Computer vision syndrome, also known as digital eye strain, can cause pain and discomfort. Small adjustments, like taking a break from screen time and improving the lighting at your work station, can typically help your eyes feel better pretty quickly. For some people, digital eye strain can cause recurring discomfort.
Up to 90 percentTrusted Source of people who use digital devices may sometimes experience symptoms of eye strain. Some of them have severe eye strain due to prolonged screen usage. Let’s take a look at how long eye strain usually lasts and what you can do about it.
How long can eye strain last?
We don’t have a lot of good studies that show how long eye strain can last. According to the American Optometric Association, the extent of your discomfort may depend on other factors, such as how much time you spend looking at a screen, whether you are nearsighted, and whether you have astigmatism. If you have a vision condition that’s not currently being treated, that can also worsen your symptoms.
In general, eye strain doesn’t last for long. Anecdotally, it seems that digital eye strain will typically go away within an hour of your last interaction with your screen.
If your eye strain comes with other symptoms, such as headache, dry eyes, neck or shoulder strain, it might take a little longer for your symptoms to resolve.
Under normal circumstances, eye strain doesn’t take days to go away. If you have constant eye strain, that’s a sign that an underlying condition may be at play.
How long does it take to feel better?
Once you look away from your screen, the pain and discomfort your eyes feel from eye strain may go away nearly immediately. If it doesn’t, try focusing on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, about every 20 minutes, to see if that helps.
If you’re reading this on a screen and you have eye strain, a good idea would be to look away when you’re done with this article! Taking a break from any time of screen interaction is important to give your eyes a break.