Eye strain for weeks and mild astigmatism

ZenXLaika

I'm 22 years old and I've been having a computer related eye strain for over two weeks after binging shows on my laptop and pulled all nighters at the same time…i also cannot read or draw (on paper) without feeling dizzy, I already wear glasses since my vision started deteriorating at age 17, I experienced something similar 3 years ago, I couldn't look at the computer screens and felt dizzy, it was also triggered by extended computer use overnight, it went away as soon as i rested my eyes for a few weeks and took painkillers for migraine..although it wasn't as bad as this, I didn't have dry eyes, light sensitivity and disorientation.

I went to an optometrist a few days ago and he diagnosed my with mild astigmatism and said that my vision keeps changing and gave me a new prescription, I am wearing the new prescription glasses right now, however I feel the computer/phone related eye strain is there, heck now I'm having extreme light sensitivity when I look at the laptop screen, what's good is that my vision doesn't go blurry after reading text like it used to with my previous prescription, infact I can see text better with my new prescription, get I still have a slight ghosting problem, should I just give my new prescription some time to adapt? I'm still not quite sure on what might've caused my eyes to strain so much that I can't even look at a computer/phone screen without having dry eyes, extreme light sensitivity, migraine and feeling disoriented, I wonder if completely resting my eyes and my new prescription will fix my eye strain?could it be that since I'm not used to the laptop's display, it strained my eyes to the point that I messed my eyesight? This is worrying me and stressing me out alot since I work on computers and can't even read!

Abeabe

If you are already using a flicker free monitor screen maybe you can try using darker backgrounds, for example I can't use white backgrounds because white emits a lot of energy and my eyes get tired very quickly, at first using dark backgrounds and clear letters is strange, but then you get used to it and your eyes feel much better.

ZenXLaika

Abeabe The background is already dark and I even put it on night light and lowered the brightness and tried making the display's color softer…..I'm avoiding the laptop as much as possible and am only relying on my phone…what's weird is that I've used this laptop before a hundred times and never got an eye strain as bad as this..…I'm suspecting it could also be linked to my worsening eyesight/astigmatism or stress and insomnia…since I'm always working on electronic devices etc lately I've been looking at screens alot for more than 5 hours without realising it so that might also be to blame…

KM

I have brightness issues with most regular displays I have tried so far, and with LED bulbs. What those devices have in common is the White LED technology. I had success with bulbs and displays that differ from the White LED spectrum. The difference is enjoying a screen at high brightness vs. having to turn the brightness all the way down unless you almost can't recognize the screen's content anymore (and it still hurts). I think having to turn the brightness way, way down beyond what most people would consider "normal" is a symptom for this. What's noteworthy is that with devices that don't fall in the problematic category I don't have to turn down the brightness much anymore. Using them I don't need "dark modes". I always choose "light mode" everywhere, and there is no problem at all anymore with white content. Perhaps even regular people that feel the need to use dark modes would profit from changing the display to a different technology.

What's important to note:

I don't have any issues with sunlight nor with reading text in sunlight.
Blue light filters, whether by software or physical filters (blue light filtering glasses) don't help me with this condition.
Only a different display helps. I found those that helped have a spectrum different from White LED.

Doctors are not aware of this.

Micayou

KM
Hello, What hardware do you support?

ZenXLaika

KM ….I can't read a book or do anything that requires alot of focus like painting/drawing anymore, thanks to my disabling eye condition…I never used to get strained eyes from my phone..so I highly doubt it's something to do with looking at certain displays.. I've tried dark mode on everything and it still gives me irritated dry eyes and migraine literally a few seconds after looking at my phone screen…also I already have this migraine problem as well…why am I suddenly photophobic?

Micayou

Hello,

I also have similar symptoms. After a big crisis of eye fatigue I was forced to review my habits. Unable to use my Macbook, my iphone, and my Ipad.

I went back to a nokia 3310, and the only computer I support is my MBA from 2012.... On the other hand, thanks to that, the symptoms have almost disappeared...

ZenXLaika

Micayou Did you ever rest your eyes and notice a change or use certain eye drops?..I really don't have another phone or pc…so I'm stuck with finding a permanent cure cuz this has ruined my life, it's not just a problem with displays.. I have focus related problems and cannot read on a book or draw..

Micayou

ZenXLaika It's simple, I stopped everything... As if I had to detox. I changed my habits: changing the phone allowed me to spend a lot less time on the screen. Instead of being on the computer, I did music or sports. Rather than watching youtube on the computer, I do it on the TV. In short I use the computer really when I have no choice. After a while my eyes rested, and I felt less discomfort. You also need to find the devices that are right for you. For me for example everything that is apple I can no longer watch without being sick. It doesn't matter, you just have to find something else.
In my opinion the problem if you don't rest is that you will have more and more symptoms. The more symptoms you have, the more you stress, and the more you stress, the more you trigger additional symptoms.

I never thought I would say that, but you'll see: spending less time on the screen and doing something else has its advantages too...

Micayou

ZenXLaika in my opinion it's not necessarily all at once... It's rather an accumulation that all of a sudden the body says stop...
Personally it happened to me after a period when I spent a lot of time on the phone... The same phone on which I could spend hours, became unbearable for more than 10 seconds.
After that it's my opinion and I'm in no way a doctor...

Micayou

ZenXLaika For me the phone is much worse than the computer. Be careful not to think that you are resting your eyes when you are on the phone...
Resting your eyes is simply no screen....

ZenXLaika

Micayou You're right..I indeed have a bad addiction to electronics, it's like a unhealthy coping method which has costed me my eyesight now.…this is also why I can not stop looking at my phone even now and Exactly I am stressing out alot because of this as I'm already suffering from anxiety, depression and panic quickly over stuff.. I have switched to another hobby, crafts..since I can't even read or make drawings.. however the only problem is that sometimes I have to listen to music through my phone, can't live without music.. I'll rely on my bluetooth speaker and my usb… …since I won't have to look at a screen frequently and I think my symptoms really did worsen a bit with stress and from me looking at the screen frequently even now..Ty so much for the advice..I will try to completely detach from my phone for maybe a few more months until this subsides and focus on things around me…and yes I've heard the phone screens can mess up your vision, so no more movies and shows for me…😖

Abeabe

ZenXLaika Yes, if you see a small screen at a short distance, or anything close to your sight, you will be straining your eye muscles much more, once a doctor told me that seeing the cell phone screen for the eyes is comparable to running a marathon and looking at the horizon is like walking.

Micayou

You'll see it's not that difficult... You'll have more time to do lots of things, and the vision will get better and better....

ZenXLaika

Micayou Yep I hope so.

ZenXLaika

Abeabe Exactly..I think it's best I rest my eyes and not look at any screen at a for a few more weeks or a month or so… also I haven't been sleeping well, no wonder my eyes got strained…I need to fix my schedule…something similar happened to my mum and the doctor told her to sleep for 8 hours and rest and hers went away, so know not sleeping well and extended screen time are both to blame in my case..

Michael-Nurse-Dev

ZenXLaika I have had this issue for 25 years, not as intense as you. Once I injure my eyes the recovery period can be 1 day, 1 week or 1 month - some others in the forum had a whole year of no computers. Consider not doing anything requiring eye focus - driving, reading, looking around for a couple days - get some audio books related to your work/study and listen to those - that way your time is not completely wasted. That is my 2 cents.

ZenXLaika

Michael-Nurse-Dev Thankyou and yes I think my problem might take longer, cuz it's been atleast 2 weeks.. although I hope it doesn't, for me it was also a problem with my previous prescription weakening because of my computer habits, could it be that wearing my old one gave me computer eye strain?…the new prescription glasses is stll adjusting to my eyes so I'll see if my problem goes away, however even with my new prescription I'm having a new symptoms especially after reading on the screen, it's mostly migraine and one eye not being able to focus, if this doesn't go away soon.. it's the doctor's visit for me and more stress and depression.. 😖

Michael-Nurse-Dev

ZenXLaika

Be cautious of doctors, they only know two things - tests and scalpels - many problems are just invisible to their tests and cutting anything eye related is often Russian Roulette. In addition, CVS is typically a chronic condition and not an acute problem - and doctors are only trained to treat acute problems. Try to ride out the recovery with rest and improving your general health - your diet, your psychology etc - these things have knock on effects over your entire body system - including your eyes. There are many potential longer-term technical solutions to use screens again found in these forums - but I sense you need to recover first, just like a guy who has fallen off a motor-bike - it is no use trying to get back on the bike until the broken bones are mended.

ZenXLaika

Michael-Nurse-Dev Thankyou and yes I agree doctors especially where I live don't know anything about computer related strain, I mean mine didn't even listen to me on this..so I will wait for this problem to recover..I am already low on iron and have some health conditions and deficiencies already..i have started getting multivitamines and am trying to improve my sleep..infact I've heard insomnia can indeed mess up your system and has an impact on your eyesight….I wasn't sleeping during my days of binging on my laptop so I know it's an eye fatigue caused by cvs as well as insomnia..the strain is so bad that it will take over a month to recover probably or longer if I'm not careful..I might not be able to reply to you..since I'm trying to rest my eyes as much as possible and reading triggers everything..so I'm ending the convo here..I will rest my eyes completely and take vtamins and try to be more active..