A Simple Guide to Asthenopia (Tired Eyes), Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions

By Kenneth Kee

This book describes Asthenopia (Tired Eyes), Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

And for tired eyes every light is too bright, and for tired lips every breath too heavy, and for tired ears every word too much.
Georg Buchner

As a doctor who has to use the computer daily to write his books, sometimes a few hours at a time, my eyes do become tired and strained from looking at the computer.

When this happens, I would try to take breaks and look out the windows to see some greenery before returning to write.

Old eyes are particularly vulnerable to eye strain and tiredness.

Tired eyes are particularly present in old writers.

Tiredness can happen in everybody’s eyes now and again but asthenopia (or eye strain) is the specific name for the feeling of the eyes being tired, sore, or even mildly painful.

Asthenopia can happen in a person after looking at a phone or computer screen for a long time, particularly in low-light settings.

Asthenopia is the effect of prolonged use of the muscles that regulate the movements of the eye, and specifically of the pupils (the dark circles of the eye).

Asthenopia (or eye strain) is a disorder that is caused by overuse of the eyes, specifically in situations of low light, strong focus, or using the eyes for long periods of time without resting them.

Asthenopia is also known as eye strain.

With eye strain, the patient may feel that the eyes are tired, sore or painful.

Looking at a screen for a long time can make the person feel this way.

This feeling happens after extended use of muscles in the eyes such as the muscles that move the eyes and control the pupils (the dark centers of the eyes).

Some people may be more susceptible to eye strain.

People with dry eyes or red eyes often may have eye strain.

People who have a vision disorder but do not wear glasses or contact lenses may also develop eye strain.

The eyes like any part of the body have a restricted ability to do the work before it tires.

The eyes are expected to work continually for 16 hours or more every day and to continue functioning at its optimum throughout the waking hours.

Eye fatigue is often not well understood and it seldom is damaging to vision in the long term.

The eyes are said to feel tired or looks tired by a person without understanding what this means.

Often thus refers to eyestrain but there comes a point where the eyes could not take the continuing strain any further.

Ultimately the eye becomes fatigued.

Fatigued or tired eyes are not about droopy eyelids or dark bags under the eyes.

The major symptoms in tired eyes are largely similar to eyestrain:
Dryness of the eyes although there may initially be watery eyes.
Redness of the eyes from dryness and overuse.
Disturbances in vision such as blurring or even doubled vision.
Soreness of the eyes, burning eyes and eventually even eye pain.
Light-headedness and headaches.

People with dry eyes or who do not use corrective lenses (either eyeglasses or contact lenses) are more prone to develop asthenopia than:
Those that have regular breaks from their screen time,
Those who blink frequently or do other kinds of eye exercises, and
Those who wear the proper corrective eyewear.

People who use contact lens for long hours or do close range work are likely to develop asthenopia.

Other ways of decreasing eye strain and tired eyes is to fine-tune the lighting on the screen and to work in environments that have better light.

Rest of the eyes is the best way to treat tired eyes.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Asthenopia (Tired Eyes)
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Dry Eyes
Chapter 8 Red Eyes
Epilogue

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Kee
• Release date: Sep 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005534424

Kenneth Kee

Dr. Kenneth Kee is a well-known medical doctor from Singapore who has been practicing medicine since 1972. He graduated from the University of Singapore and furthered his studies with a Master of Science in Health Management in 1991, followed by a Ph.D. in Healthcare Administration in 1993. Dr. Kee established Kee Clinic in 1974, located in the Holland Drive area of Singapore. The clinic has been a prominent feature of the community, offering general medical services for 5 decades. Dr Kee also served his country Singapore as a national service police Inspector at night from 1975 to 1985 while working at his clinic during the day. He had served as a police guard to the Woodland Petroleum Tanks at night during the Indonesian Confrontation period, took part in police rounds at night in the Beach Road area and taught First aid and emergency resuscitation to Police recruits. He received the Singapore Police Bicentennial 2020 Medallion on 1st March 2024 as recognition for his work in the Singapore Police. Even as he grew older, Dr. Kee continued to work actively in his clinic, although he eventually reduced his consultation hours. Beyond his medical career, Dr. Kee is also an author. He started writing about medical conditions in 2007, using blogs and other online platforms to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Over time, he published various books, many of which provide simple and accessible guides to different health conditions. His works include "A Family Doctor's Tale," "My Personal Singapore History," and numerous medical guides, available through platforms like Amazon. His books often combine his personal experiences as a family doctor with insights into Singapore's healthcare system and history. Dr. Kee has written extensively on health topics, contributing to both medical literature and general knowledge resources. Dr. Kenneth Kee has written numerous books, primarily focused on health education and personal experiences as a family doctor. Some of his notable titles include: "A Family Doctor's Tale" This book is a blend of Dr. Kee's personal experiences and his reflections on being a family doctor in Singapore. It's a great choice if you're looking for a narrative that combines both medical knowledge and human stories. "Specialized Medical Conditions" Books like **"Congestive Heart Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment"** focus on specific conditions, offering in-dept...

Book preview

A

Simple

Guide

To

Asthenopia (Tired Eyes),

Diagnosis,

Treatment

And

Related Conditions

By

Dr Kenneth Kee

M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

Copyright Kenneth Kee 2022 Smashwords Edition

Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated

To my wife Dorothy

And my children

Carolyn, Grace

And Kelvin

This book describes Asthenopia (Tired Eyes), Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

(What The patient Need to Treat Tired Eyes)

This e-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If the patient would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank the patient for respecting the hard work of this author.

Introduction

I have been writing medical articles for my blog: http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.

My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.

Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).

I then wrote an autobiography account of my journey as a medical student to family doctor on my other blog: http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.

This autobiography account A Family Doctor’s Tale was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 800 eBooks.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.

For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.

The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.

Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.

As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.

My diagnosis and treatment capability has improved tremendously from my continued education.

Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.

I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.

I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.

I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.

Chapter 1

Tired Eyes

And for tired eyes every light is too bright, and for tired lips every breath too heavy, and for tired ears every word too much.

Georg Buchner

As a doctor who has to use the computer daily to write his books, sometimes a few hours at a time, my eyes do become tired and strained from looking at the computer.

When this happens, I would try to take breaks and look out the windows to see some greenery before returning to write. Old eyes are particularly vulnerable to eye strain and tiredness.

What are Tired Eyes?

Tiredness can happen in everybody’s eyes now and again but asthenopia (or eye strain) is the specific name for the feeling of the eyes being tired, sore, or even mildly painful.

Asthenopia can happen in a person after looking at a phone or computer screen for a long time, particularly in low-light settings.

Asthenopia is the effect of prolonged use of the muscles that regulate the movements of the eye, and specifically of the pupils (the dark circles of the eye).

Asthenopia (or eye strain) is a disorder that is caused by overuse of the eyes, specifically in situations of low light, strong focus, or using the eyes for long periods of time without resting them.

Asthenopia is also known as eye strain.

With eye strain, the patient may feel that the eyes are tired, sore or painful.

Looking at a screen for a long time can make the person feel this way.

This feeling happens after extended use of muscles in the eyes such as the muscles that move the eyes and control the pupils (the dark centers of the eyes).

Some people may be more susceptible to eye strain.

People with dry eyes or red eyes often may have eye strain.

People who have a vision disorder but do not wear glasses or contact lenses may also develop eye strain.

The eyes like any part of the body have a restricted ability to do the work before it tires.

The eyes are expected to work continually for 16 hours or more every day and to continue functioning at its optimum throughout the waking hours.

Eye fatigue is often not well understood and it seldom is damaging to vision in the long term.

The eyes are said to feel tired or looks tired by a person without understanding what this means.

Often thus refers to eyestrain but there comes a point where the eyes could not take the continuing strain any further.

Ultimately the eye becomes fatigued.

Fatigued or tired eyes are not about droopy eyelids or dark bags under the eyes.

The major symptoms in tired eyes are largely similar to eyestrain:

1. Dryness of the eyes although there may initially be watery eyes.

2. Redness of the eyes from dryness and overuse.

3. Disturbances in vision such as blurring or even doubled vision.

4. Soreness of the eyes, burning eyes and eventually even eye pain.

5. Light-headedness and headaches.

People with dry eyes or who do not use corrective lenses (either eyeglasses or contact lenses) are more prone to develop asthenopia than:

1. Those that have regular breaks from their screen time,

2. Those who blink frequently or do other kinds of eye exercises, and

3. Those who wear the proper corrective eyewear.

People who use contact lens for long hours or do close range work are likely to develop asthenopia.

Other ways of decreasing eye strain and tired eyes is to fine-tune the lighting on the screen and to work in environments that have better light.

What are the Causes of Tired Eyes?

Causes

Asthenopia (or tired eyes) is the result of continuous periods of intense focus of the eyes, particularly in situations that strain the eyes.

They are aggravated by little light, looking at a screen, or reading small print.

Tired eyes can be produced by:

Intense eye focus

Working on a small project is one setting where asthenopia can form but even driving at night (or in poor situations,