How Long Does Eye Strain Last? Plus How To Treat & Prevent

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HealthlineSubscribeHow Long Can Eyestrain Last?

Medically reviewed by Jenna Stoddard, OD, FAAO — Written by The Healthline Editorial Team — Updated on August 14, 2025

How long it lasts
Causes
Symptoms
Eye damage
Takeaway

People who use computers and look at digital screens or monitors regularly may experience eyestrain. It can last for minutes or hours, but can possibly become more persistent over days and weeks.

Computer vision syndrome, or digital eyestrain, can cause pain and discomfort for a varying amount of time, depending on many factors, including how severe your eyestrain may be.

Generally, people without eye conditions or longer stretches of strain on their eyes may experience symptoms for a few minutes or hours, but it can become more persistent and may last days or even weeks in more severe situations.

As many as 90% of people who use digital devices may sometimes experience symptoms of eyestrain to different degrees. But you can make small changes to help prevent eyestrain, like taking a break from screen time or improving lighting at your workstation.

How long can eyestrain last?

In general, eyestrain doesn’t last long.

It may go away within an hour of taking a break, or it may last longer, depending on how long you’ve been looking at a screen.

If you experience other symptoms, such as headache, dry eyes, and neck or shoulder pain, it can take longer for eyestrain to disappear.

What causes eyestrain?

The exact amount of time or extent of eyestrain discomfort may depend on other factors, including:

how much time you spend looking at a screen
if you take any breaks, such as using the 20-20-20 Rule (take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away, for every 20 minutes you’re looking at a screen)
whether you are nearsighted
whether you have astigmatism
other eye conditions that affect your eye health, including:
- dry eyes
- nearsightedness (myopia)
- farsightedness
- astigmatism
- glaucoma
- macular degeneration

»MORE:Try these 8 simple steps to help ease eyestrain.

Symptoms of eyestrain

Pain and irritation when you try to focus are the main symptoms of eyestrain, but others may also include:

headache
burning sensation in the eyes
blurry vision
neck stiffness or pain
shoulder pain

Could your eyes be damaged from eyestrain?

No, eyestrain does not typically cause long-term damage to your vision.

However, longer stretches of eyestrain can signal more possible concern, especially if that eyestrain is accompanied by other symptoms and if you’re already living with another eye condition.

Some research suggests that older adults with eyestrain may develop dry eyes more frequently than those without eyestrain.

»MORE:Learn more about dry eye syndrome.

When to seek medical care

If you’re experiencing significant discomfort or if you suspect that an underlying condition is making your symptoms worse, you should make an appointment with an eye doctor.

Eyestrain that happens more than 2 or 3 times per week or that is impacting your daily work and life activities is a reason to get professional help. Your doctor may have some strategies or treatments that can help manage your symptoms.

The takeaway

Digital eyestrain can cause temporary pain, burning, and some other symptoms.

These may last minutes or hours, depending on how much time you’ve been looking at a screen without a break and other factors.

If you have persistent eyestrain, it might not be related to screen time after all but to an underlying medical or eye health issue. Consult an eye doctor if frequent eyestrain is affecting your ability to perform your daily activities.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Bin Maneea MW, et al. (2024). Digital eye straining: Exploring its prevalence, associated factors, and effects on the quality of life.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11140826/
Coles-Brennan, C, et al. (2019). Management of digital eye strain.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29797453/
Computer vision syndrome. (n.d.).https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome?sso=y
Moore PA, et al. (2025). Digital eye strain and clinical correlates in older adults.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136704842400242X
Mylona I, et al. (2023). Spotlight on Digital Eye Strain.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9983433/
Signs and symptoms of eye cancer. (2018).https://www.cancer.org/cancer/eye-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html

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Medically reviewed by Jenna Stoddard, OD, FAAO — Written by The Healthline Editorial Team — Updated on August 14, 2025

How Long Does Eye Strain Last? Plus How To Treat & Prevent

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How long can eyestrain last?

What causes eyestrain?

Symptoms of eyestrain

Could your eyes be damaged from eyestrain?

When to seek medical care

The takeaway

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