If you spend hours each day looking at a screen, whether for work, study, or scrolling through your phone, you may be familiar with tired, dry, or aching eyes by the end of the day. In conventional medicine this is often called digital eye strain, computer vision syndrome. It’s remarkably common, and while rest and screen breaks help, many people find the problem keeps returning.
Chinese medicine offers a deeper understanding of why your eyes are struggling, and a broader set of tools to address it. In this post we’ll look at what’s happening from both a modern and traditional perspective, and what you can do about it.
What Is Digital Eye Strain?
Digital eye strain describes a group of symptoms that arise from prolonged screen use. You might experience one or more of the following:
- Dry, gritty, or burning eyes
- Blurred or fluctuating vision
- Eye fatigue or heaviness
- Headaches – especially around the temples or behind the eyes
- Neck and shoulder tension
- Difficulty focusing when you look away from the screen
These symptoms tend to worsen over the course of the day and are aggravated by poor lighting, screen glare, air conditioning, and insufficient breaks.
The Chinese Medicine View: Why Your Eyes Are Vulnerable
In Chinese medicine, the eyes have a particularly close relationship with the Liver. A classical saying puts it simply: “The Liver opens into the eyes.” This means the health of your eyes is largely dependent on the condition of your Liver system — specifically its ability to store Blood, ensure smooth Qi flow, and nourish the tendons and connective tissues (including the small muscles that control focus).
When we stare at a screen for hours, we are intensely using our eyes, which draws on Liver Blood. Over time, this can lead to a pattern called Liver Blood Deficiency — where the Liver simply doesn’t have enough nourishing Blood to keep the eyes comfortable and functioning well.
Several other patterns commonly contribute to or overlap with screen-related eye problems:
Liver Blood and Yin Deficiency
Prolonged screen use and inadequate rest deplete the Liver’s nourishing substances. Symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision, floaters, light sensitivity, and a dull ache behind the eyes. You may also notice brittle nails, muscle cramps, or restless sleep.
Liver Qi Stagnation
Stress, frustration, and long hours sitting in front of a screen can cause Qi to stagnate in the Liver channel. This often shows up as tension headaches around the temples, tight shoulders, irritability, and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.
Liver Fire or Rising Yang
When stagnation persists, it can generate heat. Red, burning, or bloodshot eyes, sharp headaches, and irritability may point toward Liver Fire or Liver Yang Rising. This pattern is especially common in people who combine heavy screen use with stress, poor sleep, and stimulants like coffee.
Spleen Qi Deficiency with Dampness
Sitting for long periods and irregular eating weakens Spleen Qi. When the Spleen can’t transform fluids properly, Dampness accumulates, which can cause a heavy or foggy feeling in the head, puffy eyes, and difficulty concentrating – often making screen fatigue feel much worse. The Spleen in TCM is responsible for assimilation and transport of both food and information – hence long reading sessions can impact it’s function also.
How Chinese Medicine Can Help
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is often the first-line treatment. Points around the eyes and along the Liver and Gallbladder channels can relieve tension, improve local circulation, and address the underlying pattern. Many people notice their eyes feel brighter, more relaxed, and less dry after treatment. Acupuncture can also ease the neck and shoulder tension that commonly accompanies screen work.
Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal formulas can nourish Liver Blood, clear heat from the eyes, and resolve stagnation from the inside out. Common herbs for eye health include goji berries (gōu qǐ zǐ), chrysanthemum flowers (jú huā), and buddleia flower buds (mì méng huā). Your practitioner will tailor a formula to your specific pattern rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Dietary Advice
Foods that nourish Liver Blood and Yin are particularly helpful for screen-weary eyes. These include dark leafy greens, beetroot, black sesame seeds, goji berries, eggs, and oily fish. If heat signs are present (red, burning eyes), reducing alcohol, spicy food, and coffee can make a noticeable difference. Staying well hydrated and eating regular meals (avoiding excess snacks and sweets) also supports Spleen function and overall fluid metabolism.
Practical Tips You Can Start Today
| The 20-20-20 Rule
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet (6 metres) away for at least 20 seconds. This relaxes the focusing muscles and encourages blinking, which re-moistens the eyes. |
- Blink consciously. We blink up to 66% less when looking at screens, contributing to dryness.
- Adjust your screen so it sits slightly below eye level and at arm’s length. This reduces the exposed surface of the eye and decreases strain on the neck.
- Reduce screen brightness and use warm-tone or night-mode settings in the evening to minimise blue light exposure.
- Consider blue light filter glasses if you cannot change your screen tone.
- Take short movement breaks to stretch your neck, shoulders, and upper back. Tension in these areas restricts blood flow to the head and eyes.
- Try a warm compress over closed eyes for five minutes in the evening. This stimulates the oil glands in your eyelids and soothes tired eyes.
- Get adequate sleep — in Chinese medicine, the Liver replenishes Blood during sleep, so cutting sleep short, particularly between 10pm and 2pm, directly affects the eyes.
When to Seek Help
If your eye strain is persistent, affecting your quality of life, or accompanied by significant headaches, it’s worth having a proper assessment. A Chinese medicine practitioner can identify the underlying pattern driving your symptoms and create a treatment plan that addresses the root cause, not just the outer symptom.
It’s also important to have your eyesight checked by an optometrist to rule out or correct any refractive issues, as uncorrected vision problems will compound screen-related strain.
Your eyes do an incredible amount of work every day. Chinese medicine recognises that looking after them means looking after the whole system that supports them: your Liver, your Blood, your Qi, and your overall vitality. If screen strain has become part of your daily life, there’s a lot we can do to help.
If you’d like to discuss how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support your eye health, feel free to get in touch or book an appointment with one of our practitioners.