Natural remedies for eyestrain can be beneficial when the eyes seem to be straining to see what they are trying to look at. After some time, you can acquire a general feeling of eyestrain. In addition, fatigue, overwork, drugs, poor diet, city living, and polluted air can cause you to have eyestrain. Unfortunately, much of our modern way of life is hard on the eyes. The following remedies below can be helpful.
Natural Remedies for Eyestrain
- Are you working or reading in an area that is adequately lit?
- Flickering tubes can irritate the eyes. Try not to use computers for too long; do not watch television for too long. Both are harsh on the eyes. Keep the screen somewhat darkened. Place a shade on your screen by placing a hood over the front.
- Shut up and rest your eyes now and then. Try “palming.” To do this, place the palms of your hands across your open eyes without touching them. This cuts out all light and enables you to rest them momentarily.
- Make sure that you often blink enough. Each blink cleanses and refreshes your eyes.
- Try not to strain your eyes. Keep them relaxed at all times. If you cannot see the object clearly, then look at it relaxed unclearly.
- Sunglasses cause eyestrain for some people, but they help others. Only use Polaroid or approved anti-glare glasses.
- Avoid reading in the evenings because that is the worst time to read anything.
- Ensure that you have proper illumination. The best kind is a full-spectrum light or a combination of fluorescent and incandescent. Use a soft light that does not flare. Place the light so it does not reflect into your eyes from the paper before you.
- Attempt to blink your eyes at least four hundred times daily. This will massage, wash, and rest your eyes.
- Go outdoors for thirty minutes before bedtime, relax, walk around, breathe deep, and do not read any more before you hit the sack.
- Get enough sleep at night.
- You might require reading glasses. Suppose your only eye problem is near-sightedness. In that case, you can purchase eyeglasses at your local pharmacy for about ten to twenty dollars. Always select the weakest, least powerful ones.
Natural Remedies for Computer Eyestrain
If your eyes are tired and dry or there is a burning sensation after working in front of a computer monitor (screen) for many hours, you may have computer eyestrain. However, there are ways to continue such work without damaging your eyesight. Here are several suggestions to help you protect your vision as you work on your computer.
1. Try to keep the screen two feet from your eyes.
2. Place the screen so that your line of sight is ten to fifteen degrees (about one-third of a forty-five-degree angle) below the point on the screen where you tend to look.
3. Do not work with a dull, blurred, or flickering screen. Find the cause and eliminate it, or call a technician. Vibration from a nearby fan may cause flickering. Move the screen farther away.
4. The lower part (near view) of bifocals is located for looking down, not straight ahead. Therefore, you might need single (not bifocal) lenses for computer work.
5. Reduce glare wherever possible. Do not have overhead lights or windows reflecting into the screen.
6. Blink continuously to prevent your eyes from getting too dry.
7. Try to arrange your paperwork so that it is set at an angle, nearly the same height as the screen and close to the same distance from your eyes as the screen.
8. Dust the screen occasionally. Static electricity tends to coat it with dust.
9. Take five to ten-minute breaks every hour or so.
10. Use a glare-reduction filter approved by the American Optometric Association.
11. An active-matrix LCD flat display is sharper and brighter than a CRT-based display.
DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.
References
- Vance Ferrell Harold M. Cherne, M.D. The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia [Book]. – Altamont, TN: Harvestime Books, 2010. – Vol. Seventh Edition: 7: pp. 389.