Treatment For Eye Strain
Just as the muscles of your hands and legs get tired due to overuse, the muscles of your eyes can get tired due to excess use. The tired eyes produce eye strain. Reading, watching television or working at the computer for a prolonged period causes eye strain.
Sometimes frequent eye strain could be the symptom of an underlying eye problem. Eye strain caused by overworking the eyes is largely a harmless condition. It tends to subside naturally after resting the overworked eyes.
Symptoms of eye strain
Eye strain might cause eye burn. The eye might itch, become dry or watery. Occasionally one experiences double vision. Sensitivity to light usually increases. Eye strain developing from working at computer causes difficulty in focusing the eyes away from the monitor.
When you focus your eyes away from the monitor, you would see afterimages. Headache is often associated with eye strain.
Treatment for eye strain
Rest your eyes
If you experience eye strain, close your eyes. Rub your palms against each other to make them warm. Gently cover your eyes with the palms. Make sure that the palms do not touch the eyes. Remain in this position for about two to three minutes. This helps to reduce eye strain fast. If possible, take a nap when your eye strain becomes debilitating.
Eye exercise
As we focus our eyes on a close object, such as while reading a book or while working at the computer, one set of muscles of the eyes get tired due to excess work. To reduce eye strain, we must shift the load from the stressed eye muscles, to the other set of eye muscles that had remained idle for so long. Eye exercises that help to shift your focus help to heal eye strain. To improve the flexibility of the eye muscles, shift the focus of your eyes between close and distant objects.
Hot and cold compress
Dip a soft cloth in a bowl of lukewarm water. Wring the wet cloth. Close your eyes and gently place the cloth against your eyes for 20 to 30 seconds. Now soak another cloth in chilled water, and place it against your closed eyes for about 30 seconds. Continue this therapy for about five to ten minutes.
