Have you been sitting in front of the computer screen for many hours? Are you suffering from eye strain and wondering how to relieve this eye strain? In this article, we have listed down eight most effective eye strain remedies you can practice at home. Don't forget to checkout Can Eye Strain cause Headaches? & How to get rid of them? and What does eye strain feel like? Eye strain symptoms & causes.
Home Remedies for Eye Strain
Eye strain has become a common problem these days with prolonged exposure to smartphones, computer screens, and other electronic devices. The revolution in digitization is causing people to spend a lot of time staring at LED screens—be it for work, online classes, or binge-watching. This, in turn, causes ocular discomfort, leading to eye strain, thereby hampering your health and productivity.
Eyestrain, or asthenopia, occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use. It develops when your eyelid muscles get tense and there is repeated overuse of these muscles without proper relaxation. According to the Journal of Modern Optics,According to Journal of Modern Optics,
"Eye strain can be categorized into two types: an internal type consisting of sensations of strain and ache felt inside the eye and caused by the stress of the accommodative and convergence mechanisms; and an external type consisting of sensations of dryness and irritation on the front of the eye and caused by compromised conditions in the viewing environment."
Some of the common causes of eye strain are sore, tired, or itchy eyes; dry eyes; headache; blurred vision; difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and others. Although eye strain doesn’t have a long-term consequence, it can be very unpleasant and reduce your ability to concentrate and hamper your productivity. You should know how to relieve eye strain at home. We have listed down eight effective eye strain home remedies for you to relieve eye strain naturally. These eye strain treatment tips and tricks will show you how to recover from eye strain.
1) Follow the 20-20-20 rule
With digital becoming the new normal, you usually spend eight to ten hours of the day in front of the computer, which causes eye discomfort and vision problems. Wondering how to relieve eye strain from digital exposure? Follow the 20-20-20 rule; take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to view something 20 feet away. As already mentioned in our eye strain treatment guide, tthis is one of the most simple and effective eye strain tips to follow. Follow this practice for two weeks, and you will see a tremendous rise in your productivity..
2) Sunning
Sunning is one of the most natural remedies for eye strain.The idea here is to take in a lot of sunlight and provide the necessary warmth for your eyes. Sunlight is very good for your retina and helps in releasing dopamine, which helps in the healthy development of the eyes. All you need to do is close your eyes, stand on your balcony, and allow the sunlight to warm your eyelids.
Precaution: Do not stare directly at the sun.
3) Use a screen protection
Our eyes are not designed for staring at computer screens throughout the day. Hence, you need to protect them from excessive UV light. Use a matte screen filter on your laptop and mobile phone to deflect the excess blue light exposure.
4) Eye exercises
You must be wondering if there are any exercises on how to heal eye strain at home for your own comfort. Well, there you are! To relieve eye strain, take occasional breaks from your work and rub your hands together to create warmth in your palms. Place the warm palm against your eyes for 30 seconds. Repeat this process three to five times a day within small intervals. This is also one way to get rid of heavy eyes. This increases the blood circulation in your eyes and relaxes your eye muscles, thereby relaxing your eyes and preventing eye strain.
5) Blink often to refresh your eyes
When you work on your computer or laptop, you tend to blink less than usual, contributing to dry eyes. Blinking your eyes produces tears that moisten and refresh your eyes. A good amount of moisture in your eyes prevents your eyes from swelling and thereby reduces eye strain. When you are working on computer screens for a long time, it is advisable to blink your eyes often and take some breaks in between to do that.
6) Splash cold water
Splashing your eyes with cold water is a go-to cure to relieve eye strain and fatigue. Cold water helps in improving your blood circulation and relaxing the strained muscles of your face and eyes. This is a quick and easy home remedy to reduce eye strain. You can directly wash your face with cold water or dab a cotton cloth on your eyes to relax them. Alternatively, you can also rub a cube of ice around your eyes to give them some extra moisture. Using cold water is a tried and tested eye strain home remedy and provides instant relief from eye strain and fatigue. This is one of the most common eye pain home remedies.
7) Improve your air quality
The quality of the air you inhale plays a crucial role in taking care of your eyes. Improve the air quality in your space by using a ventilator, humidifier, and adjusting the thermostat to reduce blowing air and smoke. Moreover, inhaling fresh air is crucial in easing eye strain.
8) Choose the right eyewear
If you wear contact lenses while working, you should consider investing in computer glasses, which are designed specifically to protect your eyes from the harmful UV blue rays. If you wear spectacles, you can still ask your doctor to modify your prescription or simply get a UV blue lens coating. With computer glasses, you will be able to devote seamless work time to work, thereby increasing your productivity at work. The best home remedy for blurry vision.
Lifestyle tips to relax your eyes
One of the best eye strain tips is to create a comfortable environment for your eyes. Adjust the lighting when using a laptop or watching television, and keep the room softly lit. Bright light and too much glare can strain your eyes and hamper your productivity. To avoid computer vision syndrome, you need to adjust your computer screen settings like contrast, brightness, fonts, and others. Keep your laptop in front of you at an arm’s length distance so that your screen is just below eye level, and you do not have to stress so much. Additionally, you can also use a document holder designed to be placed between the keyboard and monitor so that you can easily refer to your documents. All these home remedies for eye strain are essential to provide mental calmness and give a boost to your work productivity.
Takeaways
Be it working from home or binge-watching, your eyes are continuously exposed to digital screens. Hence, they require adequate care. It is essential to take breaks and follow some of these home remedies on how to heal eye strain. Moreover, take time to understand the reason for your eye strain and follow the necessary remedies for it. In most cases, you will be able to treat eye strain with these home remedies. However, if the problem persists, you must seek professional advice from your eye doctor.
References:
- Sheedy, J., 2007. The physiology of eyestrain. Journal of Modern Optics, 54(9), pp.1333-1341.
