Eye strain and tired eyes: causes, tips and when to get help

Eye strain is when your eyes feel tired, sore or achy after a long spell of concentrating, often on a screen. It can come with blurred vision, headaches, or eyes that feel dry or gritty. It is very common and usually eases with rest, but if it keeps coming back, an eye test is a good idea. Sometimes the cause is a prescription that needs updating, or glasses that aren't quite right for the work you do.

Autumn and winter can make things worse. Darker evenings mean more time indoors under artificial light, and central heating dries the air, so tired eyes are a common complaint at this time of year.

What causes tired eyes?

• Screens: when we concentrate on a phone, laptop or monitor, we tend to blink less. That lets the surface of the eye dry out, and focusing at one distance for hours can leave your eyes feeling tired.
• Poor lighting: glare on a screen, or reading in dim light, makes your eyes work harder.
• Dry, warm air: central heating, car heaters and air conditioning can all dry your eyes.
• An uncorrected or out-of-date prescription: if your vision has changed, your eyes may be straining to keep things clear.
• Needing help with close work: from around our mid-40s, most of us start to find close work harder. Squinting at a phone or a page can be an early sign you would benefit from reading glasses.
• Tiredness: a long day, a late night or simply not taking breaks all add up.

Practical tips for eye strain

1. Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. It gives your focusing muscles a rest.
2. Blink: it sounds simple, but a few slow, full blinks help spread tears across the eye when it starts to feel dry.
3. Position your screen: keep it roughly an arm's length away, with the top of the screen at or just below eye level.
4. Sort the lighting: avoid bright windows or lamps reflecting on your screen, and set the screen brightness to match the room. Use a good light for reading on dark evenings.
5. Take proper breaks: get up and move away from the screen regularly, not just to look at your phone.
6. Look after the air: keep heaters from blowing towards your face, and open a window when you can.

Dry eyes: treatment and when to see us

Dry eyes often go hand in hand with eye strain. Your eyes may feel gritty, itchy, sore or watery, and your vision may blur and then clear when you blink.

For mild dry eyes, lubricating eye drops can help. You can buy them from a pharmacist, who can help you choose. The screen tips above help too.

If your eyes still feel dry after a few weeks, or the problem keeps coming back, book an eye test and tell us about your symptoms. Your optometrist will look at the health of your eyes and talk through what might help.

Get help the same day if you have a painful red eye, sudden blurred or lost vision, or a sudden shower of new floaters or flashing lights: call us, contact NHS 111, or go to A&E.

When an eye test helps

An eye test checks whether your prescription is up to date, how well your eyes focus up close and how your eyes work together. Your optometrist will also look at the health of your eyes. It is worth booking if:

• you get tired eyes or headaches most days, especially after screen work
• you find yourself holding your phone or a book further away
• your vision seems to blur at the end of the day
• it has been more than two years since your last eye test

Sometimes the answer is a new prescription. Sometimes it is reading glasses, or a pair designed for the computer. Our optometrist will explain your results in plain terms and will tell you honestly if you don't need anything at all.

Glasses for screen and desk work

If you spend long hours at a desk, there are lenses designed for it. As an authorised Zeiss partner, we offer Zeiss occupational lenses, which give wider intermediate vision for screen and desk work than a standard single vision lens. Ask us in practice for pricing. Zeiss SmartLife single vision lenses are designed for people who switch between screens, reading and distance throughout the day. See our Zeiss lenses page, or book a free 15-minute lens consultation.

You may have heard of blue light lenses. Some people find a blue light coating more comfortable for screen work, but it isn't a treatment for eye strain. Read more in understanding blue light protection.

Book an eye test

We see patients for NHS and private eye tests at Great Barr and Sheldon. Book online, or call Great Barr on 0121 325 0665 or Sheldon on 0121 742 9599.