No one is immune to eyestrain in this world of screens. We watch television, play on our phones and tablets, and work on our computers everyday. We also strain our eyes from prolonged driving or any other tasks that involve a lot of focus. How do you know if a headache is caused by eyestrain or something else? Let’s find out.
Common Symptoms of Eyestrain
In order to keep our eyes healthy we need to be aware of the symptoms so that we can give our eyes a break. Some common symptoms of eyestrain include:
- Headaches
- Sore, tired, burning or itching eyes.
- Watery or dry eyes.
- Blurred or double vision
- Headache
- Sore neck, shoulders or back
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling that you cannot keep your eyes open
Thankfully, eyestrain is one of those eye conditions that you have control over.
5 Ways to Alleviate Eyestrain
- Take breaks from work. If you are working on a computer or doing any other type of work, which involves working your eyes at a close distance, then you need to take a break of about two minutes after every hour. By simply closing the eyes and doing nothing will give the eyes the much needed rest.
- Stop reading to refocus. If you are reading continuously, it is highly advisable to take a short break after every 30 minutes and look far away into the distance. When you are working with your eyes close-up, there is a muscle in the eye that contracts. When you shift the focus to an object at a distance, you relieve the muscle of its strain.
- Blink your eyes. Nature has given human eyes their personal masseur viz. the eyelids. Consciously blinking the eyes instead of squinting will cleanse and give them the required massage.
- Use glasses or contacts. If you have problems seeing but avoid using glasses due to vanity, you are bound to suffer from eyestrain. Eye wear come in many styles and are considered a fashion accessory by many people.
- Exercise the eye muscles. Stand at a distance of about five feet from the blank wall. Ask somebody else to toss a ball while you try to catch it every time it bounces off. Alternatively, hold your thumb at the arm’s length, move it in circles and Xs, bringing it closer or far away and follow it with your eyes. These exercises offset the damage caused by eyestrain and improve the brain to nerve coordination for enhanced vision.
Everyone experiences eyestrain from time to time, but we can reduce the frequency by giving our eyes the rest that they need.
