Eye Strain / Headache
Help for Eye Strain and Headache
Eye strain and headache can be caused by many different factors. This era of prolonged computer usage and intense gaming has made this problem widespread and pervasive. Eye strain is a particular kind of discomfort that happens when the eyes become tired, usually after spending long periods of time doing a specific task. The discomfort can be felt in the eyes and very often causes a headache.
To tell whether your headache is caused by eye strain or some other cause, think about when the headache occurs and where it hurts. Eye strain headaches will hurt around the eyes and in the front of the head. They are not present in the morning when you awaken and they are not related to light sensitivity. These types of headaches are also made worse by reading and doing computer work.
It’s important to know what causes eye strain and headache in order to know what steps to take to relieve the problem. Eye strain can be caused by:
- Poor lighting,
- Focusing and refocusing the eyes at a certain distance for long periods of time,
- Focusing on objects close to your eyes,
- Glare, especially on computer screens,
- Disproportionate contrast in lighting between things in the foreground and things in the background, and
- Poor vision.
Eye strain causes various problems for people. Headache is the most common complaint, but watery eyes, blurry vision, and a scratchy feeling in the eye are also common symptoms. People also experience heavy eyelids, aching around the eyebrows, twitches in the eyelids, or a burning sensation in the eyes.
The easiest and best way to cure eye strain problems is to first determine the cause of the eye strain. Take note of your work environment and look for things that could cause the problem, such as glare from a window on your computer screen. Make sure that overhead lights are not flickering and that your work area has proper task lighting. Some people prefer incandescent lighting to fluorescent and may need to bring a lamp of their own to work. Also be aware of your play environment. If you play video games for long hours, watch a lot of television with no breaks, or read profusely you may need to adjust your lighting or habits to relieve your eye strain.
If eye strain is caused by long hours on the computer, optometrists suggest that you take vision breaks. Roughly every 30 minutes you should change your focus to objects in the distance. Do this for at least one minute each time to relieve eye strain caused by focusing your eyes at close distances for long periods of time. Rolling your eyes, blinking, or closing your eyes tightly can also help relieve eye strain by providing moisture and rest from focusing. Eye drops may also be helpful in temporarily providing comfort.
Eye strain caused by frequent refocusing can be relieved by rearranging your work environment. Refocusing occurs when you have to look back and forth between two objects that are at different differences from your eyes, such as looking between a piece of paper and a computer screen. The problem is compounded by the fact that the paper and the screen are lit differently. Using proper lighting, positioning the computer screen at eye level, and using a document holder to keep the paper at the same distance and height as the screen can be useful tips for eye strain caused by this problem.
If you experience persistent eye strain and headache and none of the above tips provide relief, you may have a vision problem. Another indication that eye strain may be caused by poor vision is if you feel the need to sit very close to your work, television, or computer. In this case, you should see an optometrist or ophthalmologist to find out if vision correction would be helpful.