Eye Strain is an umbrella term that denotes a number of symptoms that relate to the extended use of eyes as well as discomfort that may come from excessive smartphone and computer use. This condition may or may not lead to significant eye damage and is usually characterised by blurry vision, headaches and a feeling of dryness in the eye as you blink less which creates less tears. This may happen due to the extended use of the eye when you are following objects on a screen or staring at a screen for too long. So, is eye strain the cause of your headaches? 

Find out more in this article.

Causes: Eye Strain or Asthenopia is caused by concentrating on visually intense tasks like reading from texts that have a fine print, the use of computers and other screens for prolonged periods, and trying to focus on objects in the dark. This can lead to distress of the muscles in this area which can also cause eye strain leading to a variety of symptoms including double imagery and even headaches and mild migraine like conditions.

Eye Muscle Imbalance: When there is eye strain which leads to headaches, it can also give rise to eye muscle imbalance which makes it difficult to concentrate with both eyes at the same time. In such cases, one may need bifocal glasses so as to fix the issue and prevent such debilitating headaches to remain on a persistent basis.

Diagnosis: Digital eye fatigue and ocular eye strain leading to headaches can be diagnosed by a doctor with the help of regular eye examinations. In any case, one should have the eyes checked at least once a year. This is especially important if your job involves sitting in front of the computer screen for prolonged hours.

Symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms of these headaches that are caused by eye strain. Apart from blurry vision which does not allow the patient to see properly and clearly without glasses, it can also cause headaches with symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light. Retinal or eye migraines do not necessarily have to come with headaches, but the pressure can be painful enough.

Treatment: To begin with, the best form of treatment for headaches born from eye strain includes prevention which can be done by getting plenty of rest and sleep even as we limit the hours spent in front of the screen. One can also lower the resolution of the screen and make it more ambient. Also, the screen should be placed at a considerable distance from the eyes. The doctor can also prescribe glasses and eye drops for better eye lubrication.

Headache - Can Eyestrain Be the Reason Behind it?

7 Ways To Care For Your Eyes 

Eyes do more than we give them credit for and require more care than what we actually give them mostly. It isn't very difficult to ensure that your eyes are healthy and taken care of.

Here are 7 ways to care for your eyes everyday.

1) Splash water - Always clean your eyes with cold (filtered) water, from time to time. The clean water washes the eyes and keeps them healthy and free of diseases.
2) Don’t look into the sun - Never look into the sunlight directly. In fact, avoid looking at any sort of light that is harsh on the eyes. Direct rays of any kind of bright light can have damaging effect on the retina.
3) Get eyes examined - Have regular eye exams to check for diabetes and high blood pressure, if these health problems already exist in the family.
4) Do not smoke - People who smoke are more risk of having age-related eye problems.
5) Exercise your eyeballs - Roll the eyeballs up and down, and lift and right without moving your position. Repeat this exercise about 5 to 10 times. This helps relax the muscles in your eyes.
6) Distance eyes from screens - If you work on the computer, make sure there is enough distance between the screen and your eyes. Sit at least 22-28 inches away from the screen. The same applies while using smartphones and tablets. Do not view the screen from too close. Viewing the screen from too near as well as from too far; can increase the strain in your eyes.
7) Give them a break - People who work on the computer all day should ensure that they rest their eyes after regular intervals. Look in a long distance every few minutes. 


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7 Ways To Care For Your Eyes Without Making Any Effort

There are many common measures people take to improve their eyesight or to improve their vision, including wearing glasses, lenses, and many more. Here are some effective exercises, which can prove to be highly beneficial to improve your eye health:

1. Stretching
This is the most common and also one of the easiest to do. It requires you to just look up, hold for two seconds, look down, hold for two seconds and then repeat this procedure for each corner of your eye, which means top-left, top-right, bottom-left and bottom-right corners.

2. Flexing
This is simply rotating your eyes in circles. Roll your eyes in the clockwise direction for one minute and then roll your eyes in the anticlockwise direction for one minute.

3. Focus switching
This particular eye exercise is probably the most useful one to improve eye health. In this eye exercise, you have to hold something at a reading distance and cover the other eye. You then have to find something that is at least twenty feet away and trace its shape with one eye closed. With one eye closed, trace more shapes, which are twenty feet away.

4. Palming
This exercise is also very simple to perform. All you have to do is cover your eyes with your palms. Once you have done this, just wait and see that there are no bright flashes of light. If you see that there is a bright flash of light, just wait till they go. This is used primarily to distress the eyes.

5. Deep blinking
This is also an incredibly useful exercise for distance vision. What you have to do is to place some large letters are at a fair distance and then sit on a chair. You have to then close your eyes and tighten all your muscles for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds are over, you have to open your eyes and then you have to see the letters for a second or two. The more number of times you do this, the more clearly you will be able to see the letters after reopening your eyes.

However, these eye exercises are not universally accepted by all doctors.

Exercises to Improve Eye Health

4 tips for a great eyesight

An important organ of the body, eyes must never be taken for granted and need to be protected at all times. In addition to protecting them, you also need to improve as well as maintain their overall health.

Here are some of the ways of keeping your vision in top form:

1. Eat for good eye vision

To have healthy eyes and consequently good vision, you need to have foods that keep them in good health. Nutrients like Zinc, vitamins C and E, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids can help to fend off age-related sight problems such as cataracts or macular degeneration (a condition characterized by the deterioration of the middle portion of the retina). Foods like eggs, nuts, green leafy vegetables, oranges and citrus fruits are what you need to have to get good eye health. 

2. Kick the Smoke habit

Smoking can adversely affect your eye health and can make you prone to eye conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration and damage of optic nerve (a nerve that transmits impulses from the eyes to the brain). By kicking this habit, you end up saving your eyes from irreversible damage.

3. Use sunglasses

Exposure to the Sun's ultraviolet rays for a long period of time can make you prone to common eye problems including cataracts. To protect them from the Sun's harmful rays, you need to use sunglasses that block 99-100% of Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.

4. Go for a regular eye checkup

Going for regular eye examinations can help in protecting your vision and ensure you see clearly. Eye examinations are important to help you find eye problems like glaucoma (a condition wherein the optic nerve is damaged, resulting in vision loss). A comprehensive eye examination can help in identifying problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism (an eye defect that occurs to a deviated spherical curvature).




4 Tips for a Great Eyesight

Did you know that your vision is responsible for around 80% of you sensory input? your eyes are among the most delicate organs in your body. Long work hours in front of the computer and long study hours results in tired and sometimes irritating eye conditions. But help isn't too far. Before you head to the doctor, you can head to your kitchen to look for solutions. There are several home remedies that you can try to not only improve your eyesight but also get rid of glasses and rebuild your vision! here's how you can do it:

1. Exercise: Just like any other body part, your eyes need exercise too. Blinking your eyes rapidly for 5 seconds helps moisturize it. Similarly, cupping your eyes with you palms for 4-5 minutes triggers acupuncture points that helps the eye to relax. There are specific exercises to reduce eye strain, improve blurred vision and enhance reading. Do these as per the specific problem you are facing.

2. Take a break: Follow the 10-10-10 rule when you are on the computer for extended hours. For every half hour of work, take a 10 min break to look at something n a distance at least 10 feet away for 10 seconds. These becomes tricky if you are studying or working in a fast paced environment and easily forget to take breaks. Set alarms that help you know the time so that you can actively plan your breaks. To enhance break time, try to look at greenery during your 10 sec break which helps the eyes relax better. Splash your eyes with cold water to give them a fresh feel.

3. Yoga: Yoga and meditation relaxes your body and mind. It is also a great way to relax your eyes as you get to close them and give them rest. When you close your eyes, you shut out a big chunk of sensory inputs helping your body go from an active reaction mode to a passive action mode.

4. Eat for your eyes: Make sure you add your weekly quota of vision enhancing food in you diet. Carrots which are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin a are great for the eyes. Similarly grapes and blueberries work great to improve your night vision. Green leafy veggies, garlic, shallots, eggs and onion all contribute in keeping your eyes healthy and strong. Cold water fish rich in DHA is an another great food that helps reduce dry eyes and muscular degeneration.

5. Change your lifestyle: Other than exercise and proper nutrients, you need to ensure you get a shut eye for six to eight hours every day to let your eyes fully rest and rejuvenate. As always drink 6 - 8 glasses of water. And don't forget to get regular eye check ups especially if you are a diabetic or have other health conditions that adversely affect your eyes.

Natural Remedies For Better Eyesight

Eye allergy or allergic conjunctivitis is an adverse immune response of the body that occurs when it comes across an irritating substance or allergens like smoke, dust or pollen. The body assumes these to be harmful substances and releases chemicals called histamine to fight against them.

Symptoms of an eye allergy-

Allergy in the eyes causes the occurrence of certain symptoms-

  Itching in the eyes

  The sensation of burning in the eyes

  Redness

  Watery discharge

  Swollen eyelids

  Light sensitive

What triggers it?

An eye allergy is usually triggered by the following components-

  Pollen

  Dander

  Dust Mites

  Mould

  Pet Dander

  Exhaust from vehicles

What to do if you suffer from eye allergy-

  Consult an eye specialist or allergist - It is important to consult a physician since the symptoms may pertain to other allergies like asthma or eczema that have different treatment.

  Take proper medication - Take the prescribed eye drops, oral histamines or decongestants to alleviate the symptoms.

  Avoid the allergen - It is difficult to do so if the allergies are seasonal, that means if the eye allergies always occur during specific seasons of the year. If they are not seasonal, you can avoid the allergens if you

Keep the doors and windows closed at home and while riding the car
Take a shower or change your clothes after coming back home from outside
Wear an allergy-relief mask while outside to filter the smoke, dust, etc.
Wear glasses to protect eyes from the allergens
Wash hands after petting any animal
Use a dehumidifier to protect against mould
  Take allergy shots - These are good precautionary measures for seasonal allergies. These increase the tolerance for the irritants. Similarly some eyedrops can be given to decrease the frequency, severity and intensity of allergy episodes.

  Natural remedies - If nothing else works you can use a cold compress to relieve the itchy eyes. Eat walnuts, fish oil and flaxseed oil that contain Omega- 3 fatty acids to reduce inflammatory substances in the body.

What not to do if you are having an eye allergy-

  Avoid rubbing your eyes; that will further irritate your eyes and damaged the eye surface

  Do not keep your indoor surroundings dirty and dusty

  Do not dry-sweep the floors

  Do not pet any animal if you are allergic to animal dander

There is no permanent cure for eye allergies yet but the proper treatment and precautions can help to reduce many of the symptoms. Over-the-counter medications may work out for some people but others may require severe treatment. Remember in spite of prophylactic or therapeutic treatment if u are exposed to a high load of allergens, you will develop symptoms of allergies but they will be milder than if u had no prophylaxis.

Eye Allergies - What To Do & What Not To Do?

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