A fuzzy image, periodic double vision, fatigue do not always indicate eye diseases or visual impairment. Maybe it’s asthenopia. The name is unfamiliar, but the state itself is familiar to everyone. This term ophthalmologists call eye fatigue as a result of prolonged intensive work. A person feels symptoms of asthenopia while reading a book or text from a computer screen, or after many hours of driving.

Causes and symptoms of asthenopia

Visual tasks that require high concentration cause overstrain and muscle spasm, and not only the eyes. The muscles of the eyelids, face, and even the jaw are also included in the visual process, and to such an extent that pain and discomfort are sometimes felt. Lighting also plays a role: the eyes get tired quickly in dim light. Looking intently at the monitor, carried away by his tasks, a person blinks less often, and asthenopia is accompanied by dryness of the eyeball. Refractive errors – nearsightedness and farsightedness – exacerbate eye fatigue.

In general, the symptoms of asthenopia are varied:

• fatigue,
• burning and pain in the eyes,
• blurred image,
• double vision,
• headache,
• tearing,
• dry eye,
• pain in the neck,
• photophobia – hypersensitivity to light.

Many of these signs are also characteristic of eye diseases, astigmatism, farsightedness or myopia. To understand the true cause, it is still better to come for a consultation with an ophthalmologist and undergo a comprehensive eye diagnosis.

What to do if your eyes get tired quickly?

It is impossible to reduce the load on vision in the modern world – work and entertainment are unthinkable without gadgets. It’s not worth putting up with fatigue, especially since it’s easy enough to relieve tension.

Here are a few “recipes” available to everyone:

• Massage. Light circular movements in the area of the eyelids and above the eyebrows for 40 seconds increase blood circulation and relax the muscles.
• Warm palms. Rub your palms and place them on your closed eyes for half a minute.
• Sunbathing. You can get an energy charge by substituting your face for a couple of minutes under the sun’s rays. The eyes must be covered.
• Eye charger. Even the alternation of looking far and at a close object trains the eye muscles.
• Cool water relieves swelling, tension and fatigue, improves blood circulation.
• Compresses from chamomile tea, milk, cucumber reduce swelling, relieve irritation, help muscles relax.
• Lighting. Too bright light makes the eyes work hard, as well as too dim. Choose the optimal intensity.
• Brightness and color temperature on monitors. Remove excessive brightness on your computer and other gadgets. Take a break from the computer – give your eyes a rest.

And don’t forget to blink and breathe, no matter how absurd it may sound. Tears wash away germs and provide the cornea with the necessary lubrication, while deep breathing supplies oxygen to the eyes.

A little self-care and the discomfort will leave you. And trust the specialists for serious vision problems.