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What is eyestrain and what causes it?

Eyestrain is a common form of eye discomfort that can occur when the eyes become tired after a prolonged visual task, such as working at a computer.

Eyestrain refers to a headache or discomfort around the eyes. These symptoms are never present when you wake, never accompanied by ultra-sensitivity to light, but is made worse by visual tasks like reading. In most cases you may just need a new pair of glasses or contact lenses, or the muscles that align the eyes may be strained and need a break.

What causes eyestrain?
The causes of eyestrain include:

Focusing the eyes for prolonged periods on a fixed object, especially one that is held close to the eyes. The eyes are designed to shift focus between near and distant objects and extended focusing on a single object can cause eyestrain. Eyes are strained more by close viewing than by distant viewing.

Poor lighting. Doing close work in poor light forces your eyes to focus under difficult conditions.

Glare, either direct or reflected, makes it difficult to see. Direct glare is when a light source shines directly into the eyes (for example bright ceiling lights or sunny windows). This is more of a problem in sunny parts of the world like Australia than in most European countries. Reflected glare, such as on computer screens, sometimes causes eyestrain. This is because the contrast between the image you are viewing and its background is reduced by the reflected light, making it harder for your brain to interpret the image. As your eyes strain, facial and eye muscles tighten.

Contrast is the difference in brightness between what is being viewed and the immediate environment. Excessive contrast can lead to eyestrain. This may occur if a dark screen is surrounded by a bright background, such as a window or a lit wall, or if a screen shows light text on a dark background.

Vision problems. You may be straining to see because you need corrective spectacles or because you need to update the prescription of your current spectacles or contact lenses.

Many studies have shown that the tiny amount of radiation emitted by video display terminals, including computer and television screens, does not cause eye damage or eyestrain, even after a lifetime of exposure.

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