Relieving Eye Strain and Dryness
Symptoms and Common Causes
Are your eyes tired, dry, or achy? Many factors can contribute to these symptoms, but a big culprit is intense use of your eyes. Spending too much time looking at screens and handheld devices like smartphones can strain your eyes. Normal aging can also lead to eye discomfort.
Not Blinking Enough
One major cause of eye discomfort is not blinking enough. “When we focus on tasks like reading or computer work, our blink rate just plummets,” says Dr. Chantal Cousineau-Krieger, an NIH ophthalmologist. Not blinking enough can cause your eyes to become dry and uncomfortable.
Who Is at Risk?
- People over age 50
- Women
- Contact lens wearers
- Certain medications (e.g., antihistamines)
- Underlying health conditions
Other Contributing Factors
Avoiding factors that increase eye dryness may help your eyes feel better. Air blowing directly in your face from a fan or car vents, smoke, or windy conditions can all contribute to dryness.
Normal Aging and Presbyopia
With age, we lose our ability to focus on close objects—a condition called presbyopia. “When we look at something up close, we flex the muscle inside our eye,” Cousineau-Krieger explains. “Just like any other muscle, if you hold the contraction for a long time, the muscle can become fatigued. Eventually, in your 40s, you end up not being able to see things up close as well. It’s a natural part of aging that goes along with gray hairs and wrinkles. And then we typically need reading glasses to be able to see things up close.”
Eye Strain in Children
Children can also develop symptoms from intense eye use. They may blink forcefully or rub their eyes instead of telling you they hurt. Spending too much time on screens is now believed to contribute to rising rates of nearsightedness in children.
Tips for Relief
Experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Children should also spend time outdoors playing to help them focus on distant objects, which may help decrease nearsightedness. Taking screen breaks and focusing on distant objects can benefit everyone’s eye health.
See the Wise Choices box for more eye health tips.
When to See a Doctor
If simple lifestyle changes don’t bring you relief from eye discomfort, it may be time to see a doctor for an eye exam.