My eyes are killing me

"Hey, person, hey person
Tell me something
In all your days on this earth
Have you ever seen a lady more stunning than mine?"

I assume you’ve caught on by now—we’re talking about the daily grind of staring at a computer screen for, say, fifteen hours a day on average.
It’s mandatory for work.
And it’s equally mandatory for my own deep dives and personal interests 😁 (especially over the last month or so).

So, naturally, for the past few days, my vision has been going completely blurry... everything is just a haze.
What to do?
Should I go see an ophthalmologist? Probably.
Or maybe just buy some blue-light glasses for staring at the computer?

And I had such a great sight 😢

Give it a rest, just spend more time sitting at your desk and maybe you'll actually get better at this!

If you’re feeling the same way, I’ve actually noticed my distance vision getting a bit blurry over the last six months too😢—it just all gets fuzzy. It’s a bit frustrating, honestly, because I used to see things so clearly... though, I suppose it hasn't reached a totally catastrophic level yet.

As for computer time, I'm looking at maybe three hours on average per day. I don't really think that's the culprit here.

boldeagle3 said:"Hey Kompić, hey Kompić,
just tell me straight,
in all your days on this earth,
have you ever seen an auntie as beautiful as me?"

I assume you’ve caught the drift here—we’re talking about the daily grind of staring at a computer screen for maybe fifteen hours a day.
It’s mandatory for work.
But it’s also mandatory for my own little deep dives and personal interests 😁 (especially over this last month).

As a result, my vision has been getting incredibly blurry lately.
What’s the move?
See an eye doctor? Sure, why not.
Or just buy some dedicated computer glasses?

And I really used to have such great eyesight. 😢

I’m in the exact same boat... I’ve always had perfect vision...

Lately, though, whenever I'm reading stuff on the computer, it feels like everything is slightly out of focus.
But whatever, honestly... when I finally need glasses, I'll just get them (and I'll probably only wear them at home 😁... which isn't a problem since I'm always home anyway 😬 )

Maybe I can even use this as an excuse to dodge the military draft. 😬 😛

jimmy jazz said:Look, just keep practicing right in front of the computer, and maybe you'll actually get better at this!

🙂

Go outside and call for rain.

It might not be the computer itself; I spend nearly all my time glued to my desk, and honestly, the only thing I feel is the constant ache in my back from curling up on the bed while working.

Why don't you just head over to an eye doctor and have them give your vision a proper checkup?

Melissa Anderson72 said:And why wouldn't you just head over to the optometrist so they can give you a proper look-see?

If I do... though I’m fairly certain that over the years, I’ve put in more hours on the computer than you ever have—so, really, I’m just paying my dues...😁

Look, my screen time has been significantly higher than yours for much longer than you've been at this (don't ask me how I know 😁), and since my daily staring sessions aren't any shorter either, I can tell you this: the computer might be aggravating your issues, but it’s likely not the sole culprit. Personally, I don't wear glasses or contacts—never needed them—and I haven't run into any vision problems.

All I can really tell you, just like everyone else here, is to go see an eye doctor and let a professional tell you what's actually going on.

Dana Allen3 said:Maybe I can find some loophole to dodge the draft because of this...😬 😛

Yeah, right... 😁

boldeagle3 said:Fine, whatever, but I’m pretty damn sure I’ve spent more time troubleshooting hardware than you ever have... so call it what you want, I’m just paying my dues.😁

I’d actually agree with Karen Brooks🙂

It isn't about the computer.

Betty Rivera14 said:It isn't a computer issue.

Well, I can't say the TV isn't acting up too... 🥳

I think I'll head over to my aunt's place—she's an ophthalmologist—and let her take a look at things with her own two eyes... 😁

I lost my vision back in high school because I spent all my time reading in the dark. During those first three years of wearing glasses, my prescription was jumping by almost a full diopter every year—basically, my nearsightedness was spiraling. Then I switched to contacts about 15 years ago, and my vision hasn't changed since. That’s despite staring at monitors and TVs for hours every single day for the last decade.

Jacob Johnson70 said:I actually lost my vision back in high school—mostly because I spent all my time reading by the dim light of a bedside lamp...

🙂

By the way, there’s another little issue I tend to just ignore...
When I go to the movie theater, I always make sure to sit in the very last three rows. If I'm sitting too close, I start getting incredibly anxious 😁 (essentially, if the screen isn't at a distance where I can actually see it clearly, I lose it)
..

There was this stretch where I was glued to my laptop for hours on end—we’re talking months of doing this daily—and I started experiencing the exact same thing. It was this indescribable eye fatigue. It honestly felt like the weight of the entire world was pressing down on my eyelids; I had constant headaches, stinging eyes, redness... it was brutal. This kind of stuff is pretty typical when you're staring at flat screens all day. I don't know what kind of setup you're using, but in my case, the strain actually ended up causing conjunctivitis. My vision is otherwise perfect—my last eye exam was just a year ago—and I have zero issues when I'm using a standard desktop monitor. Once I finally ditched the laptop lifestyle, all those symptoms just vanished.

I've heard people swear by those non-prescription blue light glasses specifically designed for computer work, but I didn't want to gamble with my eyes because they're $200 and apparently you have to swap them out every few months anyway.

Also, don't overlook your environment. The lighting hitting your monitor and how far away the screen is from your face are huge factors.

By the way, I'm not sure if you're on any hormonal contraceptives, but just a heads-up—birth control can sometimes cause temporary vision changes.

Linda Peterson said:There was this period—hours at a time, stretching over several months—where I was working intensely on my laptop, and the exact same thing started happening to me. This indescribable eye fatigue... it felt like the weight of the entire world was pressing down on my eyelids. My head would ache, my eyes would sting, they’d get all red... it’s actually pretty typical for flat-screen computers. I don't know what kind of setup you're using, but in my case, the issues eventually escalated into conjunctivitis. My vision is otherwise excellent—my last checkup was just a year ago—and I don't have any trouble when I'm using a standard desktop monitor. Once I moved away from the laptop, the problems vanished.

I am aware that there are non-prescription glasses specifically designed for computer use; some people I know swear by them, but I wasn't willing to take the risk since they are essentially $200 and you have to replace them every few months anyway.

Also, the lighting hitting your monitor and your distance from the screen are incredibly important factors.

By the way—I don't know if you're on birth control (the pill), but just a small hint: those can sometimes cause temporary vision changes.

Mine isn't a flat screen, but it's true that for the past few weeks, my eyes have been itchy and stinging.
My vision is fine, just the same as before—it's just that exhaustion and occasional blurring...

I am on the pill. Hmm... 🤔

My vision started failing me way back when I was still working with fax machines... And even now, after spending an entire day hunched over a computer screen at work, my eyes struggle to adjust to looking at anything far away. If someone isn't standing within two feet of me, I honestly can't recognize them—and it gets even worse once the sun goes down.
I actually ended up buying glasses last year just so I could drive safely. It’s not like I have some massive prescription—it's only -0.75—but I have to admit, there is a world of difference between driving with them on versus driving without them...
Apparently, they say that as you get older, your prescription tends to shift toward the positive side, so at this rate, I might actually find my way back to zero soon enough... 😁

A few more observations from my side.
I simply cannot stand wearing dark sunglasses—I always get this sensation like my eyes are going to pop out from the sheer strain and nausea caused by how much the darkness bothers me.

The second thing concerns those tired eyes of mine. It’s most pronounced in the morning and carries through the day... right up until the moment I clock out of work (my eyes certainly know when it's time to start messing around 😁 ).

I dealt with something pretty similar earlier this year, right after I finished grinding through some coding projects and final papers for college. Trying to read anything closer than a foot away was straight-up painful. It lasted about a month or two, but once I stepped away from my PC and stayed off the internet for a while, it cleared up... I didn't even bother seeing a doctor.

Various conditions can impact vision... but you're still quite young... plus, certain medications can have their own side effects.
For me, it started after I quit smoking at 46. I was a heavy smoker, and now I have about 55-60% blockage. Sometimes my vision just goes pitch black, and it can last anywhere from ten minutes to a full hour.

Luckily, it isn't as bad as it used to be. Things like anxiety can mess with your nerves, and arthritis causes dry eyes. I didn't even need reading glasses until I hit 55,
even though I spent years working on a computer.

I actually just got back from the eye doctor yesterday... I finally reached my limit with this constant blurring I've had for five months. I honestly thought it was just from using my tablet too much, especially since I take eye supplements every night,
like a gel. My only real issue right now is breathing through my Apnea machine; the mask blows the exhaust air directly into my eyes, even though I've tried to shield them.

The optometrist prescribed distance glasses. I didn't even think I needed them, but now I can't read anything without help.
He wasn't quite sure about the blurring, though, because I take about 25 to 30 different pills, and many of those cause issues.

Regardless... go see an eye doctor or whoever you usually visit.

👋 👋

LadyInRed said:There was a period when I was working intensely on my laptop—for hours at a time, spanning several months—and I began experiencing the exact same thing. An indescribable eye fatigue. It felt as though the weight of the world was resting on my eyelids; I suffered from headaches, stinging, and redness. This is quite common with flat-screen computers. I am unsure what kind of setup you are using, but my issues eventually escalated into conjunctivitis. My vision is otherwise excellent; my last eye exam was just a year ago, and I have no trouble when using a standard desktop monitor. Once I moved away from the laptop, the problems vanished.

It is possible the monitor itself was defective.
LCD monitors are incomparably more comfortable to use than those old-fashioned CRT monitors. There is no flickering, and because the text is significantly sharper, eye strain is vastly reduced.
Furthermore, no monitor will ever be as easy on the eyes for reading as actual paper, so one should utilize a printer as much as possible. Laser printers are out of the question due to health concerns (which I have addressed previously), yet standard inkjet printers become prohibitively expensive when printing in high volumes. In my opinion, the best choice would be business-grade inkjet printers designed for heavy workloads.