Nowadays we routinely use the mobile phone, a computer or spend hours in front of the television and this is not beneficial for our visual capacity and eye problems, such as visual fatigue, easily appear. But what is eye fatigue? It is necessary to differentiate between visual fatigue and tired eyesight, since it is not the same, although they are related in that neither of them refers to an eye disease.
Tired eyesight or presbyopia refers to a degenerative process due to aging of the eye. It causes difficulty focusing along with red eyes, blurred vision, tearing or itching, as well as headaches when we try to read or look at something that is far away.
Dim lighting to relieve eyestrain
You can relieve eyestrain with something as simple as controlling the lighting in your environment , whether it is the natural light from the sun or the light from lamps and screens in the room where you are, especially if you are doing a task such as reading, using the computer or sew.
The light must be dim and not directly into the eyes to ensure that the eyes tire as little as possible, because if the light is very strong, what we are doing is accelerating the process of tiredness in our eyes. If we work with a computer, it is recommended to lower the brightness of the screen. However, working or carrying out actions in which you have to focus your eyes well, such as those already mentioned, in low light is not good either, since that way your eyes also get tired sooner. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate the light according to the need.
Rest your eyes so that the fatigue passes
To avoid the problem described, it is important that the eyes rest , that is, they do not have to be subjected to digital screens for long periods of time. It will only take a few minutes and in the long run you will appreciate it.
Simply, to avoid or relieve eye fatigue, close your eyes for 7 or 10 minutes and gently place your hands on them to keep them closed and undisturbed by surrounding light. In this way, you will relax not only the sight itself but also the muscles of the entire area.
Put cold or heat on your eyes
You can use a cloth, a compress or a bag of cold water to place it on your eyes. Never put ice directly on your eyes, as it could cause health problems and soon you will notice that they bother you more. It is recommended to lie down while doing this exercise because you will be more relaxed and that you put the cold for only a few seconds and remove it, although after a short time you will use it again.
If after this you still feel discomfort in your eyes, try the same thing but with a hot water bottle , in some people it is more efficient than cold. See for yourself what is best for you!
Use glasses with filter for the brightness of the screen
There are people who cannot avoid this all day in front of a computer since they are dedicated to it. For this, there are glasses with a filter for the brightness of the screens and that prevent visual fatigue and protect the eyes from the light of the computer.
Also, in these cases where you have to look at a screen for several hours a day, it is advisable to rest every 2 hours. We can take the opportunity to perform the exercises mentioned above. You can also take advantage of any time when we are not using the computer, for example when we stop to eat something or to take a call, to close our eyes, this will help to avoid discomfort.
How to get rid of eye fatigue with the 20-20-20 rule
If you haven't heard of the 20-20-20 rule , you'll be glad to know about it now because it's a very good solution for eyestrain.
It consists of stopping what you are doing every 20 minutes and looking at an object 20 meters away for 20 seconds. It seems silly but it is not at all, because it helps to relax your eyes easily, reducing your fatigue. We encourage you to try it and you will see the results.
Use lubricating eye drops
There is a type of drops recommended for this type of problem. These drops help us relieve itching and redness of the eyes , in addition to the dryness itself. It is important to keep your eyes well hydrated . They can be used multiple times a day as appropriate and depending on the particular product, so check the package insert for the drops or talk to your doctor to find out how often to use them. In addition, we recommend you try several brands, since it can be different for each person.
Some lubricating eye drops require a prescription, so it is important to go to your eye doctor or ophthalmologist from time to time if you have symptoms of visual fatigue, itching or redness, because using them may stop having this problem.
Massage the eyes to cure eyestrain
Sometimes it is very helpful to perform a massage on the eyelid , in order to massage the eye or eyeball.
To do this, you should always do it with your eyes closed. Place three fingers, preferably the index, middle and ring fingers, stretched over your eyes, and gently massage in circles for 10 seconds. This helps to produce more tears and relax the muscles in the area, so it will be useful if your eyes suffer from dryness.
Tips to prevent eyestrain
Finally, we are going to give you some tips to prevent eye or visual fatigue that will be of great help to you.
- First of all, drink plenty of water to hydrate your body and facilitate the production of tears.
- Pause and don't strain your eyes for too long.
- Blink frequently.
- Control the lighting and lower the brightness of your computer or mobile.
- Eat foods rich in vitamin A (milk, carrot or apricot), group B vitamins (bananas, lentils, tuna, cod or cheese), vitamin C (grapes, zucchini, broccoli or melon), vitamin E (hazelnuts, almonds, mango , avocado or Swiss chard), as these foods strengthen your eyes and help relieve eye strain.
