Asthenopia
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Assigned status Up to Date by A. Paula Grigorian, MD on November 17, 2019.
Contents
Disease Entity
Asthenopia
Definition
- Eyestrain
- Subjective symptoms of ocular fatigue, discomfort, lacrimation, and headaches arising from the use of eyes.
- Weakness or tiring of eyes accompanied by pain, headache, blurry vision, sensitivity to light or inability to keep the eyes open.
Etiology
- Accommodative asthenopia: strain of ciliary muscle and refractive error.
- Photogenous asthenopia: excessive or improper illumination.
- Muscular asthenopia: due to imbalance of the extraocular muscles
- Nervous asthenopia: due to functional or organic nervous disease
Symptoms
- Pain in and around eyes
- Headache, usually aggravated by use of eyes for closework
- Fatigue
- Vertigo
- Reflex symptoms as nausea, twitching of facial muscles, migraine.
Treatment
Treatment of the underlying cause is first line, therefore an eye exam is warranted with glasses prescription as necessary, correction of strabismus and artificial tears, lid hygiene and warm compresses for dry eyes. Avoiding prolonged use of computer devices (more than 2 hours) and short brakes for eye rest helps relieve the symptoms. Analgesic drugs are rarely prescribed for this condition.
Additional Resources
- Celia Vimont Laurie Gray Barber. Eye Strain. American Academy of Ophthalmology. EyeSmart® Eye health. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/eye-strain-list. Accessed March 29, 2019.
References
- Taber's Cylocpeic Medical Dictionary
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary
