Computer and phone eye strain
Tired eyes from screens? A self-help guide
Long hours on a computer or phone can leave your eyes dry, tired or blurry and your neck and shoulders sore. Doctors call this computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain. It is very common, and a few simple changes usually help within a couple of weeks.
Why screens tire your eyes
Self-check: how are your eyes coping?
Think about the last two weeks while using screens. How often did you notice each of these?
Habits that help
The 20-20-20 rule
Every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for at least 20 seconds, and blink fully a few times. It relaxes the focusing muscles and lets your tear film recover.
Use the break timerSet up your screen
Keep the screen about an arm's length away (50 to 70 cm), with the top of it at or just below eye level so you look slightly down. Make text big enough to read comfortably; zoom in rather than lean in. Hold your phone a little further away than feels natural.
Light and glare
Keep the room about as bright as the screen, and avoid a bright window directly behind or in front of it. Tilt the screen to cut reflections. Night mode may make evening use more comfortable, but there's no good evidence that screen blue light damages the eyes, and blue-filter glasses haven't been shown to reduce eye strain.
Blink and stay moist
Every so often, close your eyes fully and gently for a moment. Don't sit with an air conditioner or fan blowing at your face, and drink enough water. Lubricating eye drops can help; if you use them more than about four times a day, choose a preservative-free kind.
Check your glasses
An out-of-date glasses number makes your eyes work harder. If you're over 40, reading glasses are usually set for closer than a screen, so ask about glasses made for computer distance.
For children
Children's eyes are still developing. Build in screen breaks, and encourage time outdoors every day; about two hours of daylight a day is linked to a lower chance of developing short-sight. A yearly eye check is a good idea. Children's eye care
Eye break timer
Work for 20 minutes, then take a 20-second look into the distance.
Keep this tab open and your volume up.
Quick eye comfort breaks
These are simple ways to rest tired eyes during the day. They can ease discomfort, but they don't change your glasses number or treat eye disease.
Blink reset
Close your eyes gently, hold for two seconds, then open. Repeat 10 times. Try it three times a day, or whenever your eyes feel dry.
Near and far
Hold your thumb about 25 cm from your face and focus on it for 10 seconds, then focus on something across the room for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Palming
Rub your hands together to warm them, then cup them over your closed eyes without pressing on the eyes. Breathe slowly for about a minute.
Look around
Without moving your head, slowly look up, down, left and right, or trace a large sideways figure of eight, for about 30 seconds. Stop if you feel dizzy.
If your eyes stay dry
Warm compresses (a clean, warm cloth over closed eyes for 5 to 10 minutes) and gentle eyelid cleaning can help, especially if your doctor has advised it. If you need drops every day, or the dryness keeps coming back, the cause is often blocked oil glands in the eyelids, which can be treated. See our pages on dry eye and computer vision syndrome and IPL treatment for dry eyes.
When to see an eye doctor
- Blurred vision or headaches that continue even after a couple of weeks of good habits
- Dryness that needs drops every day
- Red, painful or light-sensitive eyes, or any discharge
- Double vision
- Go the same day for a sudden change in vision, flashes of light, a shower of new floaters, or a shadow across your vision
Common questions
Can screens permanently damage my eyes?
There is no good evidence that normal screen use causes permanent eye damage in adults. The strain, dryness and blur are uncomfortable but usually settle with breaks. In children, lots of close work and little time outdoors is linked to short-sight developing or worsening.
Do I need blue-light glasses?
Studies haven't shown that blue-light-filtering glasses reduce eye strain from screens. Breaks, good screen set-up, blinking and the right glasses number make much more difference.
Is my self-check result a diagnosis?
No. The checklist is a rough guide to how much screen time is affecting you, not a medical test. Only an eye examination can find the cause of your symptoms.
This guide is for general information only and is not a diagnosis. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere; results you choose to save stay in this browser. For sudden vision loss, severe pain, or a red eye with discharge, seek care the same day.
Talk to an eye specialist
Akshar Eye Clinic, 1st Floor, Radha Vishweshwar Apartment, Narsing Lane, opposite NL High School, Malad West, Mumbai 400064. Open Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM.