How to Relieve Eye Strain

Aching, strained eyes are often a symptom of stress, which causes the eyes to dry out, makes them prone to infection, and can lead to blurred vision, excessive sensitivity to light and other problems. Driving, reading, working at a screen, watching TV and fatigue can all cause or contribute to eye strain, which is aggravated by air conditioning, pollution, or strip lighting. To relieve eye strain:

• •rest and relax your eyes by palming
•  blink to moisten dry eyes

•   take frequent breaks from the computer or when driving long distances
•  splash your eyes
•  keep your eyes fit with regular eye exercises.

Just like any other muscles, the eye muscles need regular exercise to keep them strong and healthy. The eye exercises will strengthen the muscles, relieve and help prevent eyestrain. They will also improve your sight if practised once or twice a day. Exercises to relieve headaches and eye splashing will also help relieve eye strain. Follow eye exercises with palming.

Palming

Palming relaxes and refreshes tired eyes, and can be done lying down or sitting with the elbows supported so that your back is straight and there is no pressure on your neck, shoulders or arms.

Puffy eyes

For puffy eyes, drink a glass of hot water then lie back in the corpse pose for ten minutes. The hot water helps to kick-start the kidneys and draw out retained water from the delicate tissue around the eyes. As you lie back, close your eyes and become aware of your breathing, without altering the natural flow of the breath. If your body feels tense, practice deep muscle relaxation.

Acupressure

Similar to massage, acupressure uses thumb and finger pressure at key points of the body to release tension and promote self-healing. Try the following, applying pressure for at least a minute:

•  Breathing deeply, press firmly upwards with your thumbs into the indentations at the upper edges of the eye sockets closest to the bridge of your nose.
•  Using your thumb, firmly press the ‘third eye’ point midway between the eyebrows, where the bridge of the nose meets the forehead.