6 tips against tired eyes
Medically reviewed by Jakub Odcházel, DiS., Chief Optician, on 4 Feb 2020. Written by Lentiamo
Tired eyes and eye strain are a problem that affects a lot of people these days. A lot of us have to spend many hours a day staring at digital screens at work, without any protection from the screen brightness and this can be very harmful to our eyes.
Tired eyes and eye strain can lead to headaches that persist long after leaving the office. The strain can also cause a tingling sensation in the retina and even lead to facial spasms. Another symptom is the computer vision syndrome, also known as digital eye strain. All these symptoms are the result of fatigue caused by staring at a screen for several hours in a row.
Fortunately, there are ways to counter dry and tired eyes!
What causes tired eyes?
Eye strain is caused by several factors related to how a digital screen works.
- Brightness: Imagine that you have to stare at a light bulb for several hours, many days in a row. This is similar to when you have to spend many hours in front of a computer every day.
- Blue light: Blue light is universally regarded as very harmful. It can lead to age-related macular degeneration. Sometimes, if you turn your head abruptly, you see black spots in front of your eyes: that effect is quite similar to macular degeneration, also known as AMD, which is a visual illness caused by blue light. People who suffer from age-related macular degeneration usually see a black dot in the center of their field of vision. This black spot grows as the vision degenerates to the point of eventually blocking the central part of the visual field. In order to block the blue light from entering your eye, make sure you wear computer glasses whenever you look at a computer screen.
- Concentration: Eye fatigue is not really caused by the screen itself, but by staring at it. It is natural to feel strain in your eyes at the end of a busy day. You may get the same feeling after several hours of driving. This is why you should take regular breaks during a long drive – AND at work.
- Flashing light: Flashing light is usually generated by surfing the Internet. The transition from the white colour of a text document to the often darker or colourful shades of an internet website create a contrast that can cause a strain in your eyes.
What to do about tired eyes?
How can the problem of tired eyes be counteracted? We recommend: Wear blue light glasses, as described above. This type of glasses blocks the harmful blue light emitted by computers, tablets and smartphones so that the blue waves cannot reach your eye. This prevents your eyes from getting tired and dry after a long day in front of the screen. Blue filter glasses can also improve your sleep, reduce headaches and even help against the development of myopia.
Our recommendations for blue filter glasses:
Read more about the blue light filter glasses of the urban brand Meller.
More tips against tired eyes
- There are two ways to fight blue light: Please make sure you wear glasses. Besides, you can access your computer's settings to activate what is usually called night display. The night mode changes your screen colour to a slightly orange shade, filtering out a lot of blue light.
- The lighting of your screen should be reduced, especially when sitting in a dark room. You can reduce your screen brightness also when your screen is hit by a light source and therefore does not need its own backlight to be so strong.
- There is nothing better you can do against concentration problems than taking short breaks regularly during your working day. Please make sure that during your breaks you do something different than looking at your PC screen or mobile, e.g. looking out of the window.
If you regularly suffer from tired eyes and eye strain, please use eye drops, to take the strain off your
eyes.
Still not satisfied? Try these 6 tips against tired eyes and eye strain!
- Cucumber slices:
A classic and approved method is cooling your eyelids with cucumber slices. Take a fresh cucumber from the refrigerator, cut two thin slices and place them on your eyelids. Let the cucumber slices soak in for about 10 minutes. The cucumber has a cooling but also moistening effect and that is exactly what tired eyes need.
- Tea bags:
If you don't have a fresh cucumber at hand, you could use tea bags. Chamomile is an excellent choice. Brew a couple of cups and then let the tea bags cool down in the refrigerator. Then place them on your closed eyelids for ten minutes.
- Cool spoons:
You can also treat your tired and irritated eyes with cool spoons. Place two spoons in the refrigerator for half an hour. The cold metal will make your swollen vessels contract. But never put the spoons in the freezer! The sensitive skin around the eyes would get burned.
- Eye massage:
A massage can also bring relief. Gently and carefully pat the eye area with your fingertips. You can also use a night cream or gel. The skin around the eyes is very thin and sensitive, so it is important to massage carefully.
- Eye Yoga:
Excellent results can also be achieved with eye yoga. If you do a few exercises every day, you will strengthen the fine eye muscles.
- Eye drops:
Eye drops can be used for the treatment of tired and irritated eyes. Since tired eyes do not produce enough tear fluid, eye drops are soothing for your eyes. However, if you have any doubt, please follow the instructions or consult your ophthalmologist beforehand.
