Sudden eyestrain/discomfort when looking at iPhone/iPad/Computer Monitor? Any advice?

[lawlbringer]

Hey everyone,

I suffer from an astigmatism/myopia and was officially diagnosed nearly 10 years ago. I am 26 now. I have a pair of long distance glasses for everyday use, and a pair of intermediate range glasses that I use for computer work and when I'm looking at small screen stuff(smartphone/tablet.) The eye doctor at the time told me my eyes have trouble focusing on small text at intermediate range and would benefit from a bi-focal/computer set of glasses.

That worked fine for 2 years, but lately something has suddenly happened. I suddenly now get a really uncomfortable, sort of pressure/pain behind my eyes whenever I look at basically any display...whether it's a PC monitor, tablet, smartphone, etc. It literally takes a matter of seconds to start feeling it, and eventually it will turn into a headache. It's made using my iPhone/iPad almost intolerable, although my 27" computer monitor won't give quite as much discomfort(cheap TN panel monitor.)

I went to my eye doctor again and they told me I was fine and that my eyes were just dry. My eyes have always been dry though, but I never had this issue. In fact, the iPhone screen was the only one I could read with comfort for hours without my glasses before this all suddenly happened.

I've tried blinking more, increasing font sizes, adjusting brightness, taking more breaks, and limiting my time in front of these devices but it hasn't helped. It's really not due too much time using these devices, because I start feeling discomfort almost immediately after looking at them.

I'm going in for a eye exam check up on Monday, but I just wanted to see if anyone has suffered from a similar issue and what they did to get around it.

 

[ravenvii]

Try color inversion (check Accessibility settings in both iOS and OS X). It has truly been a revelation to me. Maybe it will be for you, as well.

 

[joec1101]

It sounds to me like your prescription has changed. This is exactly what happens to me every year about a year or so after a new prescription.

As we age, our vision continues to deteriorate and unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about it, except wear corrective lenses.

Definitely go get your eyes checked. The eye doc checks for vision as well as any other problems that may be going on with your eyes.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

Edit: If you're wearing bifocals, you might want to consider progressive lenses. They give you more range - not just one prescription for distance and one for reading. With progressives, you can adjust your head up and down to better focus on different distances. I've been wearing these for a few years now and they definitely work well for me. If you do get progressives, *make sure* you get the digital lenses. They are more expensive, but much better to use - well worth the difference in cost. They will take you a few weeks to get used to, but your eyes will adjust to them.

 

[Huntn]

It sounds to me like your prescription has changed. This is exactly what happens to me every year about a year or so after a new prescription.

As we age, our vision continues to deteriorate and unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about it, except wear corrective lenses.

Definitely go get your eyes checked. The eye doc checks for vision as well as any other problems that may be going on with your eyes.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

Edit: If you're wearing bifocals, you might want to consider progressive lenses. They give you more range - not just one prescription for distance and one for reading. With progressives, you can adjust your head up and down to better focus on different distances. I've been wearing these for a few years now and they definitely work well for me. If you do get progressives, *make sure* you get the digital lenses. They are more expensive, but much better to use - well worth the difference in cost. They will take you a few weeks to get used to, but your eyes will adjust to them.

Agreed, I've noticed my vision changing for the worse as I get older. My original +1.0 cheaters no longer suffice in low light.

However for the OP, regarding progressive lenses, see if your doctor can show you an example of progressive lenses before committing to them. I don't care them, specifically the area of the lens where the prescription changes from near to far. I've always preferred a specific line where it is one or the other.

 

[PeterRomero]

What was the solution?

I'm dying to hear from the original poster what, if any, eventually solved this problem. I notice this thread is a couple of years old, so either he is 1) back to work and feeling happy, 2) still suffering, or 3) farming, without computer access. If 3, I suppose I'll never find out.

 

[FieldingMellish]

All kinds of speculation given that much time has passed.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm dying to hear from the original poster what, if any, eventually solved this problem. I notice this thread is a couple of years old, so either he is 1) back to work and feeling happy, 2) still suffering, or 3) farming, without computer access. If 3, I suppose I'll never find out.

All kinds of speculation given that much time has passed.

Quite a few people post here, seeking an answer to a question, query or problem that they have.

However, - especially if the problem is resolved elsewhere, some posters may not necessarily feel the need to return here in order to give an update on what happened.

Actually, the OP's profile suggests that he hasn't logged on here since January 2014, so I imagine that he may have other things - and priorities - on his mind.