Eye strain is a common problem today. It can happen for a number of reasons. Some common causes are lack of sleep, staring at digital devices for long stretches of time, reading in low light for a long time without taking a break, allergies, incorrect vision prescription, exposure to bright light and some kind of eye problem.
Blink More Often
Blinking is very important when working at a computer; blinking moistens your eyes to prevent dryness and irritation.
When working at a computer, people blink less frequently — about one-third as often as they normally do — and many blinks performed during computer work are only partial lid closures, according to studies.
Tears coating the eye evaporate more rapidly during long non-blinking phases and this can causedry eyes. Also, the air in many office environments is dry, which can increase how quickly your tears evaporate, placing you at greater risk for dry eye problems.
If you experience dry eye symptoms, ask your eye doctor about artificial tears for use during the day.
By the way, don't confuse lubricating eye drops with the drops formulated to "get the red out." The latter can indeed make your eyes look better — they contain ingredients that reduce the size of blood vessels on the surface of your eyes to "whiten" them. But they are not necessarily formulated to reduce dryness and irritation.
To reduce your risk of dry eyes during computer use, try this exercise: Every 20 minutes, blink 10 times by closing your eyes as if falling asleep (very slowly). This will help rewet your eyes.
Chamomile Tea
Another quick treatment for eye strain is chamomile tea bags. The soothing and relaxing nature of chamomile will relieve the stress in your eyes quickly. It can even help reduce swelling around your eyes.
Steep 2 chamomile tea bags in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags, and put one in the refrigerator and the other on the kitchen counter.
For a warm treatment, put the tea bag from the kitchen counter on your closed eyelids for 5 minutes.
For a cool treatment, place the refrigerated tea bag on your eyelids.
Repeat this treatment as often as you like.
Also, drink 2 to 3 cups of chamomile tea to alleviate a headache, one of the common symptoms of eye strain.
Rose Water
Rose water works as a natural relaxer for strained and tired eyes. It has a very soothing effect. Plus, it can rejuvenate the skin around the eyes as well as fade dark circles and eye puffiness.
Splash your eyes with some cold water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Dip 2 Cotton Balls In Rose Water.
Lie down, close your eyes and place the wet cotton balls over your eyes.
Do this twice daily.
Cucumber
Cucumber slices can also help get rid of eye strain quickly. Due to its astringent properties, potato helps soothe the tired muscles around your eyes. It can even help reduce under-eye puffiness and dark circles.
Cool a medium-side cucumber in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
Cut it into thick slices and put them on your tired eyes.
Follow this remedy 1 or 2 times daily.
This remedy can also be done with potato.
Whole Milk
Whole milk is also a popular way to reduce eye strain. The fat in whole milk is very soothing and relaxing for tired eyes. At the same time, milk can be effective in reducing eye irritation and puffiness.
Dip A Cotton Ball In Cold Milk
Gently rub it around your eyes and over your closed eyelids for a few minutes.
Try to relax and soon the cooling effect of the milk will do its trick.
Do this once daily or as needed.
Exercise Your Eyes.
Another cause of computer eye strain is focusing fatigue. To reduce your risk of tiring your eyes by constantly focusing on your screen, look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object (at least 20 feet away) for at least 20 seconds. Some eye doctors call this the "20-20-20 rule." Looking far away relaxes the focusing muscle inside the eye to reduce fatigue.
Another exercise is to look far away at an object for 10-15 seconds, then gaze at something up close for 10-15 seconds. Then look back at the distant object. Do this 10 times.
This exercise reduces the risk of your eyes' focusing ability to "lock up" (a condition called accommodative spasm) after prolonged computer work.
Both of these exercises will reduce your risk of computer eye strain. Also, remember to blink frequently during the exercises to reduce your risk of computer-related dry eye.
Take Frequent Breaks:
To reduce your risk for computer vision syndrome and neck, back and shoulder pain, take frequent breaks during your computer work day.And these supplementary breaks did not reduce the workers' productivity. Data entry speed was significantly faster as a result of the extra breaks, so work output was maintained even though the workers had 20 extra minutes of break time each day.Many workers take only two 15-minute breaks from their computer throughout their work day. According to a recent NIOSH study, discomfort and eye strain were significantly reduced when computer workers took four additional five-minute "mini-breaks" throughout their work day.
During your computer breaks, stand up, move about and stretch your arms, legs, back, neck and shoulders to reduce tension and muscle fatigue.
Check your local bookstore or consult your fitness club for suggestions on developing a quick sequence of exercises you can perform during your breaks and after work to reduce tension in your arms, neck, shoulders and back.
Modify Your Workstation.
If you need to look back and forth between a printed page and your computer screen, this can cause eye strain. Place written pages on a copy stand adjacent to the monitor.
Light the copy stand properly. You may want to use a desk lamp, but make sure it doesn't shine into your eyes or onto your computer screen.
Improper posture during computer work also contributes to computer vision syndrome. Adjust your workstation and chair to the correct height.
Purchase ergonomic furniture to enable you to position your computer screen 20 to 24 inches from your eyes. The center of your screen should be about 10 to 15 degrees below your eyes for comfortable positioning of your head and neck.
