Do you find yourself rubbing your eyes often throughout the day, closing them for brief moments because they feel tired, or just having a difficult time focusing on what’s in front of you? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, there is a growing number of individuals who experience these very symptoms, which are all related to one thing – eye fatigue.
As technology continues to take over our lives, we are constantly staring at some sort of screen. This can lead to dry eyes and can leave your eyes feeling quite tired. In some cases, after prolonged use, you may experience temporary blurry vision because of screen watching. Furthermore, lack of hydration and nutrition, along with poor sleep, can also contribute to eye fatigue.
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So if you’re looking to give your eyes some necessary TLC, here are four simple tips you can do right now to start improving your eyes.
Tips to improve eye fatigue
Blink more often: Blinking actually lubricates the eyes and should occur every six to eight seconds. Even still, many of us go much longer than eight seconds without blinking – which increases the risk of dryness of the eyes – as we get so engulfed in what we are looking at.
A helpful tip, aside from blinking more, is to follow the 20-20 rule: after 20 minutes of screen time, move your eyes to look at something away from your screen for 20 seconds – the further that object is from your screen, the better.
Move away from the screen: Tablets, smart phones, and other devices are commonly held close to our face. Dr. Rohit Sharma, professor at the department of ophthalmology, AIIMs, New Delhi, said, “Nowadays, we are not exercising our eyes much. Staring at screen for a prolonged period increases the risk of myopia, especially in kids.” Moving these devices further from your eyes can help prevent eye fatigue.
Furthermore, there is a rising rate of pollution, which enters the eyes, causing irritation. Rather than rubbing your eyes, it’s best that you rinse them out.
Avoid the blue light: You have probably heard about blue light – it is the light emitted from tech devices. This type of light has been associated with disrupted sleep patterns. It is recommended that you avoid it during the hours leading up to sleep. Along with blue light, there are bright office lights or lights on giant billboard screens. Dr. Sudipto Pakrasi, chairman of the division of ophthalmology, Medanta – The Medicity, Gurgaon, explained, “The bright light strains the eyes. In some cases, people also start getting sensitive towards the light.” Dim the light on your devices in order to lower your exposure.
Even being outdoors in the summertime or on a frosty day with the sun shining bright can cause damage to the eyes. Sunlight can actually burn the retina, so it’s best advised that you wear protective sunglasses to block out some of those rays.
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Relax your eyes: Your eyes allow you to see the vast world we live in. Still, they need some relaxation time here and there. Limit screen time as much as possible, especially before bed. Also, ensure you are getting adequate sleep, as daytime fatigue can contribute to eye fatigue as well.
Lastly, consume a diet full of dark leafy greens, which offer your eyes the essential nutrients they need to remain sharp. Some other tricks you can utilize to relax your eyes are to apply a cotton pad with rose water, let cucumbers sit on your eyes, try leaving tea bags on your eyes, and apply pure almond oil sparingly under the eyes and massage it in.
Your eyes are precious, so take the time to treat them well instead of using them beyond the limit.
