Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Eye strain

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Eye strain

    I've never had ON, but lately having a really hard time with what I think is eye strain. My eye muscles and forehead hurt when I try to read on the screen for any length of time. It doesn't affect my vision at all, but the discomfort is making work in particular very difficult. Taking rest breaks by closing my eyes while rubbing my forehead and temples helps a little, but for obvious reasons, sitting at my desk with my eyes closed at work is not going to fly for very long.

    I was to the optometrist a few weeks ago, before this really started. At the time, he determined that my glasses were fine and there were no other problems, so it's not that I need new/better glasses.

    Does anyone else have this problem, and is there anything you do to alleviate it?
    PPMS
    Dx 07/13

    #2
    Dealing with eye eye strain involves some of what you're already doing. The guideline is to take a 20-second visual break every 20 minutes and a 15-minute visual break every 2 hours. (If you google computer vision syndrome and read a couple of authority sites, they're in agreement.)

    The 20-second breaks can consist of looking out a window or down a long hallway. Fortunately, I have both options. If you don't, you can defocus for 20 seconds and allow your eyes to rest. But easier is to just close your eyes, because that alone triggers some relaxation that's hard to achieve with eyes open. There's no way to get around taking the breaks if this is the only method used. You'll just have to figure out a way to do it that's less obvious if you're concerned about what someone might say. Is there some reason you can't just explain that you have some eyestrain?

    The 15-minute breaks can come from just getting up and going to the bathroom. And since it's beneficial to get up and move around every couple of hours anyway, this meets 2 goals. (That's how I do it. Otherwise I'd be sitting at my computer 9 hours a day without a break.)

    Even though you were at the optometrist a few weeks ago, how long ago was that? Your eyestrain apparently doesn't care. And like with MS, new symptoms can mean the need for a new evaluation, no matter when the last one was.

    And how old are you? That can make a difference. Sometimes glasses are used for more than just giving clear vision. Sometimes they're used for doing some extra focusing when the eyes can't keep up with focusing on their own. And sometimes that requires a different glasses prescription than the one for everyday use. A lot of people have separate computer glasses. Your optometrist can tell if they might help you, too.

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks for the suggestions, jreagan. I'm 60, so yeah, there's that. I do have computer glasses. They don't chain me to my desk, and I can get up whenever I want, so I try to take frequent breaks.

      Something I didn't really go into before is that sometimes it isn't just looking at my computer, it's mid-range too, like looking at people across the table at meetings or looking at something projected on the wall. It gets really uncomfortable trying to keep eye contact when someone is talking to me while my eyes are acting up. I doubt there's really a fix for it. Just kvetching is all.
      PPMS
      Dx 07/13

      Comment


        #4
        If the eye strain is new (and it sounds like it is), another thing to consider is whether your eye muscles are coordinating properly. Eye coordination is a neurological issue, and MS is known to affect the brainstem, where all of the cranial nerves that control the eye muscles originate. Your eye doc can check to see whether one of your eye muscles is suddenly underperforming, which can lead to eyestrain as the other muscles try to compensate.

        Nerve issues are something we always have to consider with MS. But another possibility that comes up with age is lack of oxygen due to impaired blood flow. On a small scale, that can affect cranial nerves and eye muscles. Those are worth checking out. But we can hope it's just eye strain.

        Comment

        Working...
        X