When working or sitting in front of a computer monitor you should sit at least an arms length away from the monitor to avoid eye strain.
Another thing you should do is raise the monitor up so that it's in view when you're looking straight ahead without having to tilt your head down.
I used to have my computer monitor sitting lower and was tilting my head down to view the monitor and I used to get neck pain from doing so.
I then took some books and raised my computer monitor up so my head would be looking up straight ahead and I don't get neck pain anymore.
I too used to sit closer to the computer monitor and used to get eye strain but after I sat back an arms length from the computer monitor I don't get eye strain like I used too.