Why do I get headaches from screens?

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Screen headaches are usually digital eye strain with a tension chaser. The mechanics: staring at screens drops your blink rate by half or more, so eyes dry and ache; holding focus at close range for hours fatigues the focusing muscles; glare, small text, and poor contrast make the eyes work harder; and the hunched posture locks the neck and shoulder muscles, feeding a tension headache on top. The American Academy of Ophthalmology confirms screens cause eye strain - tired, dry eyes, blurred vision, headache - though they do not cause permanent eye damage, which is the reassurance most people actually need.

The fixes are mechanical and they work: the 20-20-20 rule - every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds; position the screen an arm's length away, slightly below eye level; bump text size up; match screen brightness to the room; cut glare; and sit back with shoulders relaxed. Artificial tears help dry-eye sufferers.

The check to make: if you strain to see the screen, get an eye exam - an uncorrected prescription or aging near vision is a huge, fixable driver of screen headaches. Headaches that persist despite good ergonomics and a correct prescription deserve a doctor look, since daily screen hours also coincide with tension and medication-overuse patterns.

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