Feeling the strain

If you’re like us, you spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen. Chances are, then, that you sometimes experience eyestrain in the form of headaches, sore or dry eyes, blurred or double vision, stiff neck, light sensitivity and difficulty focusing on images.

While eyestrain doesn’t typically cause lasting eye damage, it can lead to physical fatigue, reduced concentration or productivity, and an increase in work errors. Sometimes it indicates an underlying eye condition that requires evaluation.

There are ways to avoid eyestrain: Rest your eyes by taking a break or looking out a window; adjust the lighting to reduce glare; blink more frequently; increase the resolution, brightness, font size or contrast of your computer screen; use over-the-counter tear substitutes for dryness; and change the distance between your eyes and the computer screen or reading material.

If these changes don’t help, see an ophthalmologist.

And, for sweet relief when you’re feeling eyestrain, massage your temples in a circular motion for a minute or two.