In terms of eyestrain, our ancestors had it easy. Today, we spend hours every day staring into computer monitors or TV screens, squinting through dirty windshields, or simply opening our eyes every morning in a world that’s full of smoke and smog. As a result, our eyes often are tired and dry.
To give your eyes a break while keeping them moist and lubricated, here’s what doctors advise.
Bat your eyelids. Your eyelids are like windshield wipers. Every time you blink they spread a soothing layer of lubrication across the surfaces of the eyes. When your eyes are getting tired, blinking them several times will give quick relief. As a bonus, blinking helps remove dust or grift from the eyes before it causes irritation.
Cover your eyes. To soothe the eyes, do what some professional massage therapists do: Rub your hands together to warm them up, then place the heels of your palms over your eyes for a few seconds. The warmth from your hands will quickly penetrate into the eyes, making them feel rested and relaxed.
Give nature a hand. When your eyes are unusually dry, put in a few drops of artificial tears. Sold in pharmacies, these “re-wetting drops” will help remove debris while providing soothing relief. You can use artificial tears whenever your eyes are feeling dry and tired.
**************************************************************
WHEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR
If your eyes are dry and sore, and you have other symptoms like a dry
mouth, you should call your doctor right away. There are a number of
illnesses, including arthritis and lupus, that can cause the eyes to get tired
and irritated. Don’t assume that dry eyes are “merely” on eye problem. There
may be something else going on as well.
**************************************************************
Keep them cool. Many people have found that putting slices of cool cucumber over the eyes can be very soothing. Or you can simply cover your eyes with a cool compress. Wet a towel in cool water, wring it out, and place it over your eyes for about five minutes.
Give your eyes a break. Most eyestrain is caused by overuse-from staring at the computer screen, for example, or driving long distances. Doctors recommend taking a “vision break” once an hour or so. You don’t have to stop what you’re doing-just focus on something else for a few minutes, preferably something in the distance. Then close your eyes and relax for a moment. Simply resting your eyes now and then will make a big difference in stopping strain and soreness.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Custom Search
1 comment:
Our eyes and vision were designed for viewing distance as hunters and gatherers, and not for ongoing near work as required by regular computer use. As a result, Computer Eye Strain is becoming one of the major eye complaints heard by eye doctors today.
Symptoms can include increased myopia, blurred vision, headaches, slow refocusing, difficulty concentrating, neck, shoulder and back pain,as well as dry eyes.
Eye strain can be reduced significantly by taking regular breaks from the computer, resting your eyes, stretching and doing eye exercises.
For a demo of 3 great eye exercises by Dr. Grossman, one of the Country's leading behavioral optometrists, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W10j2fL0hy0
Dr. Grossman also offers his free eye exercise booklet at his website at Natural Eye Care Free Eye Exercises with his 11 favorite eye exercises and acupressure eye points to massage regularly.
Finally, there is also an excellent section at his website on "Computer Eye Strain" under "Eye Diseases" that provides a Computer Eye Strain “Self-Help“ section with great tips of relieving eyestrain due to computer use.
Also, a few research studies show that supplementing with 6mg per day of astaxanthin per day significantly improved eye strain at week 2 and 4 of the test period.
For more information, go to Natural Eye Care for Computer Eye Strain
Post a Comment