Have your eyes been feeling tired lately? Like... you’re wearing your glasses like you’re supposed to, but still ending the day with a headache or sore eyes?

You're definitely not the only one.

A lot of people come into our Palo Alto optometry clinic asking the same thing:
“Can my glasses be causing this eye strain?”

And you know what? Sometimes, the answer is yes. But it’s not always that simple — so let’s walk through it together.

First Off — What Is Eye Strain, Really?

Okay, let’s keep it simple. Eye strain is when your eyes are overworked or trying too hard to focus. That can happen when:

• You stare at screens for too long (hello, Zoom meetings...)
  
  

• Your glasses prescription isn’t quite right
  
  

• You’re wearing the wrong type of lenses
  
  

• Or sometimes... you're just not blinking enough
  
  

Symptoms? They’re super common:

• Sore or tired eyes
  
  

• Blurred or double vision
  
  

• Headaches (especially near your eyebrows or temples)
  
  

• Dry, itchy, or burning feeling
  
  

• Neck and shoulder tension from leaning in too close
  
  

If that sounds like your life lately, keep reading.

So… Can Glasses Cause Eye Strain?

Yep. They actually can — if they’re not doing their job properly.

Your glasses are supposed to make life clearer and easier. But when they don’t fit your vision needs, they might be adding more stress than they’re taking away.

Let’s go over the biggest culprits.

1. Your Prescription Might Be Slightly Off

This one sneaks up on a lot of people. Even if your glasses worked great last year, your eyes may have changed a bit — and now they’re working harder than they should.

Sometimes you don’t even notice the blur. But your brain does. It keeps trying to compensate, and boom — hello, eye strain.

👉 Fix: Get your eyes re-checked. If you’re in Palo Alto or nearby, come by Refine Optometry and we’ll make sure your prescription still matches your vision.

2. Your Glasses Aren’t Right for Screen Time

Here’s the deal — most of us are staring at screens 8+ hours a day, and not all glasses are made for that.

If you're using standard distance glasses while working on a laptop or phone, your eyes might be constantly adjusting to the wrong focal point. Over time, this leads to fatigue.

Also, let’s not forget blue light. It doesn’t directly cause damage, but it can mess with your focus and circadian rhythm.

👉 Fix: You might need a different pair for computer work, or lenses with anti-fatigue features. We fit a lot of Palo Alto professionals with computer glasses, and the difference can be huge.

3. Your Frames Don’t Fit Right

This one’s often overlooked — but if your glasses are sitting too low, too high, or tilted weird, it can mess with the way your eyes look through the lenses.

Even a tiny misalignment makes your eyes work harder. Over time, that causes discomfort.

👉 Fix: Adjustments! Bring them in. We’re happy to tweak your frames for free at Refine Optometry. Sometimes it takes 2 minutes and makes a world of difference.

4. You’re Wearing Progressives — and You’re New to Them

Progressive lenses are amazing, but let’s be honest — they take some getting used to. If you’re constantly moving your head up and down to find the “sweet spot,” you might be creating muscle strain around your eyes and neck.

👉 Fix: Give it time, but also let us double-check the alignment. We see this often in our Palo Alto Optometry office, especially for first-time progressive wearers.

5. You’re Using Over-the-Counter Readers (and Only Guessing the Power)

Let’s be real — drugstore readers can be helpful, but they’re one-size-fits-none. If you're using them for hours, they can definitely cause strain if the magnification isn’t right for you.

👉 Fix: Get a proper prescription. Readers should still match your vision, not just what the label says.

But Wait — What If You’re Still Getting Eye Strain With the Right Glasses?

Good question.

Sometimes the problem isn’t your glasses at all. It could be:

• Dry eye syndrome (super common in Palo Alto’s climate)
  
  

• Binocular vision issues (where your eyes don’t team up properly)
  
  

• Lighting problems (yep, overhead glare is a thing)
  
  

• Or... you just need breaks.
  
  

We treat a lot of dry eye here, especially in people who spend hours at a screen. It often mimics eye strain, but it’s actually a tear film problem. So even perfect glasses won’t help unless we treat the dryness itself.

So What Should You Do?

Here’s what we usually tell our patients:

1. Get a proper eye exam – Not just a quick prescription check, but a full evaluation (we do these daily at Refine Optometry).
   
   

2. Tell us about your daily life – Work, screen time, how you use your eyes matters.
   
   

3. Let us check the fit and prescription – One small tweak can solve a lot.
   
   

And hey — if you’re reading this and thinking, “Yep, this is totally me,” just know we’ve got you. Book an appointment and we’ll take a closer look.