We're glued to different types of screens all day, but what happens when the screen is strapped to your face? 

That's a question about the eye health impacts of virtual reality, which describes a technology that transports you to a new world where everything around you looks real enough to interact with but is virtual. There are many types of VR games and worlds you can enter, and companies like Meta have brought VR headsets into the mainstream as devices more people may have at home. People usually use the term "VR" when describing any instance of someone strapping on a headset and flailing about a world before them that doesn't exist, but there's similar but different technology in the form of augmented reality or "mixed" reality. Other popular brands of these immersive headsets include Apple Vision Pro. 

Because VR requires that headset (which looks like fastening a ginormous, screen-filled pair of goggles to your head), it begs the question: What's the impact?

To get relevant health information on VR and your eyes, we spoke with two ophthalmologists (medical doctors who specialize in the eye and the visual system). Here's what they have to say. 

Can VR impact vision? 

The medical consensus on what happens to your eyes when you're looking at a screen, generally speaking, is that it can cause symptoms of digital eye strain, including dry eyes and headaches. While irritating, this typically doesn't cause lasting harm or damage to your vision long-term. This is also true for what we currently know about the blue light emitted from screens; it may disrupt your sleep, but research so far hasn't shown it's enough to damage the eye or your vision.  

According to Dr. Robert Kinast, an ophthalmologist and CEO and co-founder of GentleDrop, it's basically the same story for VR. 

"The two biggest risks of virtual reality are eye strain and eye dryness, which can be painful but usually doesn't injure the eye," Kinast said. 

Given VR or mixed reality is so immersive (if you need evidence, read CNET's review of the Meta Quest 3 or Apple Vision Pro), and you're so attuned to what's right in front of you, you may even blink less than what usually tips off digital eye strain, according to Dr. Ranjodh S. Boparai, ophthalmic surgeon and CEO of CorneaCare. 

"I think the level of focus that your brain will dedicate to [VR] is going to be very high," Boparai said. "And when you're really focused on stuff, you naturally blink less."

Another question of how VR or mixed reality headsets will strain your eyes, or to what degree, has to do with how far away the "object" you're looking at is, how much depth the world allows for and how your eyes accommodate to perceive it. 

"In typical day to day function, we rely on our eyes to be able to zoom, to see up close and far away, and to be able to switch between those two things," Boparai said, using his ability to look away from his computer screen and to a farther point in his office as an example. 

This could mean, then, that one factor in how much your eyes strain comes down to how your eyes focus, which could vary depending on the specific technology and if your reality is more virtual or mixed, for example. Research on how different devices or technology compare may be needed.  

A separate health phenomenon that Boparai pointed to when dabbling in VR is the fact that people prone to motion sickness may feel ill wearing a VR headset. This is because there's a "mismatch" between what your brain perceives (movement) and what's actually happening. 

With the realities of myopia risk in kids extend to VR?

Myopia, or being nearsighted and having trouble seeing far away, is a growing public health problem that, at least to some extent, can be preventable or lessened. Existing research on children's vision shows that kids and teens whose eyes are still "growing" are at greater risk of myopia if they spend more time indoors, which includes indoor "near work" activity such as computer games or reading, and less time outside.

It's been difficult to tease apart to what extent those factors contribute to rising rates of myopia, though. According to Kinast, the "up close" or "near work" component may be due to the accommodation process our eyes go through when we look at something up close and what it requires of the eye's lens. 

"In children, there's some evidence that this sustained accommodation can send a signal to the eye that it needs to be longer," he said, which can worsen myopia. Severe myopia is a health concern (think about a prescription around -6 or higher) because there is a link between being very myopic or having a very high nearsighted prescription and the risk of eye problems such as retinal detachment or glaucoma.

We know what you're thinking – tech has to be to blame, given the increasing access kids have to screens and handheld devices at younger ages. According to Boparai, the answer isn't that simple. Myopia risk also comes down to genetics and, probably, the fact people are spending less time outside in general. 

"What we find is that spending time outdoors tends to have a little bit of a protective effect against myopia progression, specifically," he said. This means a child who may already need glasses because their parents need them, for example, may reduce their risk of getting into the very high negatives or becoming very nearsighted by spending more time outside. 

Boparai said time spent outside may benefit the eyes in a couple of different ways: exposure to daylight can be helpful, and being outside also usually means you're focusing far off in the distance, allowing the eye to adjust far out rather than focus up close.

It's worth noting that most VR or mixed reality manufacturers typically include an age limit of around 12 or 13. As the American Academy of Ophthalmology points out, this may be due more to the content of virtual, augmented or mixed reality worlds and games.

How to give your eyes a break 

No matter your current reality, remember to take a break from screens or digital experiences. Boparai recommends every 90 minutes to 2 hours if you can swing it. Ideally, get outside and leave your phone or book indoors. This allows your eyes to relax and focus on objects farther than just a few feet or inches in front of your face.

"I actually, personally do that," Boparai said. "I'll try to either have my lunch outside or do something where I'm exercising the eyes in a different way." If you need to be continuously in front of a screen for work or school purposes, consider sticking to the basic "20-20-20" rule of looking about 20 feet away, for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes. 

If your eyes are dry, Kinast recommends a warm compress to help melt the oils and have them flow more easily into the tear film. A cool compress may help with swelling or itching.