How The Digital Age Is Wreaking Havoc on Our Eyes

Common symptoms of DES include blurred vision, dry, irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, and headaches; they typically appear after several hours of constant screen use. But why are screens so bad for our eyes? According to the Cleveland Clinic, compared to reading from print, when our eyes are looking at a screen, they have to constantly refocus to read the pixels on the screen; hours of this leads to eye strain. We also blink a lot less when looking at a screen, leading to dry eyes.³ And then there’s the blue light that all screens emit, which has been shown to cause oxidative stress and increase inflammation in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, which is especially vulnerable to oxidative damage.⁴

So what are we to do, because the screens aren’t going anywhere. Healthy screen time habits are key; reduce your screen time as much as you can and if you use a computer for work, take small breaks throughout the day. You can also practice the “20/20/20 rule”: every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds; this helps relax your eye muscles. These days, many devices have a blue light filter built in, allowing you to adjust blue light levels. In addition to these healthy habits, consider adding eye-supportive nutrients like astaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin for optimal support.

Astaxanthin Gets an A+ for Eye Health

Astaxanthin is a nutrient gaining attention for its potential role in reducing visual fatigue. This red-orange carotenoid, naturally found in algae and seafood such as salmon and shrimp, possesses potent antioxidant activity.A recent review investigating clinical applications of astaxanthin concluded that the nutrient may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation within the eye.⁵

Research also shows that astaxanthin supports healthy circulation to ocular tissues and helps reduce muscle fatigue associated with prolonged near-focus tasks, such as looking at a screen.⁶ Studies in high screen users also report improved visual performance and reduced eye fatigue with carotenoid blends containing astaxanthin plus lutein and zeaxanthin.⁷

All Eyes on Lutein & Zeaxanthin

To protect itself from oxidative stress, the eye naturally accumulates the antioxidant carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula, the small area in the retina responsible for central vision.⁸ These antioxidants, which naturally occur together in food and supplements, work together to filter damaging light before it reaches sensitive eye tissues, and a higher macular pigment optical density (MPOD) (a measure of the eyes’ antioxidant capacity) is related to a reduction in the frequency of digital eye strain, as well as improved overall visual function.^{9 1011}

In a 2025 placebo-controlled trial involving adults who used digital screens for more than six hours a day, supplementation with 10mg of lutein and 2mg of zeaxanthin daily for six months was associated with improvements in dry eyes and general visual health.¹²Another study in healthy adults found that daily supplementation with 12mg of lutein significantly increased MPOD over 16 weeks.¹³ Participants also demonstrated improvements in contrast sensitivity and glare recovery when under visually demanding conditions.¹⁴

A 2023 study investigated lutein’s effect on eye strain and sleep quality in 48 healthy young adults with at least six hours of daily screen-time exposure. Screen time and sleep quality were assessed via questionnaire and MPOD was also assessed.¹⁵ Twenty-four mg of lutein and zeaxanthin daily yielded significant improvement in MPOD and improved symptoms of eye strain, including headache frequency, eye fatigue, blurred vision, watery eyes, and sensitivity to light. They also found improvement in all visual performance measures, versus placebo. Additionally, sleep quality improved in those taking lutein. The study found that “Increased MPOD significantly improves visual performance and, in turn, improves several undesirable physical outcomes associated with excessive screen time.”¹⁶

We live in a digital age. As device use becomes unavoidable, nutrients like astaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin, help support the eyes’ natural antioxidant defenses, especially when paired with healthy screen habits.

References

1. Kumar, N. (2026, March 9). Average Screen Time Statistics 2026 [By Age & Country]. DemandSage. https://www.demandsage.com/screen-time-statistics/
2. Computer Vision Syndrome. (2025, December 30). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24802-computer-vision-sy…
3. Computer Vision Syndrome. (2025, December 30). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24802-computer-vision-sy…
4. Ouyang, X., Yang, J., Hong, Z., Wu, Y., Xie, Y., & Wang, G. (2020). Mechanisms of blue light-induced eye hazard and protective measures: a review. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 130, 110577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110577
5. Giannaccare G, Pellegrini M, Senni C, et al. Clinical Applications of Astaxanthin in the Treatment of Ocular Diseases: Emerging Insights. Mar Drugs. 2020;18(5):239. doi:10.3390/md18050239. PMID: 32384724.
6. Nagaki Y, Hayasaka S, Yamada T, et al. Effects of astaxanthin on accommodation, critical flicker fusion, and pattern visual evoked potential in visual display terminal workers. J Tradit Complement Med. 2021;11(4):347-352.
7. Nagaki Y, Hayasaka S, Yamada T, et al. Effects of astaxanthin on accommodation, critical flicker fusion, and pattern visual evoked potential in visual display terminal workers. J Tradit Complement Med. 2021;11(4):347-352.
8. Arunkumar R, Gorusupudi A, Bernstein PS. The macular carotenoids: A biochemical overview. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids. 2020 Nov;1865(11):158617. doi: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158617. Epub 2020 Jan 10. PMID: 31931175; PMCID: PMC7347445.
9. Bernstein PS, Li B, Vachali PP, et al. Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin: The basic and clinical science underlying carotenoid-based nutritional interventions against ocular disease. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2021;50:34-66.
10. Krinsky NI, Landrum JT, Bone RA, Biologic mechanisms of the protective role of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye, Annu. Rev. Nutr 23 (2003) 171–201. 10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.011702.073307.
11. Lem DW, Gierhart DL, Davey PG. Can Nutrition Play a Role in Ameliorating Digital Eye Strain? Nutrients. 2022; 14(19):4005. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194005
12. Lopresti AL and Smith SJ (2025) The effects of lutein/ zeaxanthin (Lute-gen®) on eye health, eye strain, sleep quality, and attention in high electronic screen users: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Front. Nutr. 12:1522302. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1522302
13. Masri, A., Armanazi, M., Inouye, K., Geierhart, D. L., Davey, P. G., & Vasudevan, B. (2024). Macular Pigment Optical Density as a Measurable Modifiable Clinical Biomarker. Nutrients, 16(19), 3273. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16193273
14. Machida, N., Kosehira, M., & Kitaichi, N. (2020). Clinical Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Lutein with High Bio-Accessibility on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Contrast Sensitivity: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Parallel-Group Comparison Trial. Nutrients, 12(10), 2966. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102966
15. Emerging science on Lutein in the brain - abbott nutrition. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2023, from http://static.abbottnutrition.com/cms-prod/anhi.org/img/Johnson.pdf
16. Stringham, J., Stringham, N., & O’Brien, K. (2017, June 29). Macular carotenoid supplementation improves visual performance, sleep quality, and adverse physical symptoms in those with high screen time exposure. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/6/7/47