Why do my eyes get tired when I read?

Do your eyes get tired after reading for a while? Perhaps they feel strained, you get a headache, or you notice it’s becoming harder to stay focused on the text. You might also need to read the same sentence several times or lose your place on the line.

When you read, your eyes work together constantly. They must aim at the same point, maintain focus, and follow the text from word to word and line to line.

This cooperation is called binocular vision and is an important part of reading.

If your eyes have difficulty working together, reading can feel more strenuous, and your eyes may get tired more quickly.

Pain in the eyes when I read

When you read, your eyes need to work at a close distance for an extended period. They must constantly direct your gaze toward the same point and make small, precise movements to follow the text.

At the same time, your eyes need to work together so that the brain receives a cohesive image of what you are looking at.

If your eyes need to strain a lot to try to coordinate, it can feel like your eyes are getting tired, tense, or that you get pain around your eyes after a while of reading.

The symptoms can come on gradually. You might start reading without any problems, but notice after a while that your eyes feel increasingly strained and that it becomes harder to continue.

Tired eyes during screen work

Many people find that their eyes get tired after spending a long time in front of a computer, mobile phone, or tablet.

When you look at a screen at close range, your eyes need to maintain focus for a longer time. They also need to follow text, images, and other content on the screen and constantly cooperate to keep your gaze in the right place.

The visual work can therefore become more strenuous the longer you use the screen.

You might notice that your eyes feel heavy or strained, that it becomes harder to stay focused, or that you need to take more breaks to be able to continue.

Blurry or moving text when I read

Sometimes the problems manifest not just as tired eyes. It can also feel as if it is becoming harder to stay focused on the text itself.

For example, you might experience that:

• the text becomes blurry after a while
• the words feel like they are moving or floating
• the text goes in and out of focus
• it becomes difficult to keep your gaze on the same line
• you lose your place in the text
• reading becomes more strenuous the longer you read

When you read, your eyes need to make fast and precise movements while working together to aim your gaze at the same point.

The brain also needs to combine information from both eyes into a common image.

If the eyes' cooperation is not functioning smoothly, the text can therefore be perceived as less stable and reading can require more effort.

Headaches when I read

When you read for a long time, your eyes must constantly work to maintain focus and cooperate.

If the visual work becomes strenuous, you might feel that your eyes get tired and that you develop a headache after reading for a while.

You might notice that the headache comes after longer reading sessions or that you need to take breaks to manage to continue.

Headaches combined with tired eyes, difficulty staying focused, or other issues while reading can therefore be a sign that the visual work requires a lot from you—more than it actually needs to.

Why do I read the same sentence several times?

Have you ever read a sentence but immediately had to go back and read it again?

When reading becomes strenuous, it can become harder to maintain focus on the text. You might read the words, but realize afterwards that you didn't really absorb what you read.

When your eyes need to work hard to follow the text, it can become more difficult to maintain concentration over longer passages. Then you might need to re-read parts of the text to understand what you just read.

If you often need to read the same sentence several times, it might be interesting to take a closer look at how your eyes work together when you read.

Can binocular vision affect how easy it is to read?

Yes. Binocular vision is an important part of the visual work that occurs when you read.

Binocular vision means that the two eyes work together and that the brain combines information from both eyes into a common image.

When you read, your eyes need to, among other things:

• aim at the same point
• maintain focus on the text
• follow the words across the line
• switch from one line to the next
• make fast and precise eye movements

This happens automatically without you needing to think about it.

When your eyes work together smoothly, reading can feel natural. If, on the other hand, the eyes' cooperation requires a lot of effort, reading can be experienced as more demanding.

This can be noticed through, for example:

• tired or strained eyes
• headaches when reading
• blurry or moving text
• losing your place on the line
• needing to read the same sentence several times
• difficulty maintaining concentration
• becoming tired from reading quickly

Can you train eye cooperation?

Yes, eye coordination and binocular vision can be trained.

Binocular vision training involves training the eyes and brain to work together through visual exercises. The goal is to make visual cooperation more efficient and controlled.

For people who feel that reading or screen work is visually strenuous, training eye cooperation can therefore be relevant.

Common questions about tired eyes and Imvi

Can Imvi help with tired eyes?

Imvi trains binocular vision and eye coordination through visual exercises in VR. Since tired eyes can be related to how the eyes work together, binocular vision training can be relevant for people who experience eye fatigue when, for example, reading or working at a screen.

Can Imvi help with headaches when I read?

Imvi trains the eyes' cooperation and ability to maintain binocular vision during visual work. If you experience headaches when reading, it may therefore be relevant to examine your binocular vision and see if our training might suit you.

Can Imvi help if the text feels blurry or moves?

Imvi’s training focuses on binocular vision and eye coordination. Since these issues can be a side effect of binocular vision problems, Imvi’s training can help reduce these symptoms.

Can you train your binocular vision?

Yes. Imvi’s training program is developed to train eye cooperation through visual exercises in VR. It is simple, effective, and entertaining. 15 minutes of enjoying your favorite shows 4 days a week in VR. 

How do I know if Imvi is right for me?

A good first step is to take Imvi’s binocular vision test. The test provides an indication of how your eyes work together and what symptoms you are experiencing.

Summary

When you read, your eyes work together constantly to keep the text clear, stable, and in the right place.

If you often get tired eyes when reading, get headaches, experience the text becoming blurry or moving, lose your place on the line, or need to read the same sentence several times, it could be interesting to investigate how your eyes work together.

In most cases, binocular vision can be improved. By training the eyes' cooperation, you can give yourself better conditions to read faster and maintain focus for a longer time.