How is Computer Vision Syndrome diagnosed?

Does it Sound Familiar? You’re Not Alone

You push through the emails, the meetings, the back-to-back deadlines. Your eyes feel a little tired, but nothing you can’t handle.

Then the moment you close your laptop —
you blink hard, you rub your eyes, but your vision stays blurry, and that nagging headache behind your temples tightens even more.

You wonder, "Am I just getting old?"

But what if it’s not just another candle on your birthday cake catching up with you?
What if it’s something millions of people are struggling with — and they don’t even realize it?

It’s called Digital Eye Strain.
And chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re already feeling it.

Research shows that up to 90% of people who spend three or more hours a day on digital screens experience symptoms of Digital Eye Strain (Rosenfield, 2016).
In today’s world, that’s almost everyone.

In this article, we’ll answer:

• What Are the Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain (DES)?
• How Do I Know if My Eye Problems Are from Screens?
• How Do Doctors Test for Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)?
• When Should I Get Tested?

Let’s dive in — and get your eyes the attention they deserve.

What Are the Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain?

Digital Eye Strain or Computer Eye Strain, describes a group of eye and vision problems following prolonged use of screens like computers, tablets, and smartphones (American Optometric Association, 2023).

It’s not just one symptom — it’s a collection of signs that often show up together:

• Blurred or double vision
• Dry, gritty, or watery eyes
• Eye fatigue or heaviness
• Headaches behind the eyes or forehead
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Light sensitivity

These symptoms typically appear after prolonged digital device use and often worsen the longer you stay on screens (Sheppard & Wolffsohn, 2018).

Read more about Digital Eye Strain: What is Digital Eye Strain?

How Do I Know If My Eye Problems Are From Screens?

If you’ve noticed your eyes feeling uncomfortable after long hours of using a computer, smartphone, or tablet, you might be wondering if the screens are to blame.

Here are signs that your eye problems are likely related to screen use:

• Timing: Your symptoms — blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches, burning, or eye fatigue — appear during or shortly after extended screen time.
• Relief: Symptoms improve when you take breaks, step away from screens, or spend time outdoors.
• Consistency: The longer you work on screens without breaks, the worse your symptoms get.
• Pattern: Symptoms are less noticeable on days when you use screens less or not at all.
• Specific Triggers: Focusing on close-up digital tasks (like reading small fonts, comparing table to table, typing, gaming) seems to make symptoms worse faster.

In contrast, if your symptoms persist even after long breaks away from devices, or affect your vision at all distances throughout the day, there might be another underlying eye condition that needs evaluation.

How Do Doctors Test for Computer Vision Syndrome?

When Digital Eye Strain (DES) symptoms become persistent or disruptive, eye doctors diagnose the condition under the clinical term Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).

Diagnosing Computer Vision Syndrome involves a few key steps at your eye doctor’s office:

1. Reviewing Your Screen Use and Symptoms

Your doctor will ask about:

• How many hours a day you use screens
• What devices you use (laptop, phone, tablet)
• When your symptoms appear
• How long they last
• Whether they improve with rest

Understanding your habits gives critical clues about the cause (American Optometric Association, 2023).

2. Checking Your Visual Acuity

Your eye doctor will check how sharply you can see at different distances using a standard visual acuity test (the classic letter chart).

You might feel like your everyday vision is "fine" — but even small focusing problems that don’t cause major trouble in daily life can cause significant strain during hours of computer use.

Why?
Because digital screens usually sit at an intermediate distance (about 20–26 inches from your eyes) — a range that requires precise focusing.
If your eyes have even a mild uncorrected refractive error (like slight nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism), they have to work extra hard to stay focused on the screen for long periods.

Over time, this extra effort leads to blurred vision, headaches, and fatigue (Rosenfield, 2016).

3. Measuring Your Refraction (Lens Prescription)

Even mild uncorrected farsightedness, astigmatism, or nearsightedness can lead to eye strain when looking at screens.

Your doctor will perform a refraction test to see if you would benefit from updated glasses — or if "computer glasses" could ease your symptoms (Sheppard & Wolffsohn, 2018).

4. Testing Focusing Ability and Eye Teaming

They'll also check:

• Accommodation: How well you focus between near and far.
• Vergence: How well your eyes work together.

Weakness in these areas can cause blurred vision, double vision, or tired eyes after extended screen use (Rosenfield, 2016).

5. Examining for Dry Eye Disease

One of the biggest culprits behind digital eye discomfort? Dry eyes caused by reduced blinking.

Your eye doctor might:

• Measure how quickly your tears evaporate (tear breakup time)
• Test how much tear fluid you produce (Schirmer’s test)
• Check for dry spots on your eyes (fluorescein staining)

Blinking often drops by nearly 50% when we focus on screens (Portello et al., 2012), drying out the eye surface faster than normal.

Final Thoughts: Your Eyes Deserve Attention, Too

If you're a Millennial (or anyone with a smartphone permanently attached to your hand), you are part of the first generation living life fully through screens.

Our eyes weren’t designed for endless digital focus — but that doesn’t mean you're doomed to suffer.

Computer Vision Syndrome is real, diagnosable, and treatable. You don't have to just "live with it" or blame it on age.

Recognizing the symptoms and getting an expert evaluation could make all the difference in how you feel at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

Don’t shrug it off.
Protect your eyes today — and they’ll take care of you tomorrow.

References

• American Optometric Association. (2023). Computer Vision Syndrome. Retrieved from https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome
• Portello, J. K., Rosenfield, M., Bababekova, Y., Estrada, J. M., & Leon, A. (2012). Computer-related visual symptoms in office workers. Occupational Medicine, 62(4), 262–267. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqs032
• Rosenfield, M. (2011). Computer vision syndrome: A review of ocular causes and potential treatments. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 31(5), 502–515. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-1313.2011.00834.x
• Rosenfield, M. (2016). Computer vision syndrome: a review of ocular causes and potential treatments. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 36(5), 502–515. https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12330
• Sheppard, A. L., & Wolffsohn, J. S. (2018). Digital eye strain: prevalence, measurement and amelioration. BMJ Open Ophthalmology, 3(1), e000146. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjophth-2018-000146