For the last week or so my eyes have been killing me, and I’ve been getting massive headaches. At first I thought it might be all the paint and general construction fumes, but then I looked into the symptoms of eye strain and holy cats people, I think I have a diagnosis–thank you Dr. Google.
When I read about the causes and symptoms, it’s actually a wonder I’ve never had this before. Eye strain basically occurs when your eyes get tired from being over-worked. Here’s a list of basic symptoms {I pulled these right off of mayoclinic.com}:
- Sore, tired or burning eyes
- Watery eyes
- Dry eyes
- Blurred or double vision
- Headache
- Sore Neck and/or back
- Shoulder pain
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Trouble focusing
Since there are a huge variety of causes, treatment ranges from simple lifestyle changes to a little more comprehensive medical solutions. I, personally, was spending too much time on the computer, which caused me to have difficulty focusing, I wasn’t getting enough sleep, and am drinking too much caffeine {I know that I need to cut back}. Other causes are poor lighting, reading for too long, glare from a screen, and driving for extended periods of time. Of course, stress can make you more susceptible to getting eye strain {stress can pretty much wreak havoc on your health, in general}, so I am sure the stress of a major remodel caused me to be vulnerable. Changes in the air that make it dryer can also irritate eyes and leave them more susceptible to strain.
So, how do you fix it? Start simple {unless you have double vision or sudden onset of severe headache–in which case you probably better just pop over to your doctor’s to play it safe}. Make sure to get plenty of sleep. Sleep will give your peepers a chance to chill out and rest. Limit your screen time–easier said than done if you job requires a computer. If less screen time isn’t an option, try changing the brightness settings on your computer–it should be as bright as the room you are working in, and no brighter. You can make the text bigger, or change the color display, making it a bit warmer, and not so hard on the eyes. Adding a lubricating eye drop to your daily routine might help a bit as well. Taking regular breaks from computer work will help as well {and bonus: regular breaks have been shown to actually boost productivity}. If your symptoms don’t resolve within a couple of days, it’s probably time to make an appointment with your eye doctor, just to rule out changes in vision.
Now that I know I am not going to stroke out on my brand new kitchen floor, I guess I am going to have to swap some bad habits for better ones. Who knew your eyes could get so upset and cause your body to turn on you?
~Mavis
Julie says
I’m very familiar with eye strain. I read a ton, work on a computer all day at work, then come home and work on a blog. Best advice is to get away from the computer and try not to read! In the spring/summer/fall that’s easy with yardwork, cooking, or a long walk. It’s harder in the winter with a snow covered world.