Do you experience eye fatigue, redness, headaches, and blurred vision after a day at work? Many assume prolonged computer use is to blame. However, specialists warn that these symptoms may indicate fatigue, more serious vision, or even overall health issues.
Symptoms That Shouldn’t Be Ignored
According to Dr. Eglė Jankauskė, an ophthalmic surgeon at the “Lirema” Eye Clinic, tired, red eyes, blurred vision, and double vision are among the most common complaints that lead people to visit ophthalmologists.
“This is especially relevant today – computers, phones, tablets, and artificial lighting significantly affect eye health. Patients complain of eye pain, redness, dryness, burning, blurred vision (especially in the evening), and increased sensitivity to light,” says the doctor.
Like any other muscle, the eyes get tired from strain. Prolonged screen time, infrequent blinking, poor lighting, or low contrast force the eyes to work much harder.
“When looking at a screen, a person blinks nearly 70% less than they should. It might seem that eyes get tired, red, irritated, and dry just because of that, but some patients are surprised to learn that these are not only temporary symptoms. They can also indicate refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, as well as dry eye syndrome, cataracts, glaucoma, or even diabetes,” warns Dr. Jankauskė.
Headaches – Not Just a Result of Stress
A fast-paced lifestyle, low physical activity, stress, and lack of sleep all affect eye health. While headaches are often linked to work-related stress or neck muscle tension, they can also be caused by eye strain.
“Patients unaware of mild refractive errors may live for years with undiagnosed myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism and suffer from constant headaches. In children, vision problems often go unnoticed – they don’t complain, but they become irritable, tired, and lose motivation to learn,” the doctor explains.
If headaches are frequent, it’s important to find the cause – even a slight vision problem can cause significant discomfort. Early diagnosis can prevent more serious issues.
“Pay attention to whether the headache occurs after long hours at the computer or if it’s more often felt in the forehead and temple areas. If you also feel eye fatigue, pressure, light sensitivity, and relief when you close your eyes – it’s likely you have a mild refractive error such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism and need appropriate vision correction,” advises Dr. Jankauskė.
Age or Illness?
Vision deterioration is a common age-related condition. As the eye’s lens naturally hardens and becomes cloudier, vision becomes blurry, and people gradually feel the need for reading glasses.
“Few people avoid age-related vision decline. Around the age of 45, near vision begins to weaken until eventually, reading glasses are necessary. This condition is called presbyopia or age-related farsightedness. To avoid discomfort and additional eye strain, vision correction with glasses, contact lenses, laser correction, or lens replacement surgery is essential,” the ophthalmic surgeon explains.
If the lens becomes cloudy, blurry vision may also be the first sign of developing cataracts. Old glasses may no longer work, and frequent replacements may become necessary. Night driving becomes difficult, and double vision may occur when looking with one eye.
“If you notice ongoing vision deterioration, don’t delay – the earlier cataracts are diagnosed, the more likely a successful surgery will restore good vision. After the procedure, patients can return to their normal routines and enjoy activities they had previously avoided due to poor eyesight,” the doctor shares from experience.
According to Dr. Jankauskė, vision can also suddenly worsen without prior symptoms. In such cases, more serious health issues like glaucoma or diabetes may be suspected.
“Sudden vision deterioration is often linked to optic nerve atrophy, damage to the retina, or blood vessels in the eyes. Complications from glaucoma or diabetes can cause these disorders. These are complex eye conditions that require immediate attention from specialists,” emphasizes the surgeon.