Asthenopia, causes and remedies for eye fatigue

By Cristiano Antonino Last updated Feb 15, 2023

Asthenopia is a visual disorder also known as eye fatigue. It occurs due to excessive strain on the eyes and in particular on the eyeball muscles

The latter are responsible for focusing the objects being observed.

Asthenopia is a very common problem that mainly affects people with visual defects or who are subjected to daily visual stress.

Asthenopia: what is it?

Asthenopia is a vision disorder that occurs due to an overload in the work of the eyes.

Eye fatigue results from fatigue of the eyeball muscles, both intrinsic and extrinsic, which are responsible for focusing objects.

The problem affects both people who are subjected to continuous visual stress and those who have vision defects that have not been corrected properly (hypermetropia, astigmatism, myopia, strabismus, amblyopia, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome and degenerative retinopathies).

Other forms of asthenopia are photogenic asthenopia, i.e. resulting from improper environmental lighting conditions, and nervous asthenopia, i.e. resulting from organic or functional nervous diseases, commonly seen in anxiety syndromes.

Eye fatigue can be very annoying, but it is not a serious problem.

It usually disappears when the eyes are rested.

If this does not happen, however, it is important to consult a specialist as it could be a sign of a more serious condition.

Asthenopia: Who is most affected?

Asthenopia mainly affects people who subject their eyes to considerable daily strain.

Think, for example, of people who spend many hours at the computer, forcing the eyeball muscles to undergo considerable stress.

Also at risk are patients who already have visual pathologies, such as people with strabismus (manifest or latent), those with blepharitis or chronic conjunctivitis.

It can occur in people with refractive defects that are not fully corrected, such as hypermetropia, underestimated myopia or inadequately corrected presbyopia.

Asthenopia frequently occurs in individuals with dry eye syndrome, convergence insufficiency, maculopathies or degenerative retinopathies.

Asthenopia: the symptoms

The symptoms of asthenopia are quite obvious and occur when eye fatigue is severe.

There is usually dryness and burning in the eyes, as well as copious tearing, photophobia (discomfort from light), double or blurred vision, headaches and the sensation of a foreign body in the eye.

Asthenopia: the cure

To treat asthenopia effectively, it is important to find the cause of the eye fatigue in order to intervene effectively.

The first step, especially if you have other visual defects, is to visit an ophthalmologist for a thorough examination.

The doctor will then be able to determine the cause of the problem and prescribe the best treatment.

Usually, a step-by-step approach is taken, starting with a medical history to assess the patient’s general state of health, any medications he or she is taking and environmental factors that could affect his or her condition.

A thorough eye examination is then carried out with tests assessing near/far visual acuity, the state of the eye fundus and refraction, to assess the presence of ocular refractive defects.

Asthenopia: how to prevent it?

In any case, to counteract asthenopia, it is important to implement certain actions that can help reduce the symptoms and discomfort caused by the disorder.

Those who work long hours at the computer, for example, should take breaks of about fifteen minutes every two hours to avoid eye fatigue.

Also pay attention to your posture: studies have shown that the position you assume at your desk has a direct influence on asthenopia.