Eye strain and PC use

Help,
I've been spending way too much time at my desk lately—working long hours on the computer all day and deep into the night. Something weird happened today. Every time I look at the screen, everything seems to shimmer, my vision is blurry, and my eyes actually ache. It feels like they're completely dried out, and I can see some broken capillaries too.
Does anyone know which eye drops might help, and where can I pick some up?
Thanks 👋

You can probably grab some at a local CVS or Walgreens. Not sure which specific brand though.

Honestly, the best remedy is just cutting back on screen time for a few days—any kind of screen. It also helps to just close your eyes for a few seconds every couple of minutes—just hold it, then open them. Those little micro-breaks actually make a huge difference.

And don't forget to blink regularly—keep those eyes moist—because people tend to totally forget that when they're glued to a monitor.

I went through the exact same thing while I was grinding out my thesis. I’d pull all-nighters, just pacing back and forth from my desk to the fridge and back again, over and over.

I didn't use any eye drops, but honestly? A long walk through a park sounds like it would do wonders for you. Plus, you desperately need one solid night of sleep.

Hannah Price3 said:I haven't used anything in my eyes, but I honestly think a walk in nature would help you out. Plus, getting a full night's sleep.

A full night of sleep? That’s a luxury I can't afford right now.👎
As for a walk in nature? I'm staring at some trees outside my window, but there's no way I'm heading out in this rain.
I was actually thinking about maybe using some artificial tears or something similar. Everything is starting to blur again...

Look, I thought the same thing until one night I crashed around 11:00 PM just to unwind, only to wake up the next day after 1:00 PM. 😁

You want an instant fix? Go to the pool. Between packing your bag, driving there, swimming, showering, and getting back home, you’re looking at a solid 1-2 hour window.

Now, the aftermath is a bit of a toss-up: once you get back, you might either pass out for a 13-hour coma or feel completely recharged and ready to tackle the world.

As for eye drops, I haven't a clue.

How much longer do you have to deal with this?

Hannah Price3 said:I know, I thought the same thing until one night I went to bed around 11:00 PM just to relax and didn't wake up until after 1:00 PM the next day. 😁

If you want an instant fix, try the pool. Between packing, driving there, swimming, showering, and getting back, you can be done in an hour or two.

The result varies. You might crash and sleep for thirteen hours, or you might feel completely recharged.

I can't speak to eye drops.

How much longer do you have to deal with this?

About three more weeks (hopefully).

A pool sounds nice, but my immune system is currently so low I’d probably walk out with pneumonia.
Maybe I'll treat myself to one afternoon and evening away from all the screens. That might help. But once that's over, I'm right back to this, so I really need something to moisturize my eyes.
Calling all medical experts—has anyone dealt with something similar?
I'm in a bit of a rush here.

placidjackal97 said:Don't forget to blink regularly to keep your eyes hydrated. People tend to forget that when things get intense on the screen.

Thanks for the reminder. Now I'm blinking like crazy—I'm basically tilting at this point. It feels a little better already. I'm going back to my blinking routine now. 🥳 (Hopefully my boss doesn't notice the nail polish!)

There are definitely some lubricating eye drops you can use for situations just like this one... I can't quite recall the specific brand names off the top of my head, but I suppose if you head down to a local CVS or Walgreens, the pharmacist will certainly know what you need...

..and it might also be a rather good idea to check your monitor's refresh rate, because if you happen to be running at only 60 Hz, you might actually be doing quite a bit of damage to your eyes... I guess it really ought to be at least 72 Hz to be safe...

Standard refresh rate is 85 Hz... maybe 75 Hz minimum.
But honestly, you need to step away from the computer for at least a week... and don't spend more than 8 hours a day in front of a screen, even with breaks. Especially at night. Your eyes need a break. Last semester, I was pulling over 12-hour shifts in front of my PC and my vision took a serious hit 🙄

... and thanks for the advice, but I just can't seem to step away right now (I know, I know, you're all going to tell me I need to prioritize my health first...), but this is just how things are at the moment. I'll try to cut back regardless... maybe spend less time on Reddit, hopefully. Ugh! 😉

Anyway, I'm heading to the drugstore to grab some eye drops; hopefully they can help.

I heard somewhere that you should be wearing glasses. Wait, no—you don't even wear glasses. 😉 You're still rocking a CRT monitor, right?

So, apparently, the trick is to get some non-prescription glasses. The theory is that those old monitors basically blast dust straight into your eyes.

But honestly, if you’re on a laptop or staring at an LCD screen all day, the symptoms probably have more to do with eye strain than actual dust. That would just make sense, wouldn't it?

Dr. NBA

Robert Long3 said:I heard somewhere that you should wear glasses. Well, you don't actually wear glasses. 😉 You use a CRT monitor. Right?

So, apparently, they mean non-prescription glasses. The theory is that dust from the CRT hits your eyes directly.

If you’re using a laptop or an LCD screen, the symptoms are probably just eye strain rather than dust. That makes more sense to me.

Dr. Robert Long3

In my case, Uncle Doctor 😉, it’s likely a mix of dust and fatigue. I work on two computers—sometimes three different ones—including a laptop.
Well, I won't rush out to the optometrist for glasses just yet; money is tight. I might try eye drops first, if I can actually force myself to use them. Honestly, I hate the feeling of putting drops in.

Maybe give those "vision heightening" drops a shot... I've heard people say they're basically for drunks... though honestly, looking at us IT guys, we probably aren't that far off from being functional alcoholics ourselves... 😁 😁

S

Exactly. The issue is we simply don't blink enough when we're glued to a monitor, which leads to total eye dryness.

Just head to a drugstore and ask for artificial tears. You don't need a prescription for them; they're available over the counter... there are plenty of brands out there. I can only think of Lumify off the top of my head, though there are others, I just can't recall the names right now.

If your eyes are feeling extremely dry, you should look into lubricating eye gels. I'm not entirely sure if you can find specific ones easily here in Washington, D.C., unless you order them online. Personally, I use Systane from Novartis, and applying the gel two or three times a day is sufficient for me—though I used to have to use drops much more frequently.

Lumify isn't really the right call for that. It's more for when your eyes are looking red from something like allergies.

Haha, yeah, I actually used some eye drops once back when I was just a kid. Something had gotten stuck in my eye and the doctor had to go in and get it out, which left everything feeling super irritated, so I used some Visine. I guess I just assumed they were all basically the same thing...

Back in high school, my eyes used to sting like crazy because I spent so much time hunched over my computer. They don't really do that anymore, though. I can't tell if I just got used to it or if modern monitors are actually better quality now... I suspect it's probably a bit of both, but maybe mostly the hardware side of things.

S

Casey Palmer5 said:Systane isn't the move for that. That stuff is strictly for when your eyes are all red and irritated (like from allergies or whatever).

I think there's some drops called Tear Relief out there. Anyone know if those actually work?

I usually stick with the Bausch + Lomb drops—the green bottle, about five bucks.😉

I mean, if they're called "tears," they're obviously artificial tears, so that shouldn't have anything to do with height.

Yeah, I know... looks like Allegra already weighed in on those fake-ass tears
I'm actually thinking about getting some eye drops myself. Staring at my monitor all day is wrecking my capillaries and my eyes are killing me😁