What is Asthenopia?

Asthenopia sounds like a serious term, but when translated it loses some of its gravity. Quite simply, it’s the medical term for eye strain, and for a constellation of symptoms that may accompany eye strain. In most cases, such strain is caused by overworking the eyes and may be remedied through resting them, but in other circumstances, it could be an indication of an underlying vision defect. Given the latter, it’s always important to see a doctor if the symptoms of this condition occur.

There can be diverse ways in which asthenopia presents. Some people get severe headaches and others notice blurred vision or vision that doubles up so they see two images. Other potential symptoms of eye strain can be dry eyes or very red eyes. Tired eyes can also translate to an overall feeling of tiredness or fatigue, and some people have pain that seems to emanate from the eyes. A few people find their eyes are very sensitive to light (photophobia), and others feel soreness in the neck and jaw.

One of the main causes of asthenopia is doing close work or work that requires a lot of eye focusing. Reading can result in this condition, but more commonly people get it when they spend a lot of time on the computer. Especially with computer use, other symptoms of asthenopia make sense. For instance, dry or red eyes may result from not blinking enough, and it’s shown that people’s blink rate can decrease when they stare at computer screens for long periods of time.

As previously stated, there can be other causes of eye strain that don’t have to do with overuse of the eyes. If people are short sighted or long sighted and have to concentrate hard to properly focus, they may develop asthenopia too. Those who have challenges keeping an image together and who are already suffering a certain amount of double vision might develop eye pain and strain, as a result.

Given the potential for eye strain to represent correctable conditions, the symptoms of asthenopia warrant a visit to an eye doctor. This is one way of ruling out underlying eye issues that might be corrected by glasses. If these are ruled out, an eye doctor can suggest ways to help reduce symptoms.

Suggestions can include resting the eyes and taking regular breaks from intense eye work. For instance, people are usually advised to take a five-minute break from computer work every hour. Other potential treatments could include eye exercises to strengthen the eyes and eye drops to reduce redness or dryness. Most times when cause is identified and a treatment plan is adhered to, asthenopia will resolve.