15 It happens when you use your eyes to concentrate on something for a long time. Lots of things can cause eye strain. If you have eye strain, you may get tired, sore or itchy eyes. You may notice that your eyes are watery or dry. You may have trouble adjusting your eyes to focus on a far object after spending a long time on near tasks. Eye strain can also cause: • a burning sensation in your eyes • blurred eyesight, or double vision • difficulty concentrating • sensitivity to light • headache • sore neck, shoulders or back due to muscle tension Eye strain is not a disease. You can get eye strain from: • using computers, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles for a long time • driving for a long time • reading for a long time • straining to see things when the light is bad • being tired or stressed • bright or dazzling lights • not wearing your glasses or contact lenses, or wearing unsuitable glasses or contact lenses • medical problems with your eyes If you are concentrating for long periods of time on a printed page or digital screen you tend not to blink as often. This can lead to dryness of the surface of your eyes and make your eyes feel tired. When you focus on a near object or screen for a long time, your eye muscles are working hard. As with other muscles in your body, eye muscles can tire out if you don’t give them a chance to rest and relax. If you think you might have eye strain, think about what you were doing before you began to experience the symptoms. You can make notes on when it happens so that you can tell your optometrist. An optometrist will examine your eyes and might test your vision. They might also ask you questions about what is causing your eye strain. The best treatment for eye strain is rest. Resting your eyes will usually ease the discomfort, at least in the short term. Your doctor or optometrist might also talk to you about: • eye exercises to make your eye muscles stronger • glasses or contact lenses, perhaps with coatings and tints There are several things you can do to help prevent eye strain. It’s very important to take breaks if you are concentrating on something for a long time, including: • when you read • when you use devices like computers and phones • when you drive Try the 20/20/20 approach: rest every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You could set an alarm to remind you. Adults and children should spend time outside regularly. Relax your eye muscles by looking at something far away. If you use a computer a lot, try adjusting the contrast, the brightness and the size of the words on the screen. Adjust your monitor so that the top of the screen is just below eye level. Keep your screen clean to avoid glare and reflection problems caused by dust and dirt. Eye Strain is common Book your appointment today! Phone 5580 5010 Shop 18, 12 Sir John Overall Drive, Helensvale Plaza www.paris-miki.com.au $150 OFF COMPLETE PAIR *Excludes Maui Jim, Zeal. Oakley Sun RX & Meta Range 3 Bulk Billed Eye Tests 3 Most Health Funds Accepted 3 External Prescriptions Welcome
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