Modern medicine aligns with the wisdom of the Donguibogam in recognizing that recurrent eye fatigue is not merely a localized eye ache. Especially with the everyday use of smart devices, symptoms such as heavy eyelids, eye pain, impaired concentration, and blurred vision can stem not only from the eyes themselves, but also from a systemic stress response and autonomic nervous system imbalance. From a modern neurological perspective, our eyes are vital sensory organs that constantly receive information and transmit it to the brain. However, during prolonged near work or intense focus on small text, the ciliary muscle, which accommodates the eye, contracts excessively and tires easily, much like an overexerted muscle in the arm. That is not all. Blinking frequency decreases markedly below normal, drying out the ocular surface, which in turn triggers an inflammatory response that intensifies eye pain and discomfort. On top of this, the visual cortex in the brain suffers hypofunction due to excessive information processing, leading to asthenopia accompanied by impaired concentration. Just as the Donguibogam viewed the liver as the storehouse of blood, modern medicine views the liver as regulating the body’s energy balance through metabolic activity and detoxification. When blood generation and circulation in the liver falter due to liver hypofunction or chronic stress, the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the eyes becomes insufficient. Furthermore, stress disrupts the autonomic nervous system and excessively activates the sympathetic nerve, constricting the vessels around the eyes and suppressing tear secretion, which serves as a major culprit worsening eye fatigue. The concept that the kidney stores essence and governs fundamental bodily energy can also be linked in modern medicine to the function of the adrenal gland. When adrenal gland function declines due to chronic stress, energy production capacity drops, which can lead to reduced accommodation and impaired light adaptation in the eyes. Ultimately, chronic eye fatigue delivers the message that rest alone is insufficient; one must resolve the root causes by restoring whole-body balance, managing stress, and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits.
