I've been working from home for about 3 years now and I spend 8 hours glued to my computer screen. Lately I've been feeling like my eyes are burning and hurting, especially in the afternoons. Is this normal or should I go see an ophthalmologist?
Don't self-medicate or ignore the burning if it gets worse - what you're describing is super typical from spending hours staring at screens, it's called digital eye strain, and while it's normal, you should definitely go see an ophthalmologist to rule out anything more serious like dry eye or a refraction problem that the screen is making worse.
In the meantime, try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something 20 meters away for 20 seconds, keep your computer at eye level, and don't forget to blink more than you think you do (people who work with screens blink less without realizing it, it's wild!).
What you're describing is basically screen syndrome, totally normal with that much screen time. When we look at screens we blink way less than we should, our eyes dry out and they burn like crazy! Try the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds), adjust your screen brightness so it's not brighter than your surroundings, and consider using artificial tears if the burning keeps up. If the pain still doesn't go away or gets worse, then yeah you should see an ophthalmologist in case there's something else going on, but in most cases it's just eye strain from spending all day on screens!
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