Prevention of eye strain

Many people work at places which pose incredible stress on their eyes daily. Actions which can lead to eyesight damage due to excessive eye straining are reading and working on the computer, predominantly. If you experience eyesight problems or symptoms of eyestrain due to these factors, giving your eyes some rest can prove to be all that needs to be done. However, there are cases where the symptoms of eyestrain are actually signs of some other, underlying condition which needs to be treated as soon as possible.

Preventing Eyestrain

Your eyes are under incredible pressure every day. Keep that in mind and provide them time to rest. For example, while you are working on the computer, take your eyes off the screen every 20 minutes and look at something else for 20 seconds. Also, make sure that this object or item is at least 20 feet away from you. This 20/20/20 rule is excellent for avoiding eyestrain. Never sit in front of the screen for more than an hour without making a pause, stretching or getting out of your chair for a bit.

Next, never forget to blink often. Blinking keeps your eyes moist and regenerated, keeping it safe from pain and dryness in return. If you happen to suffer from dry eyes, make sure you purchase artificial tears in a pharmacy and use these for lubricating your eyes. Just make sure you contact your doctor beforehand, seeking advice on which type of artificial tears to use.

Sometimes, certain environmental factors may be contributing to your eye straining. Make sure that the air in your workspace is not too dry by turning the heater down, purchasing an air humidifier and avoiding smoking at all costs.

Additionally, during every working session, you need adequate relaxation. You can achieve this by turning your palms up while placing your elbows on your working desk. Allow your head to fall on your hands, with you resting the eyebrows at the base of your palms and your fingers touching your forehead. With your eyes closed, breathing only through your nose, breathe deeply, holding your breath for several seconds before letting it go out slowly. Do this for about half a minute and repeat the whole process a couple of times a day.

Finally, massaging your eyebrows, your temples and your upper cheeks gently can help you relax the strained muscles and relieve the tension in the area. Also, if you need to wear glasses or contacts, do not avoid this.

Home Remedies

Use light to your benefit. Always provide sufficient illumination for your work, making sure that the source of light is facing the paper you are reading. However, make sure that the glare of the light is not directed towards your eyes.

The same goes for watching TV, so keep the light in the room dimmed but present nevertheless. As for your monitor, stay at least 20 inches away from it. If you cannot see the font, increase it, do not move closer. Finally, set up the contracts and the colors adequately, keeping the glare to a minimum.