“My eyes feel very heavy every time I watch TV. What could be wrong?”
I have severe pain in my eyes and they feel very heavy when I watch TV. What could be wrong? Like, does the TV normally affect someone's eyes like this?
7 Answers
Jason Randall Smith
Optometrist
The only way to properly answer your question is to have your eyes examined in order to be sure that they are healthy and to determine if you may or may not need a prescription for glasses. Pain is always a warning sign. Watching TV does not necessarily cause pain. But there may be a need for a prescription in order to correct myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism that should be evaluated. But again, a full medical/dilated eye examination should be foremost on your list. An eye doctor will fully evaluate all structures of your eye from front to back (cornea to retina), as well as to check your eye pressures to rule out glaucoma. And a refraction will be done in order to see if there is the need for a prescription. Best wishes and good luck.
TV watching, in general, should not cause eye fatigue, and especially not severe pain! A few things to consider: how close are you sitting to the TV? Are you watching TV for an extended period of time? Do you wear glasses now and are they updated? A comprehensive eye exam to check for any change in prescription/vision or for dryness that may be contributing to your discomfort is recommended.
The pain may be due to your eyes straining while watching TV. Get your eyes examined to see if you need glasses. Also, consider exploring glasses that reduce glare and reduce blue light which can come from the TV.
They are most likely dry. Try systane complete tear drops
Sounds like DRY EYE SYNDROME! Start using over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tears (e.g., Systane, Refresh, Thera Tears, and such) one drop in each eye right before, during, and after you watch TV. See your eye care provider for more available treatments for dry eye. Also, make sure you have your vision evaluated to rule out the need for glasses to help with detail viewing.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Most people don’t blink as often when watching TV or using a computer. If you are already on the dry side, this can push your eyes over the edge. (The normal blink rate is about 17 blinks per minute. Watching TV can drop it down to about 4!) Blink!
Get your vision checked. May need glasses.
