When you look at distant objects, the focusing muscles in your eyes relax.  Conversely, while reading or focusing on close work, your eye muscles contract to focus at near.  Accommodative dysfunction may be a weakness of the focusing muscles to contract for reading at near/computer and/or an inability to sufficiently relax at distance viewing to see clearly.  This condition can be made worse if prescription glasses are needed but not being worn or you are wearing an old glasses prescription that needs updating.  Symptoms may include blurred vision, fatigue, headaches and/or tired eyes

 

Home/work/school exercises are usually performed while wearing the current glasses (if any) on, unless otherwise specified by your eye doctor.  Find a distant reading target about 20 feet away or more with small print, such as a calendar, clock radio or street sign out a window.  Preferably the target should be at least 20 feet or more from you, the size of the distant reading target small enough that you can barely read it (20/20 size or 1 mm height at 20 feet).  This forces your focusing muscles to relax at distance so you can see the distant target.

 

Every 20 minutes of reading or computer use, look across the room at the distant target with small letters or numerals and make them clear for 20 seconds.  Then continue your reading/studying/computer use for another 20 minutes and repeat this cycle every 20 minutes.

 

These accommodative relaxation exercises can help to reduce blur, fatigue, headaches and tired eyes when you are working on a computer, reading, or doing near activities.