Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on June 24, 2022
Try a washcloth soaked in warm water on your tired, achy eyes. Warm compresses can:
Wash your hands before you start so bacteria doesn’t get in your eyes. Dip your washcloth in water that you've boiled (to sterilize it) and cooled until lukewarm. Then put it on your eyes for 5-10 minutes, or as long as your doctor advises.
Different tasks call for different types of light. While you watch TV, it's easier on your eyes to keep the room softly lit. When you read, put the light where it's behind you and pointed toward the page, out of your eyes. On digital screens, adjust the brightness to match the level of light around you. Also, adjust the screen's contrast, so your eyes don't have to strain to see.
With these prescription eyeglasses, your eyes can focus at computer screen distance. That's about 20-26 inches from your face. Some have special lenses to help you quickly shift focus between close, middle, and far distances. Before you go shopping, understand that computer glasses are not the same as those that block blue light. Blue light-blocking specs may make you more comfortable, but they don't always prevent eyestrain.
Eye experts link this technique to an alternative therapy called The Bates Method, named for eye doctor William Bates. He questioned whether glasses were the only way to fix a person's vision. Research shows his method doesn't correct eyesight, but palming could help to ease eyestrain. Cup your palms over your closed eyes, putting no pressure on your eyeballs. The idea is that this can help to relax your eyes.
Small tweaks can make a big difference to your eyes. Make sure your screen is about arm's length (20-26 inches) away from your face. The center of the screen should be slightly below eye level (4-5 inches). It helps to have a chair you can move up and down. Adjust the text size so you don't squint. And try a document holder next to your monitor for printed papers. This limits how much you move your eyes back and forth.
Tea bags are good for more than a hot drink. They also work as a relaxing cold compress for your eyes. After you've brewed chamomile or regular tea, put the bags in a clean container in the fridge. Once they've cooled, put them on your eyelids to help soothe your eyes and reduce swelling. Make sure you've washed your face and hands well and taken out your contacts. And don't get any tea in your eyes.
Your eyes have muscles, and they can benefit from a workout, too. Try this: Hold your finger a few inches from your eyes and focus on it. Then, focus far into the distance, then back on your finger. Repeat a few times. Or, close your eyes, roll them up toward the ceiling, then down toward the floor. Look to the right, then left. These exercises may help ease eye fatigue. But they won't actually make your eye muscles stronger.
Experts say that when you use a digital device, you should take regular screen breaks. They recommend the 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes. Another tip: for every 2 hours of screen time, rest your eyes for 15 minutes.
When your eyes are dry, they feel more tired. Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air and your eyes. A humidity level of at least 45% is best. Also, adjust your thermostat or move away from vents so dry air doesn't blow on your face. If you smoke, think hard about quitting.
Over-the-counter or prescription eye drops relieve dry, tired eyes. Use them even when your eyes feel fine to keep them moisturized and stop your symptoms from coming back. Or, if you prefer to make natural tears, remember to blink more often, especially when you're on a digital device. We usually blink 15 times in a minute. But when we're on a computer, that drops to 5-7 times.
IMAGES PROVIDED BY:
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SOURCES:
UCLA Health: "Computer-Related Eye Fatigue. "
Mayo Clinic: "Mayo Clinic Q and A: Relief for your dry eyes," "Eyestrain," "A look inside your eyes."
University of Rochester Medical Center: "Ice Packs vs. Warm Compresses For Pain."
University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center: "Eyelid Spasms (Eye Twitching or Eye Twitch)."
All Wales Medicine Study Group: "Dry Eyes Syndrome."
Optometry and Vision Science: "Blue-blocking Filters and Digital Eyestrain."
Journal of Physical Therapy Science: "Effects of yogic eye exercises on eye fatigue in undergraduate nursing students."
Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics: The Journal of the College of Optometrists: "The Bates method, elixirs, potions and other cures for myopia: how do they work?"
Bates Method International: "Palming."
Molecular Medicine Reports: "Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future."
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "How to Get Rid of Bags Under Your Eyes."
Harvard Medical School: "Most cases of pink eye (conjunctivitis) don’t require antibiotics. "
National Institutes of Health: "Exercises and Stretches."
University of Rochester Medical Center: "Don't Ignore Dry Eyes."
Prevent Blindness: "Computers and Your Sight."
American Academy of Ophthalmology: "Computers, Digital Devices and Eye Strain."
American Optometric Association: "Computer Vision Syndrome."
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You just had an amazing night’s sleep but your eyes still look tired. Why is that? Isn’t a good night’s sleep the ultimate cure for tired eyes?
It turns out that there are a number of factors and causes that lead to tired looking eyes: too much or too little sleep, allergies, spending too much time in front of digital screens, and over-exposure to bright light.
Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with 13 tried and true remedies for under-eye bags. After reading this guide, you’ll know exactly how to get rid of those tired eyes once and for all.
Don’t let tired eyes ruin your day! The perfect solution is easier than you think. These 13 ways to wake up your tired eyes will have you looking and feeling refreshed and reinvigorated in no time.
One of the best ways to wake up tired eyes is to wear wrinkle-fighting SiO Beauty Eye & Smile Lift or Super EyeLift patches. It's really simple! All you need to do is apply the patches each night before bed after cleansing and drying your skin.
SiO Beauty patches work while you sleep to hydrate and revive your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Waking up your eyes doesn’t have to be an elaborate process. All it takes is 30 seconds and some warm and cold water.
First thing in the morning, splash your closed eyes ten times with warm water. Then switch to cold.
The warm water will open up your pores and pull nourishing blood to the surface. This can help remove toxins in your skin that have accumulated overnight and bring about a youthful glow to your eyes.
The cold water then tightens your skin and closes pores, which prevents dirt and makeup from causing irritation.
Splashing your eyes with warm and cold water is the quickest way to reduce saggy, inflamed skin. But if you’ve got just a bit more time, submerging your entire face in cold water is even better.
That’s because the skin around your eyes isn’t separate from the rest of your face. When all the skin on your face is tight, the skin around your eyes will be too.
Submerging your whole face in cold water does that. Here’s how to de-puff those tired eyes:
Repeat these steps three times to enjoy eyes that look refreshed and awake.
Massage is a quick, easy, and effective way to wake up and rejuvenate tired eyes. Gentle massage brings extra blood to your muscles and skin. The extra blood cleans out impurities that collect there overnight.
Gentle massage also helps relax the muscles around your eyes. When your muscles are less tense, your skin will smooth out and appear less swollen.
Oh, and don’t forget that a massage just feels good! That might be reason enough to take a few moments out of your busy schedule to massage the skin around your eyes. Here’s how to do it:
All four rounds should only take about two minutes. You can perform this massage anytime, anywhere for a relaxing way to wake up tired eyes.
When you begin to feel your eyes getting heavy, take a break and “palm” your eyes.
What does this mean? First, rub your palms together for a few seconds to warm up your skin. Next, place your palms over your eyes. Your fingers should overlap on your forehead.
Finally, take deep breaths, inhaling through your nose for a count of four and exhaling through your mouth for a count of eight.
Hold this position for five rounds of deep breathing. The combination of darkness and warmth from your palms will give your eyes a short — often much needed — break.
The deep breathing also improves circulation and oxygen intake, which is great for your skin and eyesight overall.
Time to add another step to your fitness regimen! The skin around your eyes can benefit from exercise just like the rest of your body.
A few simple moves can strengthen your eye muscles and tighten the skin in just a few minutes. Best of all, you don’t need any equipment.
Imagine a large analog clock floating in front of you. Stare at the center for a count of two. Then move your eyes to the twelve o’clock position. Hold this position for a count of two, then move your eyes back to the center.
Next, move your eyes to the three o’clock position. Hold this position for a count of two, then move your eyes back to the center. Continue around to the six o’clock and nine o’clock positions, holding each for a count of two.
Phew! Try doing that whole circuit three times. If you stick to the routine for three days a week, you’ll have noticeably younger eyes in no time.
As silly as it sounds, another great way to wake up your eyes is to open and close them. This quick exercise will tone the skin and smaller muscles in your face.
The process is simple. Simply squeeze your eyes closed as hard as you can for a count of three. Then open them as wide as possible for another count of three.
That’s round one. Do five rounds, three times per week.
Many of the healthy foods you eat every day can have an invigorating effect on your eyes. All it takes is a few simple ingredients — like apple, watermelon, avocado, and cucumber — and 15 minutes to reduce inflammation, get rid of dark circles, and wake up tired eyes.
Here’s one simple recipe you can do at night, in the morning, or any time during the day to hydrate, soften, and moisturize.
If your tired eyes persist, apply this eye mask three times per week.
Yes, allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander can make your nose run and your throat feel scratchy. They can also make your eyes feel red, itchy, dry, and tired.
Thankfully, there are some simple ways to get rid of allergens and reinvigorate your eyes. Try out the following tips:
Don’t worry, there’s no need to implement all seven steps at the same time. Start with the allergy pill. Then every week after that, incorporate another step into your daily and weekly routine.
Sleep is an essential part of your daily beauty routine. Without a good night’s sleep, your eyes may look tired no matter what you do. Why is sleep so important?
Because during the night, your body cleanses your skin of dead blood cells and other toxins that can build up during the day. That takes time.
So if you get less than the necessary sleep a few nights in a row, you can wake up with redness, dehydration, skin imbalances, wrinkles, and breakouts.
But with so much going on in your life, how can you be sure you’ll get seven to eight hours of sleep every night? Here are a few simple suggestions:
Taking the above steps to get a good night’s sleep can help you get rid of your tired eyes for good!
Moisture keeps the skin around your eyes fresh and smooth. How do you get this important moisture every day? By drinking water.
But you can’t drink while you sleep. As a result, your skin loses essential moisture during that time. You can prevent moisture loss by running a humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep.
A humidifier vaporizes water (usually with heat) and then pushes it into the air with a fan. This makes the air less dry, which prevents the moisture in your skin from evaporating away.
Mom was right — you need plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. First of all, fruit contains vitamin C, which protects your skin and eyes from free radicals, which can damage your soft tissue.
Thanks to their high antioxidant content, fruit can also prevent age-related eye diseases, like macular degeneration and cataracts. But fruit isn’t the only food with superpowers!
Leafy greens (like kale and spinach) contain vitamin A, lutein, and vitamin B12. That’s the good stuff that protects your skin against harmful UV rays, works as antioxidants, and assists with blood cell production.
This combination of benefits will keep your eyes, and the skin around them, supplied with the nutrients they need to stay healthy. To get the most from your diet, eat at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day.
An easy way to reach this goal is with a morning smoothie. Just toss a banana, a few handfuls of spinach or kale, half a carrot, and some strawberries and blueberries into a blender.
Next, pour in a cup of almond milk and orange juice. For an added boost, add some flaxseed meal, chia seeds, and shredded coconut. Blend for one minute or until the mixture is smooth.
Presto! You’ve just made the perfect breakfast to knock those tired eyes out of bed!
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for both eye and skin health. They help to reduce skin inflammation and prevent skin conditions like acne and psoriasis.
In fact, omega-3 is an important structural component of the eye itself. If you don’t get enough of it in your diet, vision problems can arise.
To increase your intake of omega-3, include foods like walnuts, broccoli, avocados, salmon, and tuna in at least one meal per day. Need some ideas? Try a tuna sandwich for lunch, a salmon steak for dinner, or a small handful of walnuts as a snack.
Getting rid of tired eyes only takes a few minutes a day. And that is time well spent because when you look your best, you feel your best!
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Maybe it's asthenopia. The name is unfamiliar, but the state itself is familiar to everyone. This term ophthalmologists call eye fatigue as a result of prolonged intensive work. A person feels symptoms of asthenopia while reading a book or text from a computer screen, or after many hours of driving. nine0003
Visual tasks that require high concentration cause overexertion and spasm of muscles, and not only the eyes. The muscles of the eyelids, face, and even the jaw are also included in the visual process, and to such an extent that pain and discomfort are sometimes felt. Lighting also plays a role: the eyes get tired quickly in dim light. Looking intently at the monitor, carried away by his tasks, a person blinks less often, and asthenopia is accompanied by dryness of the eyeball. Refractive errors - nearsightedness and farsightedness - exacerbate eye fatigue. nine0003
In general, the symptoms of asthenopia are varied:
Many of these signs are also characteristic of eye diseases, astigmatism, farsightedness or nearsightedness. To understand the true reason, it is still better to come for a consultation with an ophthalmologist and undergo a comprehensive eye diagnosis. nine0003
It is impossible to reduce the load on vision in the modern world - work, entertainment are unthinkable without gadgets. It’s not worth putting up with fatigue, especially since it’s easy enough to relieve tension.
Here are a few "recipes" available to everyone:
And don't forget to blink and breathe, no matter how absurd it may sound. Tears wash away germs and provide the cornea with the necessary lubrication, while deep breathing supplies oxygen to the eyes. nine0003
A little self-care and the discomfort will leave you. And trust the specialists for serious vision problems.
Eye health is directly related to whether you can control the load on your eyesight and provide your eyes with sufficient rest. Experts from the Lucky Look federal network of opticians tell you how to relieve eye fatigue and reduce eye strain if you work at a computer.
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Contents
Any visual discomfort indicates that it is time to take a break from work and give the eyes a chance to rest. Experts identify the main symptoms that indicate an overstrain of the visual system:
Be careful, these symptoms can also signal the presence of serious visual impairment! To rule out negative scenarios, you need visit an ophthalmologist.
Increased visual fatigue can indicate serious disorders, so do not put off a visit to the ophthalmologist
Why does vision deteriorate? The main causes of this phenomenon are distinguished:
High eye strain. This is often faced by schoolchildren and students who are forced to read and write a lot, as well as office workers whose activities involve continuous sitting at a computer or reading documents. nine0003
Also, if you are fond of computer games, like to watch TV shows on your mobile gadgets - smartphones or tablets - or spend all your free time with a book, your eyes are also exposed to a high load.
To minimize problems with this lifestyle, it is essential to take breaks as often as possible and give your eyes regular rest.
Computer vision syndrome. This is a whole complex of symptoms, which is caused by overstrain of the visual system due to prolonged use of the computer. The reason for the development of the symptom is not so much the need to look at the monitor for a long time, but the functional change in your posture, eyes, neck. For example, the constant sliding of the gaze from the keyboard to the monitor and back leads to accommodative asthenopia, which is manifested by discomfort, eye fatigue, pain, pain in the superciliary region, blurred vision of the object of fixation. nine0003
Subsequently, this can cause problems such as myopia (nearsightedness), accommodation spasm (inability to focus on small objects and details) and dry eye syndrome.
Properly organized workplace and touch typing skills will help to minimize the harm from constant work at the computer.
Dry eye syndrome. Often appears on the basis of computer vision syndrome, develops due to insufficient moistening of vision: with concentrated work at a computer, a person blinks less often, as a result of which the tear film dries up. Plus - the air near the computer heats up and also becomes dry. nine0003
Organize your workspace and use special glasses for working at the computer
In the summer season, when air conditioners are in operation, the pathological effect of dry air on the eyes only intensifies. And if you use contact lenses, the syndrome develops even faster.
To reduce the negative impact of external factors and provide more comfortable conditions for the eyes, place a humidifier near your workplace. Also buy moisturizing drops (choose them with the help of an ophthalmologist) and use them several times a day. Try to blink as often as possible. nine0003
During a break, do light eye exercises:
To maintain the effect, apply moisturizing drops selected by an ophthalmologist to your eyes. Do not self-medicate, be sure to seek help from a specialist - moisturizing drops come in different viscosities, they can have a healing effect, or they can simply moisten the surface of the eye. Only an ophthalmologist will determine what exactly your vision needs and select the necessary remedy.
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By the way, gymnastics also requires prior consultation with a doctor. Make sure you have no contraindications. Also, the ophthalmologist can advise other types of gymnastics. nine0003
There are a few rules that must be observed in everyday life. Thanks to this, you can significantly reduce the load on your eyesight, and your eyes will get tired much less.
If you work at a computer, the first thing you need to do is to properly organize your workplace.
The health of your eyes depends on your daily habits. Hygiene of vision allows you to maintain good health and reduces eye fatigue, even under conditions of increased stress.
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Simple exercises that should be done regularly throughout the day will help to quickly relieve fatigue from the eyes. But this is not enough! To make your eyes less strained and tired, it is important to provide the right conditions: