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.
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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.
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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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Written by Rick Ansorge
Your eyes are burning, itchy, and tired. It’s a common condition but rarely serious. You can take simple steps to prevent or ease this problem.
If those tactics don’t work, see your doctor. What you’re feeling could be a sign of a deeper condition that requires treatment. This is especially important if you have headaches or other problems like:
Anything that requires intense eye use can cause fatigue.
Some of the most common are:
If you look at bright light or spend time in a place that’s too dim, it can also tire your peepers.
Your eyes might get tired easily if you stare for long periods at a computer, smartphone, or game console. The eye doctor might call this computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain. It affects most people who use one. Some estimates say computer-related eye symptoms may be responsible for up to 10 million eye doctor visits a year. The problem is expected to grow as more people use smartphones and other handheld digital devices, which force your eyes to work harder than usual as they strain to focus on tiny words.
Digital devices may also be linked to eye fatigue because you tend to blink less often when looking at a computer screen. People usually blink about 18 times a minute. This naturally refreshes the eyes. But studies suggest that people only blink about half as often while looking at a computer or other digital device.
This can result in dry, tired, itchy, and burning eyes.
Be on the lookout for:
These symptoms can lower your productivity. If you stay awake for long hours working, you can make the problem worse. Sleep refreshes your eye with essential nutrients. Lack of sleep may lead to repeated eye irritation.
Make some simple changes to:
Your computer screen:
Your work environment:
Your work habits:
Your eye-care routine:
If you have eye fatigue or pain, see an eye doctor to make sure a deeper medical condition isn’t to blame.
If the problem doesn’t go away, make an appointment for a full eye exam. The doctor can make sure your symptoms aren’t linked to a problem like an eye muscle imbalance or dry eye.
They can also tell if your glasses or contact lens prescription is up to date and good for computer use.
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.
Sign up for a free vision test
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.
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.
In order to minimize problems with this lifestyle, it is necessary to take breaks as often as possible and give the eyes regular rest.
Computer vision syndrome. This is a whole complex of symptoms, which is caused by overexertion 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.
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.
Organize your workplace 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.
During a break, do light eye exercises:
The gaze is directed forward. 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.
Sign up for a free vision test
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.
There are several 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.
At this time, you can not switch to mobile gadgets, as there will be no sense in pauses in this case. It is better to perform light eye exercises, which we talked about above. But before performing gymnastics, it is necessary to consult with a specialist and make sure that you have no contraindications to this; 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.
It is important that the room in which you sleep is darkened; 
Only timely detection of possible violations will prevent their development. Remember that on your own you cannot always correctly assess your condition; Sign up for a free vision test
Remember that the mask should be washed regularly. 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:
Remember that you need to consult an ophthalmologist before doing gymnastics! Moisturizing drops should also be selected by a specialist.
color photograph. On a light background, close-up of the left eye of a girl in rectangular glasses with a black frame. Light skin tone is emphasized by black eyebrows and hair. The gaze is directed to the side. The lens reflects the monitor screen with graphs of different colors.
Vision is one of the main senses on which a person relies, but in the modern world it is more vulnerable than ever before. Every day around us are full of bright monitors, screens and other eye irritants. It is vision that suffers from them in the first place. To keep it as long as possible, it is worth adhering to certain rules - to observe the so-called hygiene of vision.
Most of us often have to sit at a computer monitor or read texts printed on paper. Ophthalmologists advise remembering a few important things when organizing the workspace where many people spend most of their time.
The light must be uniform and not flickering, and its sources must not affect the chemical composition and physical properties of the air.
While reading, the light source should be behind the person's shoulder. When writing for left-handers - on the right, for right-handers - on the left, so that there is no shadow from the hand.
Printed text should not be brought closer to the eyes than 30 centimeters. And when working with a monitor, this distance should double.
It is better not to put a table lamp behind the monitor. If this cannot be avoided, it is better to direct its light towards the ceiling. The monitor itself is not recommended to be placed next to the window, and if there is no other place, it would be good to hang blackout curtains or blinds.
Subdued diffused light is suitable for working at a computer, but in no case is darkness - such conditions can greatly harm the eyes.
American scientists have recognized the Verdana font (size 10-12) as the most optimal for vision.
The screen is best positioned at a 90 degree angle. The top edge of the monitor should be slightly below eye level. It is important to wipe it regularly without damaging the special protective coating.
The LCD must be set to a refresh rate of at least 85 Hz. Ideally, its illumination and the illumination of the workplace should match. If the document on the screen looks like a light source, the brightness should be reduced, and if it seems gray, increase. The contrast between the background of the text and the letters should be as high as possible.
When working at a computer, it is important to take breaks after about 40-50 minutes. This time is for everyone individually - you need to listen to your feelings and avoid excessive eye strain.
Fans of reading on the subway or bus should remember that ophthalmologists are categorically against it.
Due to shaking, the distance to the text is constantly changing, and if for a person as a whole this is not noticeable, then it requires a lot of effort from the eyes. They are forced to reconfigure almost every second, which greatly wears out the eye muscles. Doctors are also against reading on the go and even lying down. And, as in working at a computer, sometimes you need to take breaks of 3-5 minutes while reading.
Even hairstyle can affect vision. Bangs hanging over the eyes, for example, can be very tiring for the eyes. Therefore, experts recommend choosing other styling options whenever possible, especially for children.
Timely rest for the eyes plays a huge role in maintaining good vision. Severe overwork can lead to pain due to increased intraocular pressure, inflammation, ophthalmic migraine or dry eye syndrome. Doctors emphasize that chronic eye fatigue increases myopia and hyperopia, and also leads to spasms and deterioration of visual acuity.
Doctors advise you to regularly ventilate the room, look away into the distance, and preferably out of the window, get enough sleep, eat foods that are good for your eyesight, do not forget about walks in the fresh air and pamper your eyes with massages and herbal compresses.
Here are some tips on how to help tired eyes:
the easiest way is to close them and imagine something pleasant as soon as discomfort arises;
“20-20-20 rule”: every 20 minutes, you need to look at an object located at a distance of at least 20 feet (about 6 meters) and look at it for at least 20 seconds;
If your eyes are working hard, you should learn to blink more often to give them enough moisture. If the loads are very large, you can use special drops that are used before starting work and during the increase in loads.
Those who spend a lot of time in front of the monitor should take 15-minute breaks every two hours.
At this time, you can walk, jump, squat and do gymnastics for the eyes: move your eyes, rotate your eyes, look at your nose, blink intensely, and so on;
Palming, invented by the American ophthalmologist William Bates over 100 years ago, is considered a simple but effective exercise. In his opinion, in order to give the eyes a rest, it is necessary to close them tightly with rounded palms and sit like that for a while.
If something gets into the eye or you feel discomfort, do not rub it with a handkerchief or bare hands. To do this, it is better to use clean disposable handkerchiefs or special sterile sanitary napkins for the eyelids. If simple manipulations do not help, you should seek medical help.
Speaking of eye hygiene, one cannot but mention glasses and lenses. With the first, everything is more or less clear: the doctor always picks up glasses, and taking care of them is as easy as shelling pears - just store them in a case, periodically wipe them with special sprays and napkins, and wash heavy dirt with water.
Contact lens wearers have their own hygiene rules:
Lenses can be cleaned only with special means, among which there are multi-purpose ones, but it is absolutely impossible to use water or saliva for such purposes - this can lead to unpleasant complications;
Sleeping with lenses is allowed only if they are designed for this purpose;
Even with the best care, don't forget to replace your lenses with new ones at the end of their life.
Increasingly, contact lenses are used to correct vision in children - doctors prescribe them from the age of seven. It is important that the child approaches hygiene issues with all responsibility: carefully store the lenses and properly care for them. Doctors say that children often follow instructions even more strictly than adults. This means they are less likely to experience complications.
Taking care of your eyesight in hot weather is impossible without sunglasses.
If you choose them correctly, they will be a real salvation for sun-weary eyes. Ultraviolet light can severely damage the eye tissue, cornea, lens and retina. Glasses not only protect against this, but also give the picture greater contrast and protect the eyes from blinding light, and this is necessary, for example, while driving a car.
It is important to pay attention to the degree of protection. You can check it by special markings. There are different quality standards depending on the country where the glasses are made. Europe marks quality products with CE symbols (Conformite Europeenne), the USA - 400UV or UV100%.
The more UV the glasses can absorb, the darker the lenses. However, it is impossible to focus only on this sign. If the glasses are made of ordinary plastic, they will not protect against harmful effects. What's more, it can make things worse: the darker the lens, the wider the pupils, allowing more UV light to enter.
It is better for children to buy sunglasses with durable polycarbonate lenses.
And for those who have vision problems and wear glasses all the time, it is better to take lenses with a slight darkening for the summer.
The shape of the goggles also affects the protective properties. If bright light enters the eye from above the frame or from the side, the effectiveness of protection will be greatly affected. Correct glasses should fit snugly on the nose, but so that the eyelashes do not rest against the glass.
The quality of the lenses can be checked with a simple test: place the glasses at a comfortable distance, cover one eye, and look through the center of the lens for straight lines with the other. If you slowly move the glasses up and down and from right to left, there should be no distortion of the lines.
Doctors have developed their own rules for the smallest. Their eyes do not work like adults: a newborn baby distinguishes only bright light and reacts to its source, after a month he already begins to follow objects for a short time, and at four months he can look in all directions.
Further, vision improves even faster.
To all the above points, we add a few recommendations from pediatricians:
It is important to pay attention to the lighting in the nursery: too little light can affect the child's ability to distinguish colors.
Toys should be chosen large and bright. In the first six months, yellow and green are better, and then - a variety of colors. In the first four months, it is better not to hang them close to the eyes (less than 40 centimeters) - this can provoke strabismus.
It is necessary to limit the time that the child spends at the computer. Norms: no more than 2.5 hours a day at the age of 8-12 years, no more than 3 hours - at 14 years old. You also need to remember about 15-minute breaks every hour.
Before starting first grade, the child should have a complete eye examination.
The child himself may not notice that his vision is deteriorating.
