Nausea and headaches from too much screen time?

Hey everyone, I’m posting here because I really need some outside perspectives before I go see a doctor—actually, I’m wondering if I even *should* bother going at all...

So, I spend my entire day glued to a computer screen, sometimes more than others, but it’s not unusual for me to pull four hours straight or even grind through an 8 or 9-hour stretch with just tiny breaks. But here’s the thing: after maybe an hour or two of work, I start feeling this intense pressure right behind my eyes and in my sinus area, and then it turns into this absolutely unbearable nausea where I feel like I’m about to throw up any second. Sometimes I get dizzy too, and if it gets really bad, I honestly just have to crawl into bed, totally wiped out and feeling like I’ve caught some nasty flu or something.

For what it's worth, my diet is fine, I don't wear glasses, my vision is perfect, and honestly, I’m usually in pretty great shape overall.
What do you guys think? Is this actually being caused by my monitor, or should I be booking appointments with an eye doctor, an ENT, or a neurologist? Or should I just quit my job entirely and donate my computer to charity? 😉

Thanks!

1. Dial back your monitor brightness. Most people leave it cranked up to 100%, but depending on your specific screen, dropping it down to about 20% is usually more than enough.
2. If you prefer working in a dimmer environment (which is what I mean by 😁), try placing a desk lamp behind your monitor to provide some ambient light.

So, I actually went ahead and applied all those tips from points 1 and 2, so we’ll just have to wait and see if it actually does anything! Honestly, I don't see much difference in the brightness even though I turned it way down, but who knows? Maybe my eyes just won't pick up on it—I guess I'll find out in a few days when the strain starts hitting!

thanks!

I used to get such bad nausea that I’d feel lightheaded the second I sat down in front of my monitor.🙄
And honestly? Even now, I still deal with the fallout from spending too much time at the computer every now and then.😁

Nicholas Rogers said:Hey everyone, I’m posting here because I really need some outside perspectives before I go see a doctor—actually, I’m wondering if I even *should* bother going at all...

So, I spend my entire day glued to a computer screen, sometimes more than others, but it’s not unusual for me to pull four hours straight or even grind through an 8 or 9-hour stretch with just tiny breaks. But here’s the thing: after maybe an hour or two of work, I start feeling this intense pressure right behind my eyes and in my sinus area, and then it turns into this absolutely unbearable nausea where I feel like I’m about to throw up any second. Sometimes I get dizzy too, and if it gets really bad, I honestly just have to crawl into bed, totally wiped out and feeling like I’ve caught some nasty flu or something.

For what it's worth, my diet is fine, I don't wear glasses, my vision is perfect, and honestly, I’m usually in pretty great shape overall.
What do you guys think? Is this actually being caused by my monitor, or should I be booking appointments with an eye doctor, an ENT, or a neurologist? Or should I just quit my job entirely and donate my computer to charity? 😉

Thanks!

same shit😢

I'm on the PC for like 10 hours a day. Zero sunlight since my office doesn't even have windows, just crappy fluorescent lights. Total disaster. I deal with neck issues, nausea, whatever... last year I had these bouts of dizziness and puking so bad I couldn't even get out of bed... went through endless tests (neurologist didn't even think I needed a brain scan, apparently)... basically ended up with nothing concrete again🤷

A few pointers:

1. Position your monitor below eye level. You should be looking slightly downward at the screen.

2. Try to maintain a distance of about 24 inches from the display, assuming that feels comfortable for you.

3. Work in shorter, more frequent bursts. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break. Use that time to look at something far away—out a window, for instance.

4. Occasionally massage your eyes gently by closing them and lightly circling your fingertips over your eyelids.

5. Using artificial tears can sometimes help.

6. I’ll save this for last, even though it belongs at the top, because it requires a professional consultation: it is vital that anyone working on a computer gets an accurate correction for refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism) specifically calibrated for your workstation distance.

Eye strain tends to be more prevalent in those logging more than four hours of screen time daily.

One important note (and I know I probably sound like a broken record on this Reddit): anyone experiencing discomfort while using a computer needs to undergo a thorough ophthalmological exam.

Simply reading letters and numbers off a chart in an optometrist's office to hit 100% visual acuity isn't enough. That isn't the kind of comprehensive exam I’m talking about. Beyond testing distance and near vision—or vision at 22 inches or whatever your specific working distance is—they need to check things like phoria and fusion.

To be honest, I’d probably throw in some extra back exercises, whether at the gym or just at home, to help build up those muscles to better support my spine...

I mean, I try to give my eyes a break over the weekend, but honestly? During the week, I am staring at screens way too much. It’s getting ridiculous. So, first things first, I definitely need to book an appointment with an eye doctor, you know? And then there's the whole routine—back exercises, dimming the brightness on my monitor, actually taking breaks to look away from the screen, fixing my posture, and making sure my computer isn't shoved right in my face...

Thanks for all the tips, everyone!

Honestly, even just playing a game on my PC triggers this wave of nausea... any game at all. It hits me within two minutes and just builds up until I'm actually throwing up. Once it’s out of my system, I feel fine. But if I try to jump back in thirty minutes later? Yep, the nausea is right back there again. No clue what causes it, so now I just avoid gaming altogether.
My eyes also start feeling super strained after a bit. I finally figured out a workaround by wearing blue light glasses while I'm at the computer. It actually helps—at least for me. They don't get nearly as tired or watery (I'm basically glued to glasses anyway since my eyes are incredibly sensitive). I don't know, maybe it's partly habit, but without them, I just feel off. It's like a smoker trying to go a day without a cigarette or having one in their mouth.

Taylor Nelson80 said:Honestly, even just playing a game on my PC triggers this wave of nausea... any game at all. It hits me within two minutes and just builds up until I'm actually throwing up. Once it’s out of my system, I feel fine. But if I try to jump back in thirty minutes later? Yep, the nausea is right back there again. No clue what causes it, so now I just avoid gaming altogether.
My eyes also start feeling super strained after a bit. I finally figured out a workaround by wearing blue light glasses while I'm at the computer. It actually helps—at least for me. They don't get nearly as tired or watery (I'm basically glued to glasses anyway since my eyes are incredibly sensitive). I don't know, maybe it's partly habit, but without them, I just feel off. It's like a smoker trying to go a day without a cigarette or having one in their mouth.

You could also try cranking the screen brightness down to the absolute minimum. It should do pretty much the same thing as wearing shades since you probably just can't handle how bright the screen is (for me, yeah, but sunglasses actually bother me even more 😬). Give it a shot, nothing to lose 🙂