberately partly blurred for censorship), due to the ciliary muscle tightening trying in vain to focus the blurring out.
Symptoms
*
blurred vision
Blurred vision is an ocular symptom where vision becomes less precise and there is added difficulty to resolve fine details.
Temporary blurred vision may involve dry eyes, eye infections, alcohol poisoning, hypoglycemia, or low blood pressure. ...
* sore, tired, burning, or itching eyes
* difficulty concentrating
*
dry eyes or watery eyes
* eye discomfort
* headaches
* irritated or burning eyes
* sensitivity to bright lights
* tired eyes
* sore eyes
Therapy
Known methods of relieving strain of the ocular muscles are taking periodic breaks by closing the eyes, obtaining good sleep, and proper nutrition.
See also
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Astigmatism
*
Computer vision syndrome
*
Eye examination
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Ocular neurosis
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Photophobia
*
Vision therapy
*
Visual looming syndrome
References
External links
{{Authority control
Visual disturbances and blindness