Overview
Hours of near-focus at a fixed distance ask the eye's focusing and teaming systems to hold one position far longer than they evolved to. At the same time, blink rate drops by more than half in front of a screen, so the tear film thins out and the surface dries.
Blue light gets most of the blame and deserves little of it. The bigger contributors are an uncorrected small prescription, a poorly positioned monitor, and simply not blinking.
What are the common symptoms?
- Aching, tired or burning eyes late in the day
- Headaches, often across the brow or behind the eyes
- Intermittent blur that clears when you look away
- Dry or watery eyes
- Neck and shoulder ache
- Difficulty refocusing from screen to distance
What causes it, and who is at risk?
- Sustained near focus without breaks
- A reduced blink rate, and incomplete blinks
- Small uncorrected refractive errors or focusing and eye-teaming weaknesses
- Monitor too high, too close, or badly lit; glare and reflections
- Dry office air and air conditioning
How is it treated?
Most of this responds to setup and habit, with a smaller role for optics.
- The 20-20-20 habit: every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- Monitor at arm's length with the top of the screen at or just below eye level
- An eye exam — a small uncorrected prescription is a very common cause
- Dedicated computer glasses set for your actual working distance
- Preservative-free lubricating drops, and deliberate full blinks
- Reducing glare, and matching screen brightness to the room
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Only an eye care professional who has examined you can tell you what is actually going on.