I'm in the same boat. What helped me:
1. Computer glasses - just take them off when you work on your photography. I bought mine online for less than twenty bucks. They work!
Made a huge difference for me.
Of course, if I really push it by reading all day and late into the night several days in a row and don't give my eyes a break at all, they do hurt to the point where I also get headaches and they might still hurt the next morning a bit.
2. Helpful advice from my eye doctor that costs nothing and does help:
Use a wet washcloth to cover your eyes and rest them for about fifteen minutes. This is especially good for dry eyes.
It's a simple remedy and often works as well as using eye drops.
I prefer using a hot washcloth most of the time to help with the grittiness but sometimes cold feels better. YMMV
I started using filtered water for this which seems to give me slightly better results, but that's just my personal experience.
When I especially abused my poor eyes I use wet chamomile teabags covered with a moist, warm cloth.
Try it next time you were up until three a.m. and do it for ten minutes before you go to bed so the eye pain doesn't keep you awake.
Yeah, I tend to push things to the limit, but I try not to anymore.
3. "Daylight" lightbulbs anywhere you like to read - also made a big difference. Lowes carries them, they are not hard to find.
Keeps your eyes from getting too tired and less gritty, no burning pains:).
Before I used daylight bulbs my poor eyeballs started protesting around nine in the evening.
4. Another tip from my eye doctor at one of the best eye clinics in the country - choose the preservative-free eye drops they are better for your eyes.
I would think this is an item one could buy much cheaper from an online pharmacy in Canada - I stock up when I travel to Europe.
In general cheaping out on keeping your eyes healthy is not a good idea. So what if I have to spend an extra thirty bucks a month? If I'm that tight in my budget then maybe it is time to seriously revamp my budget or bring in more money.
You can cause damage to your eyes by ignoring severe dry eye issues.
Treat your eyes well, you only get one set, and once damaged you may find it is irreversible.
I get it, I love colors, am into photography like you are, regularly spend too much time online or reading and really hate suddenly facing limits and pain. But, the worst thing you could do is aggravate your condition.
My only action steps are to spend more time outdoors or in the garden, alternate a day of computer overindulgence with no more than one hour max computer time the next day to give my eyes a break.
I no longer read/use the computer all night but try my best to stop reading by one o'clock at night. Taking a break is done easily enough if you have a garden - a five minute round works wonders for me.
I do get immersed in a subject whenever I research or study or even just binge-watch or youtube excessively and hate to stop, but my health is more important - that information/data will still be there five minutes later or the next day.
The biggest mistake I made is not buying a monitor that is good for your eyes, the kind that has a rounded screen, and has the blue light or whatever built-in. Cost only 100 bucks more - very dumb of me, but the computer glasses did the trick - I was surprised at the difference, no more pain (most of the time).
As far as regular eyeglasses - think of them like hiking shoes or mechanic/construction tools or chef's knives, you want the best tool and equipment you can get, your body will thank you for it.
However, I would see an opthamologist for a second opinion about all of your concerns, just in case the optometrist missed something or didn't have the right equipment/knowledge to discover another underlying issue.
If you think there is something off with your glasses, don't just raise the question, but pursue the issue. Happened to me once, I insisted there was a problem and I was right - I've worn glasses most of my life, don't tell me I should get used to wearing something when I know there is a problem.
If your new normal to keep your eyes healthy means that you need to restrict or alter your activities a bit - then JDI.
Good luck:) and please do make an appointment with the best eye doctor you can find.