Eyestrain can result in headaches, dry eyes, and light sensitivity. Treatment and prevention of eye strain can vary depending on the cause. Many of us have experienced the agony of a headache. It might induce severe, mild, or throbbing pain depending on the reason. Headaches can be severe or mild, and they can affect any portion of your head. Eye strain is an infrequent cause of headaches.
This can occur when you focus on a task, such as utilising a computer or mobile phone, for an extended period of time. It can also happen when your eyes try to focus in too bright or too low light. Eye strain occurs when your eyes become fatigued as a result of overuse.
Common symptoms of eye strain are;
Sore eyes
Watery or dry eyes
Blurry vision
Light sensitivity
Head, neck, shoulder, or back pain
Eyestrain is not any injury or damage to your eye. With care and precaution it can be healed and saved from real damages to the eye. Rest may help in reducing eye strain symptoms like sore eye or headache etc.
Still, eyestrain headaches can be frustrating and disruptive. They might make it difficult to focus on work, school, or other projects.
In this article, we’ll explain reasons why eye strain causes headaches, ways to prevent eyestrain and headaches.
How to recognize an eyestrain headache
There are many kinds of headaches, however the most common type are;
Migraine
Tension headache
Each of the headaches require different treatment and care than an eye strain headache. To treat it right it’s important to know how to recognize an eye strain headache.
In an eyestrain headache one feels fatigue after prolonged use of computer or after a longtime concentrated work.
Longtime use of lens
Pain behind eyes with soreness
Feels better after rest
What’s the connection between eyestrain and a headache?
Your eyes' surrounding muscles have to work harder to focus while you're looking at items or screens up close. Like any other muscle in your body, these muscles can become weary and uncomfortable over time.
Similar to this, squinting for extended periods of time can occasionally cause stress on the eyes, which can lead to spasms in the muscles surrounding your eyes and in your face. Headaches from eye strain might result from these spasms.
What causes eyestrain headaches?
Let's study some of the most typical reasons why people get eyestrain headaches in more detail.
1. Prolonged use of digital screens
The most typical cause of eyestrain is prolonged use of a computer screen. In this instance, the illness is referred to as computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain. When you focus on a screen, you tend to blink less often. This can lead to dry eyes, which may cause further irritation.
The following scenarios might also worsen digital eye strain;
Excessive glare or reflection on your screen
Low contrast between the screen text and background
Digital screens placed at incorrect distances
Odd posture
You’re more likely to develop digital eye strain if you look at a screen for two or more hours without taking a break.
2. Prolonged focus on a single task
Continual focus on a single activity for a long time may cause eyestrain headaches. Like long distance driving, reading, photography, working with computers, drawing, sewing etc.
3. Vision problems
Eye strain can also result from uncorrected eyesight. To improve your vision, you may require prescription glasses or contact lenses. If you currently wear them, a new prescription might be necessary.
4. Bright or dim lights
It’s difficult to see clearly in light that’s too bright or too dim. You might need to squint your eyes to see.
What can you do to prevent eye strain headaches?
You can reduce your chances of getting these kinds of headaches by taking some simple steps. Here’s what you can do.
Wear prescription glasses. Using reading or computer glasses may provide relief. If you have glasses to correct your vision, be sure to use your most recent prescription.
Close your eyes. Simply resting your eyes for several minutes can ease your symptoms.
Use artificial tears. Dryness can make your eye strain worse. Artificial tears help moisten your eyes and provide relief to your eyes. You can give a try to EyeSpa eye drops that helps in soothing dry and tired eyes.
Take an NSAID. If you have a stubborn eyestrain headache, an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) may help.
Rest & relax. Take rest between work hours.
If you focus on an activity for an extended period of time, you may get an eye strain headache. Fortunately, resting your eyes can typically provide relief. Wearing the proper prescription glasses or contact lenses also helps. See a doctor if altering your lifestyle doesn't help. They are able to identify if your headaches are being caused by an underlying medical problem.