If you get headaches regularly, you may start to see a pattern with when and how they arise. For some people, with lives dominated by screen time at work, at home, and nearly everywhere in between, the resulting eye strain leads to headaches. So how can you fight back and prevent this pain from interrupting your life?
The important thing to understand here is that eye strain is often not a direct cause of headaches, but arises at the same time as a headache because of an underlying condition that causes both. So discovering, treating, and preventing the actual underlying cause of the headache can bring you relief.
What causes eye strain headaches?
Chronic eye strain can cause headaches but also can be a concurrent symptom to something else that causes both headaches and eye strain. While you work at a screen, several things can happen that can contribute to headaches.
Your jaw might clench unconsciously as you concentrate, creating tension that radiates upward. Your neck and shoulder muscles often tighten as you lean forward or hold your head in an awkward position to see the screen better. Meanwhile, absorbed in your work, you might forget to drink enough water throughout the day, leading to dehydration—another common headache trigger.
This interconnected web means that even if you address your eye strain with drops or screen adjustments, headaches might persist if these other contributing factors remain unresolved.
Causes of eye strain
Even as we come to understand the other factors at play, eye strain is a real, standalone condition that can lead to pain in and around the eyes and temples that often coincide with headache symptoms.
Although most of us know what eye strain feels like, it’s important to know what specifically causes strain so we can better avoid and treat it.
Eye strain can be caused by:
- Dry eyes (blinking less while staring)
- Screen glare
- Close-up focusing distance
- Poor screen contrast or small text
- Poor lighting in the room you’re in
- Improper prescription
- Eye health disorders
How to relieve eye strain headaches
It’s often easier said than done, but relieving eye strain headaches simply means relieving the cause of your eye strain. However, if you’re using eye drops and have already adjusted your screen settings and height, but are still experiencing headaches, it may be time to examine other contributing factors that we mentioned earlier.
A physical therapist can help you identify and treat postural issues or muscle tension that might be perpetuating your head pain. In the meantime, there are a few steps to try to prevent this tension and eye strain from continuing to cause headaches.
Take regular breaks from screen work
The 20-20-20 rule remains one of the simplest strategies for preventing eye strain. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This habit gives your attention a break and encourages natural blinking.
For even better results, take a 15-minute break every two hours to step away from your screen entirely. Use this time to walk around, stretch, or perform tasks that don’t require close visual focus.
Use lubricating eye drops
Over-the-counter artificial tears can provide immediate relief for dry eyes that may be caused by excessive staring. Apply drops before you start screen work as a preventive measure, not just when your eyes already feel dry and irritated.
Adjust your work environment for better lighting
Proper lighting can dramatically reduce how hard your eyes have to work. Position your screen perpendicular to windows to minimize glare, and ensure your room has ambient lighting that’s about one-third as bright as your screen.
Consider using a desk lamp with adjustable brightness to provide adequate task lighting without creating harsh shadows or glare. If overhead fluorescent lighting creates problems, try using warmer, softer light sources instead.
Anti-glare screen filters can also help reduce reflections and harsh light from your monitor. Many people find that slightly tilting their screen downward (10-20 degrees) helps minimize ceiling light reflections.
Check your vision prescription
For those who need vision correction with contacts or glasses, outdated or incorrect prescriptions force your eyes to work harder to achieve clear focus, greatly contributing to strain and headaches. Even small changes in your vision acuity can cause significant discomfort during extended screen use. If you haven’t had an eye exam in the past two years, schedule one to ensure your prescription is up-to-date.
Examine and improve your posture
Poor posture doesn’t just cause back or neck pain—it can directly contribute to headaches. When you slouch or crane your neck forward, your muscles bear additional, often unbalanced strain that can radiate upward as a cervicogenic headache.
Rules of thumb for proper desk ergonomics include:
- Position your monitor so the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level
- Position the monitor about an arm’s length away
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back supported
- Keep your shoulders relaxed, not hunched up toward your ears
Personalized headache treatments in NW Washington
If you’ve tried multiple strategies to reduce eye strain and regular headaches but are still getting them, our team of Physical Therapists may be able to provide the professional guidance you need.
Discover the real culprit behind your eye strain and headaches and start on the path to total relief by calling a Whatcom Physical Therapy clinic near you or by requesting your appointment online today.