Causes of Eye Strain

Eye strain is fundamentally caused by straining one or more of the eye muscles. Most commonly eye strain is caused by straining the ciliary body, the eye muscle responsible for accommodation. Typically the muscle is strained by keeping it in one position for a long time. In other words eye strain is caused by visually concentrating on one thing or one distance for too long.

The eyes tend to strain faster from focusing on near distances as opposed to far distances. Switching between distances rapidly can hasten the strain as well.

Some common activities that can cause eye strain include:

• Computer use
• Reading
• Watching television
• Driving
• Pitching baseball/softball

In addition to activities that cause you to focus the eyes for long periods of time some environmental factors can add to the stress placed on your eyes:

• Low Light Levels
• Fluorescent Lighting
• Bad viewing angle
• Poor Ergonomic Computer Setup
• Low sreen contrast levels
• Glare
• Brightness

Some personal factors contribute to eye strain as well:

• Poor and uncorrected vision
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Tiredness
• Poor posture
• Alcohol and drug use