Do you often find yourself rubbing your eyes? After working on a display screen or reading a book, do you wind up having a headache? Do you seem to have problems focusing your vision, with or without glasses? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may be suffering from eyestrain. Your vision is one of your most important senses, and by not recognizing the signs of eyestrain, you leave yourself subject to a host of problems, including:

-          Headaches
-          Blurred vision
-          Eye pain
-          Dry eye
-          Excessive tearing
-          Excessive blinking
-          Double vision
-          Eye fatigue
-          Heavy eyes
-          Burning sensation
-          Difficulty focusing
-          Poor night vision
-          Neck & shoulder pain
-          Poor visual acuity
-          Bloodshot eyes

The good news is that there is no reason to suffer from these common and annoying symptoms. Noted optometrist and bestselling author Jeffrey Anshel, OD, has written a guide to understanding and eliminating all of them. Written in plain English, What You Must Know About Eyestrain provides you with the up-to-date information required to identify the source of the problem—whether it is your display screen, inadequate lighting, poor nutrition, or merely the process of aging—and take the necessary steps to resolve it.

If you are one of the millions of people suffering from eyestrain, you will discover that, with few exceptions, most of the solutions to this problem are both simple and relatively inexpensive to achieve. With a copy of What You Must Know About Eyestrain in hand, you will be able to see your way to comfortable vision.

Jeffrey R. Anshel, OD, received his bachelor of science degree in visual science and his doctorate of optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry. After his service in the US Navy, Dr. Anshel went into private practice, offering his patients nutrition and alternative therapies as part of their vision care. Dr. Anshel is the creator of the "20-20-20" rule for computer display users. He lectures internationally and has written eight books on eye care, including Smart Medicine for Your Eyes and What You Must Know About Age-related Macular Degeneration. Dr. Anshel currently resides in Kauai, Hawaii.

Contents

Introduction

1. Your Eyes and the Visual System, 3

2. What Is Eyestrain and How Do You Know if You Have It?, 13

3. Eyestrain in the Digital Age, 19

4. Children and Eyestrain, 37

5. Maybe It’s Your Glasses?, 51

6. Lighting, 65

7. Visual Stress, 73

8. Aging, 81

9. Nutrition and Your Eyes, 93

10. Medications, 133

11. Eye Exercises, 141

Conclusion, 157

Glossary, 159

Resources, 167

References, 169

About the Author, 173

 "Optometrist Anshel (Smart Medicine for Your Eyes) tackles the common ailment of eyestrain in this informative guide . . . offers plenty of small but significant ways to improve or correct the problem . . . there's a helpful 'symptom and cause chart,' a useful 'Three B' mantra (it stands for blink, breathe, and break), and some workspace modifications to implement. Anshel also explores the anatomy of the eye, visual stress, eye strain in children, vision and aging, and the possibility of eyeglass lenses to help the issue, even if one has good sight . . . almost encyclopedic in its comprehensiveness. This accessible resource will empower readers to get their eyes in check."

"An extremely important book for anyone that is glued to a computer screen - of any shape or size, desktop or hand-held - on a hourly/daily/weekly basis . . . your vision is one of your most important senses, and by not recognizing the signs of eyestrain, you leave yourself subject to a host of problems . . . The good news is that there is no reason to suffer from these common and annoying symptoms, for noted optometrist and bestselling author Jeffrey Anshel, OD, has written a guide to understanding and eliminating all of them. Written in plain English, What You Must Know About Eyestrain provides you with the up-to-date information required to identify the source of the problem — whether it is your display screen, inadequate lighting, poor nutrition, or merely the process of aging — and take the necessary steps to resolve it . . . diligently written and magnificently thorough new book . . . if you are one of the millions of people suffering from eyestrain, you will discover that, with few exceptions, most of the solutions to this problem are both simple and relatively inexpensive to achieve. With a copy of What You Must Know About Eyestrain in hand, you will be able to see your way to comfortable vision."

Introduction

Do your eyes feel tired at the end of the day? Do they feel dry after you’ve spent a few hours on the computer? Are they red and irritated? Is your vision fluctuating? Do you get a headache after watching a movie or reading a book? If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, you are likely experiencing what millions of people here and around the world experience every day: eyestrain. Eyestrain is one of the most common problems associated with our changing vision as well as our modern lifestyles. Eyestrain is not necessarily a vision-threatening disease, but it can sure make your life miserable. Whether you are trying to get your work done on a deadline or just texting your friends in the evenings, eyestrain can create havoc in your life. It’s simply no fun. Our eyes are our main interaction with the world, and not only must they see clearly but also function smoothly to allow crisp and comfortable vision. This book is designed to help you correct or avoid eyestrain so you can maintain proper vision. It will guide you along a path of discovery to determine the sources of eyestrain in your life and how to address them successfully. Some of the solutions to eyestrain might be to correct your eyeglass prescription, change your contact lenses, use a computer the correct way, or eat the right diet to support healthy eyes. This book is divided into eleven chapters. Chapter 1 covers the anatomy of the eye and the visual system, so you can get a sense of how things need to work to allow you to see clearly. Chapter 2 looks at the definition of eyestrain and what the symptoms of this condition might be, as well as how this problem might be alleviated. Chapter 3 explains how our eyes work when they look at digital images, which include images on monitors, laptops, cell phones, smart watches, and any other device that displays images as a combination of pixels. Given the enormous amount of time we spend viewing digital images, this chapter goes in depth to cover many aspects of this issue at work and in social activities. Chapter 4 describes how our eyes work when they read text on paper, which can still lead to symptoms of eyestrain. In Chapter 5, we discuss eyeglass lenses, how they may be inappropriate for different types of viewing, and how this mismatch can lead to significant eyestrain. Lighting is a critical part of how we see in various situations, and it differs when we view digital images as opposed to printed text. There are a myriad of different lighting sources, so in Chapter 6 we cover several common lighting conditions and show how to relieve eyestrain with proper lighting. Stress is a significant part of eyestrain, so Chapter 7 lists a number of different stressful situations in which we often use our eyes. As we age, the functioning of our eyes changes, so simply getting older can cause various eyestrain conditions. In Chapter 8, we cover the various changes that occur with age in the visual system, and how they can potentially lead to eyestrain. Since the eyes are part of the body, we must consider the choices we make that affect our bodies. If our diet or lifestyle interferes with proper bodily function, then our eyes may also be affected. Chapter 9 reviews the different nutrients that support eye health and can help to relieve eyestrain as well. In addition, many of us take medications for various medical conditions. These medications can have significant side effects, many of which can affect the function of the eyes and visual system. In Chapter 10, we look at how these side effects can affect vision. In Chapter 11, we offer some general eye “exercises” designed to help maintain or improve the functioning of our eyes. (I hesitate to use the term “exercise” without qualification in connection with these techniques, however, as they do not improve muscle strength but rather improve the focusing and coordination of the visual system.) The book ends with a list of resources that can help you to find the materials and nutritional support sometimes necessary to reduce eyestrain. If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from eyestrain on a daily—with or without glasses—and think you could never alleviate it, think again. Once you understand the cause of eyestrain and the steps you can take to overcome it, you will have the power to make eyestrain a thing of the past. As you will learn from the chapters that follow, with just a few simple changes, you can make those sore eye pains go away forever