I read daily, most notably on the train during my commute. I’ve started to have some real issues and I’m not sure where they are coming from. After reading for a few minutes my eyes will start to burn and I’ll start losing my place as I read, it’s like I’m seeing an overlay over my vision that is worse than the usual static. I’ve always had vision issues with distance and I have glasses for that, but I get a similair Burning sensation when using those as well. Not sure if this is the right place to be posting this but I wonder if anybody else has had the similair problems?
by Clammmo
6 Comments
I don’t get a burning sensation like you, but the muscles around my eyes start to feel tired if I have a really long reading session, like more than two hours. It’s less humid in the winter, so maybe your eyes are dry? Have you tried eyedrops?
Not sure how old you are but this started happening really badly to me when I turned 38ish. Mentioned it to my eye doctor after a few years and they changed my script to really mild bifocals (can’t even tell looking at the glasses) bc she said the muscles get a little weak and it helps. Haven’t had an issue since!
Have you ever been concussed or had any sort of head trauma/brain damage?
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I was concussed and I didn’t have any vision issues start to show up until nearly 3 years after the last concussion. The issues came on fairly fast – extreme visual fatigue, reading made me sleepy, I kept losing my place or failing to process what I was reading, etc. – it was a mess. Also impacted my ability to look at screens and stay awake during movies or TV. My optometrist said nothing seemed to be wrong but I had a very hard time believing that.
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I ended up seeing a neuro-optometrist who specializes in not just the shape of the eye and the eyeball (like a regular optometrist), but how the brain processes visual information. They ran a bunch of tests and we realized that almost all of my vision issues were related to concussion damage. I didn’t notice it for so long because my brain had slowly built accommodations for itself. But eventually the damage got too bad and when one visual system couldn’t accommodate anymore, the whole house of cards fell.
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The wonderful thing is that through a process called Vision Therapy overseen by the neuro-optometrist, I have seen SUCH improvement in my visual issues. I can read again. I can look at screens again. I am reading faster. My eyes aren’t exhausted all the time. It’s given me my life back.
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I wouldn’t presume to be an expert or know your case, but I would highly recommend looking into a neuro-optometrist!
What are you reading with? Physical books, Tablet, E-reader? etc.
I have had to stop wearing my glasses when I read for similar reasons.
I am not sure what you mean by “usual static”.. That doesn’t sound normal. I’d go to an eye doctor if i were you.
I started having issues with my eyes while reading at the end of the day a few years back. Then I went on paternity leave for a few months. I probably read more than normal, since I’d be regularly stuck on the couch for long nap sessions for several hours a day.
But the one big change is I spent a lot less of my life looking at glowing electric rectangles — I wasn’t at work staring at a computer all day and didn’t want to stare at a TV or phone around a baby. And all of my eye issues magically went away.
You should probably have an eye doctor check this out. But figured I’d share my story in case there’s any chance it might offer a clue to your issue — and since I imagine this sort of eye strain is going to become a lot more common very quickly.
Go see an optometrist instead of asking Reddit. It might be time to update your prescription. Or some other underlying issue. And no, I have worn glasses since I was 7. Have never experienced the “usual burning sensation” you describe.