4. Eye Anatomy Basics

We are diurnal creatures. We are created to actively search for food and scan for predators during the day, and sleep at night. It is only logical that our eyes are designed to work this way. For hundreds of thousands of years, our eyes have evolved to work well in sunlight and have sharp distance vision. It also has the ability to adjust for near work and to see in low light but it is ultimately designed to work best in sunlight and for scanning the horizon.

Over several millennia, our civilization has advanced to the point that most of us do not need to search for food nor look out for predators anymore. We have to acquire specific skills and work to earn a living. As a result, we spend most of our day in artificial light, focusing on near work, and stressing to meet deadlines. This is opposite of what our eyes are designed to do. Our eyes and mind have no choice but to adapt to meet these new demands. This adaptation maintains constant tension in the eye muscles and stress in the mind, or simply eyestrain.

Before we explore eyestrain further, let me share with you a few simple details about the eyes.