Causes of Eye Strain
Chicago, Illinois
Eye strain is a common condition that occurs when one or more of your eye muscles are overworked – usually from focusing too long on one object, or at a single distance. The most commonly strained eye muscle is the ciliary body. Focusing at near distances for a long period of time tends to strain eye muscles more quickly than focusing at a far distance.
Activities That Cause Eye Strain
With so many people using computers for work, school, and web surfing throughout the day, computer vision syndrome (CVS) has become the leading cause of eye strain. However, any activity that involves concentrating on a close object for a long period of time can lead to eye strain, including
- Reading
- Driving
- Watching TV
In some cases, an underlying eye condition – such as uncorrected vision, or an eye muscle imbalance – can worsen eye strain. This is one of many reasons why it’s important to see an experienced ophthalmologist like Dr. Golden on a regular basis to have your eyes examined.
Other Contributing Factors
Certain environmental factors can also contribute to eye strain, such as:
- Low light levels
- Glare
- Low screen contrast
- Fluorescent lighting
- Bad viewing angle
Failure to blink is another factor that contributes to eye strain. When you are performing visually intensive work, you tend to blink much less often.
Preventing Eye Strain
The best way to avoid eye strain is to make sure you take frequent breaks from activities like computer work or reading. People with chronic eye strain can usually find relief by closing their eyes every 20 minutes, or focusing on an object at a distance. The goal is to allow your eye muscles to relax every once in awhile so they do not become overworked.
You can also significantly reduce eye strain by eliminating glare, heightening the contrast levels on a computer or TV screen, and practicing proper computer ergonomics.
If you have chronic eye strain that won’t go away with rest, it may be a sign of a more serious underlying problem. In this case, you should contact Doctors For Visual Freedom today to schedule an eye exam. We serve patients in the Chicago and Arlington Heights areas of Illinois.
Two Locations:
Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center
875 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1550
Chicago, IL 60611 | Doctors for Visual Freedom Laser Center
2010 S Arlington Heights Rd, Suite 121
Arlington Heights, IL 60005 |
