Shamard Charles, MD, MPH is a public health physician and journalist. He has held positions with major news networks like NBC reporting on health policy, public health initiatives, diversity in medicine, and new developments in health care research and medical treatments.

Andrew Greenberg, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist skilled in advanced cataract and invasive glaucoma surgery. 

There are many types of headaches, including eye strain headaches. These headaches often occur after spending an extended period reading or staring at a computer screen. They may be accompanied by blurry vision, dry eyes, pain in your neck and shoulders, or a dull ache behind your eyes.

With the rise of “Zoom culture” in the workplace and school environment, eye strain headaches have become increasingly common.

This article will discuss the symptoms, causes, and treatment of eye strain headaches. 

Digital eye strain is the direct result of spending too much time staring at a screen. It is associated with:

Most headaches are not due to eye strain, but if your two eyes are not aligned, or you are focusing on images improperly—as is the case in those who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism—the stress on your eye may lead to an eye strain headache. 

The typical eye strain headache develops after spending an extended amount of time—usually hours—looking at a computer screen, reading, or even sewing.

Any tasks requiring you to use your eyes for a long time can lead to eye strain headaches, but the rise of Zoom meetings and schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic has made eye strain headaches more prevalent than ever.  

Frequent eye strain headaches may cause pain and disrupt your quality of life, but they can also limit your productivity—reducing work accuracy—extending the amount of time required to complete tasks, and necessitating more frequent breaks.

There are certain actions you can take to reduce or eliminate the headaches you’re experiencing as a result of digital eye strain:

Eye strain headaches are usually relieved by taking a break from the task that is triggering your headache.

One way to ensure that you are not spending too much time on any one task—like reading on the computer—is to frequently change your routine. Varying your activities is an underrated but very effective way to reduce eye fatigue and digital eye strain.

Some other techniques that might be helpful include:

Most cases of digital eye strain headache go away with a break from the computer, but if your symptoms linger well after your break, you may want to get checked by an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or other healthcare providers. 

Most headaches are not due to eye strain, but the increased use of digital mediums for work has increased the prevalence of eye strain headaches. 

People are using computers and other digital devices more than ever, but overuse may negatively impact your health. Even as the digital demands in work and life increase, it is important to balance these activities with non-digital ones. Using digital devices usually means that you are sitting for an extended time. 

Your eye strain headache may be a sign that you need to get up and move. A sedentary lifestyle has been associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.

The importance of taking a daily walk or stretching has never been greater. Taking a break doesn’t just help relieve your eye strain headache, but it will also be good for your mood, blood pressure, and overall heart health.

Eye strain headaches are a transient phenomenon that usually go away within a few minutes or hours after stepping away from the trigger (anxiety-inducing situation, computer screen, book, etc.). Of note, eye strain does not cause permanent damage to the eye.

Limiting screen time, taking frequent breaks, and using good posture (whether sitting or standing) are great ways to prevent eye strain headaches.

If you are experiencing blurry vision, dry eyes, pain in your neck and shoulders, or a dull ache behind your eyes after spending a long period of reading or computer screen time chances are you are having an eye strain headache.

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Sheppard AL, Wolffsohn JS. Digital eye strain: prevalence, measurement and amelioration. BMJ Open Ophthalmology 2018;3:e000146. doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2018-000146

American Migraine Foundation. Do I need to have my eyes checked if my head hurts?

Creasy SA, Rogers RJ, Byard TD, Kowalsky RJ, Jakicic JM. Energy expenditure during acute periods of sitting, standing, and walking. J Phys Act Health. 2016;13(6):573-578. doi:10.1123/jpah.2015-0419

By Shamard Charles, MD, MPH Shamard Charles, MD, MPH is a public health physician and journalist. He has held positions with major news networks like NBC reporting on health policy, public health initiatives, diversity in medicine, and new developments in health care research and medical treatments.

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