Eye Strain
By the AllHealth UK editorial teamLast reviewed Next review due Compiled from published NHS and NICE guidance. Not reviewed by a clinician.
Key facts
Digital eye strain (computer vision syndrome) occurs after prolonged focus on screens or close-up work. It is common in people who spend long stretches on screens, but is not permanent and can be managed effectively.
Most often affects:Office workersStudentsGamersPeople who read extensively
What commonly causes eye strain
- Prolonged screen use without breaks
- Reading in poor or harsh lighting
- Uncorrected vision problems (needing glasses)
- Dry air from air conditioning or central heating
- Screen positioned too close or at wrong angle
- Wearing contact lenses for long periods
- Some medicines, such as certain antidepressants and blood pressure medicines
What helps at home
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- Adjust screen brightness to match room lighting — reduce glare
- Position screens at arm's length and slightly below eye level
- Use artificial tears for dry, gritty eyes
- Blink deliberately — people tend to blink less when concentrating on a screen
- Increase text size on devices to reduce squinting
When to get help
These three levels are different. Getting the level right is the single most useful thing this page can do for you.
Non-urgent advice: see a GP if
- Your eyes ache or feel gritty most days despite regular screen breaks
- You have not had an eye test in the last 2 years
- You get frequent headaches despite adjusting your screen and lighting
- You are struggling to read small print or road signs
- Your eyes are persistently red or watery
Urgent advice: ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if
- One eye is painful and red and your vision has become blurred
- You have developed new double vision
- Your eye is very sensitive to light and painful to move
- Something is stuck in your eye and will not wash out
Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden onset of many floaters with flashing lights (retinal detachment)
- Eye injury from a foreign object or chemical splash
What to do next
Not sure whether eye strain needs a doctor? These are your options, cheapest and fastest first.
Questions people ask about eye strain
Reducing the chance of it coming back
- Set up an ergonomic workstation — screen at arm's length, top of screen at eye level
- Clean your eyelids every day with a flannel soaked in warm (not hot) water, and if you wear contact lenses take them out and wear glasses to rest your eyes.
- Get your eyes tested every 2 years, or more often if your optometrist recommends it.
- Ensure good ambient lighting — avoid working in darkness with a bright screen
Conditions this can be part of
Listed alphabetically, not by likelihood — this page does not tell you which one you have.
- Astigmatism
- Digital eye strain
- Dry eye syndrome
- Myopia
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.
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