What should you know about visual fatigue?

You may notice dry or watery eyes, blurred focus, burning, heaviness, a feeling of strain, headache or difficulty shifting focus between near and far. Long periods without blinking can worsen dryness, while poor lighting, reflections, small text and an awkward viewing distance add effort. Fatigue can also be harder to interpret when you are generally unwell or low in energy; conditions such as Anaemia, Dehydration or Burnout may contribute to tiredness but do not by themselves diagnose an eye problem.

Pause regularly during close work and look into the distance so your focusing muscles can relax. Blink deliberately, keep reading material at a comfortable distance, reduce glare and adjust screen brightness to suit the room. Lubricating eye drops may help some people with dryness; a pharmacist or clinician can help you choose an appropriate product. Arrange an eye examination if symptoms keep returning, your vision is not clear, or you have not checked your glasses or contact-lens prescription recently.

Seek urgent medical attention for sudden loss of vision, a new curtain or shadow, severe eye pain, marked redness with nausea, new double vision, or weakness, numbness or trouble speaking. Seek prompt assessment when visual fatigue follows an eye injury, is steadily worsening, or comes with a severe new headache. A GP or optometrist can assess vision, the eye surface and possible contributing health problems.

Could my prescription, dry eyes, medicines or working setup be contributing? Do I need an eye examination? Which symptoms would mean I should seek urgent help?