Fail-Proof Ways to Reduce Digital Eye Strain from Phone and Computers

21 Aug Fail-Proof Ways to Reduce Digital Eye Strain from Phone and Computers

Recent reports suggest people are glued to their screens for at least 8 to 10 hours each day.

This raises the risk factors of eye strain, a compilation of many discomforting symptoms that eventually lead to serious disorders.

Though there are many eye drops and medications available for treating such symptoms, we are often not sure about the side effects.

This calls for a more natural way to ease the symptoms of eye strain!

Considering that, the following blog brings you some of the easiest yet effective ways to give your eyes the attention they need.

How Do You Get Rid of Eye Strain and the Headache?

Eye strain is essentially an irritation in the eye mainly due to:

• Prolonged reading
• Too much screen time
• Working on computers for too long

There can be many causes of an eye strain, but it is more of a symptom than an actual health condition.

It can appear in different forms among different people. For example, for some, it could be a headache while others could also get blurred vision.

Whatever be the type, it causes equal discomfort and must be eradicated from its roots.

Fortunately, eye strain is not a complex eye disorder and, hence, can be treated.

Here, in the following sections, we discuss how to get rid of eye strain headache and digital eye strain.

Headache is one of the most common symptoms of eye strain. It can either be mild or located around the temples and can be treated by visual soothingness.

Here’s how you can treat your eye strain and the resulting headaches.

#1. Blink More Often

Any type of eye strain starts its effect with dry eyes, which further culminates into an uncomfortable headache.

To reduce the effects of dry eyes, blinking more often is an absolutely healthy option.

It moistens your eyes and helps you not just focus on work but also get rid of that annoying headache.

According to studies, people when engrossed with reading or sitting in front of a screen tend to blink one-third times their actual blinking habit. This leads to half of the problem associated with eye strain.

To reduce such risks, try blinking your eyes every 5 minutes. Further, practice blinking a few times a day to develop a habit.

#2. Modify Your Workstation

If you have to work in a way that you need to keep switching your glare, make sure your workspace is comfortable enough.

For example, if your work consists of constantly looking at a screen and then at papers, then you can keep a document holder around your screen for easy switching. 

#3. Massage Your Eyes

To relieve eye strain, don’t forget to massage your eyes every now and then to maintain good blood circulation. 

For massaging your eyes, clean your hands and gently massage the eyelids, muscles above the eyebrows, the under eyes, and temples.

It helps to relax your muscles while also stimulating the tear glands helping in preventing dry eyes.

You can even use olive oil, aloe vera gel, or eye cream for massaging these areas.

#4. Use Aloe Vera 

Apply cool aloe vera gel on the strained eye and leave it on for at least 10 minutes.

The natural healing powers of aloe vera helps in:

• Reducing puffiness around eyes
• Increasing blood circulation around the eyes
• Relaxing the ocular muscles

#5. Coldwater Therapy

Coldwater is again helpful in boosting the blood circulation around your eyes and helps relieve the symptoms of eye strain.

For using cold water as an eye therapy, just dip a soft cloth in cold water and lie down in a comfortable position.

Now, close your eyes and place the cloth on your eye for at least 2 minutes while taking deep breaths to calm your body.

On the off chance, the strain has caused puffiness around your eyes, wrap a few ice cubes in a clean cloth and place it on your eyes for 2 minutes to get rid of the puffiness.

#6. Warm Compress

It works similarly to the cold water compress, but here you have to dip your cloth in warm water and then place it on your eyelids for one minute.

Repeat the whole process at least three times.

#7. Sunning

Here, you just need to stand near a window that lets an ample supply of sunlight in, close your eyes, and let the sunlight warm your eyes.

Have your glasses and contact lenses off this time. Sunning promotes the release of dopamine that helps in the healthy development of your eyes.

But make sure you don’t look at the sunlight directly.

All of these at-home remedies work really well in reducing eye strain headache as well as other symptoms.

They also work for eye strain from computers. Additionally, you can follow some more helpful tips to curb such symptoms.

How to Get Rid of Digital Eye Strain – Reduce Eye Strain from Phone

Some of the common computer eye strain symptoms are blurry vision and dry eyes. 

Though screen time is unavoidable these days, there are steps with which you cannot just reduce screen time but also reduce the effects of these blue lights on your eyes.

Here are a few protective measures that you can take to treat digital eye strain:

#1. Proper Lightening

One of the major causes of digital eye strain is the excessive bright light that falls on your eyes either from outdoor or interior lightings.

Hence, an ideal way to control this lighting is by:

• covering the windows with drapes when you don’t need that much light.
• using fewer light bulbs or light bulbs of low intensity when inside.

Also, soft white LED bulbs are comparatively more comfortable for eyes than the cool light bulbs.

#2. Reducing Glare

The glare that comes from the reflection of light from your screen can be a discomfort for your eyes, causing strain.

Hence, try using anti-glare screen protectors to reduce such effects.

Also, if you wear glasses, go for lenses with an anti-reflective coating. This coating ideally minimizes the amount of light reflected and, hence, reduces the glare too.

#3. Modifying the Display

Often old computers or mobiles don’t offer quality displays. But the newer ones come with high-resolution technology that doesn’t cause as much harm as the non-high resolution ones do.

Also, if you’re required to work for longer durations, choose a device with a larger screen for easy viewing.

#4. Adjusting Computer Display Settings

Adjusting the display setting of your computer can also help in reducing the strain exerted on your eyes.

1. Brightness – Keep the brightness of your computer the same as the brightness in your surroundings. You can even test the brightness of your screen by opening a white web page:

• If the page emits too much light, it’s too bright.
• If it appears to be dull or gray, it’s too dark.

2. Text size and contrast – Keep the text size and contrast easy enough to read without having to focus much.

3. Color temperature – Keep your color temperature low to reduce the amount of blue light your computer or device emits

#5. Frequent Breaks

Take a break every 30 minutes from your device to give your eyes some rest.

You can even consider trying the 20-20-20 rule: Look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.

This reduces the strain on your eyes and eventually prevents the symptoms of eye strain from becoming severe.

#6. Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Devices emit a high range of blue lights that are not safe for your eyes. Longtime exposure to these lights can lead to fatigued eyes with irregularities in your sleep cycle.

Blue light-blocking glasses prevent these excess rays of blue light from reaching your eyes. This can help effectively reduce the symptoms of eye strain.

#7. Artificial Tear Eye Drops for Eye Strain

Many over-the-counter artificial tears help in relieving dry eyes. You can use them even when your eyes feel fine to prevent the symptoms from reappearing.

However, choosing the right eye drop can be a little complex, hence always consult your healthcare expert for their best recommendation.

Since these drops are mainly for lubrication, they don’t contain any preservatives and can be used as many times as you want to.

#8. Improving the Air Quality

To relieve symptoms like dry eyes, it is best to use a humidifier or adjust the thermostat for reducing the blowing air.

Also, avoid smoking in your room.

#9. A Healthy Lifestyle

Eye strain can even be a by-product of irregular sleep cycles, not getting enough sleep, and not being hygienic.

Your lifestyle has a big role in ocular health, and hence we advise you to follow a good lifestyle with:

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Eye exercises
• Proper hydration

When we talk of making changes in lifestyle, one very important activity that you must add to your routine is eye exercises. This is actually also the answer to get rid of computer vision syndrome.

Here are some of the most effective exercises that can help get rid of all the symptoms of eye strain fast.

Eye Strain Exercises

A major reason behind eye strain is fatigue. 

Exercises mainly work by reducing the amount of fatigue that your eyes bear by keeping the ocular muscles flexible and in good health.

#1. Flexing 

Flexing helps stretch and strengthen the muscles of your eyes. To perform this exercise, face forward and look straight. 

Now, look up and down without moving your head. Repeat this 10 times. Then, look towards the right and then left without moving your head. Repeat this 10 times.

#2. Focusing Near and Far 

You can do this while sitting as well as standing. Put your thumb in front of your face at a distance of 10 inches and focus on it. 

Now, move your focus towards something else, which is again kept at a distance of 10 inches. Repeat this alternative focusing for around three minutes.

#3. Palming 

This is a really good exercise for eye muscle strain as it has a soothing effect. Sit on a chair and close your eyes. 

Now, place your hands on the eyes as such that your fingers lie on the forehead and palm on the cheekbone. 

Don’t apply too much pressure and let your eyes blink properly. Continue this for at least two minutes.

#4. Zooming 

Sit comfortably and stretch your arms out with your thumb in the hitchhiker’s position. Focus on your thumb and move it towards your face until it’s three inches away. 

Keep your focus on the thumb. Now, slowly move back to the original position. Do this exercise several times for a time period of two minutes.

#5. Make the Figure of Eight with Eyes

This exercise has a great effect on improving the flexibility of your eye muscles. You just got to stare at a random wall and imagine a large 8 figure tilted on its side around 10 inches away. 

Now, trace the 8 with your eyes without moving your head. Do this for around one minute clockwise and then the next one minute in the anti-clockwise direction.

#6. Rest 

Lastly, make sure you take a good 8 hours of sleep to give your eyes enough rest.

Hence, you see getting rid of an eye strain is not as difficult as people think it to be. But often people confuse eye strain and eye infections.

As a result, it becomes quite important to discuss some important factors that define eye strain meaning and indications.

What Does Eye Strain Feel Like: How to Know It Is Not Something Else?

Eye strain is not a major health condition rather it’s just a group of symptoms.

The common symptoms that help in the diagnosis of eye strain include:

• Itchy eyes with burning sensations
• Watery or dry eyes
• Blurred or double vision
• Headache
• Sore neck
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Difficulty in concentrating

These symptoms are usually treatable with remedies that we mentioned above.

But if they last longer than they are supposed to, you might wanna consult a doc.

How Long Does Eye Strain Last?

It depends on the amount of exposure to the screen. Several hours spent in front of a screen can lead to 1 hour of eye strain.

But if it was less than that, your symptoms might subside within 20 minutes.

However, that also depends on the health condition of the individual.

Yet, it doesn’t take more than 2-4 hours to subside. But if it does, we recommend you to visit a doctor.

When to Consult a Doctor?

You must consult a doctor if the above symptoms of eye strain are accompanied by the following signs:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Severe eye pain

The Takeaway Message

The exposure of your eyes to extreme durations of blue light can cause serious havoc in your life making you prone to eye infections.

Although the first signs usually appear as the eye strain which is treatable, if you continue with the same rate of exposure, this might turn into serious disorders and further complications.

Hence, it’s essential to not just treat but also prevent any further eye strain.

Some of the most popular ways to do that are reducing your screen time and following the 20-20-20 rules as mentioned above.

Apart from that, make sure you get your regular eye checkups done from time to time to prevent any future ocular health issues.

With that, we’ve answered some of the queries right below.

FAQs

Go through these questions for some quick and helpful tips for eye relaxation.

#1. How can I relax my eye muscles?

There are many eye relaxation exercises that you can try to relieve the tension from the ocular muscles:

• Palming
• Four direction exercise
• Eye socket massage
• Eye relaxation exercise
• Accommodation exercise
• Butterfly exercise

#2. What causes eye strain?

Eye strain is mainly caused by long-term use of phones, computers, other digital devices, or reading for a long duration. 

Other causes also include:

• Being exposed to glare and bright light
• Straining under dim light
• Underlying eye problems
• Being exposed to dry air
  

#3. How can I relax my tired eyes at home?

Here are some of the ways with which you can relax your tired eyes at home:

• Apply warm compress
• Adjust lights and screen time
• Apply cold compress
• Try tea bags on your eyes
• Do eye exercises

#4. How can I improve my eyesight in 7 days?

If your eyesight is already damaged and you’re habituated to wearing specs, there’s little you can do to reverse the condition. 

However, you can always prevent further eye deterioration by taking these effective lifestyle measures each day:

• Eat a healthy green diet
• Exercise for eyes
• Full-body exercises that even boost vision and increase blood circulation
• Avoid smoking

#5. How can I rejuvenate tired eyes?

• Use cucumber as a cold compress.
• Tomatoes compress – It has a rich content of lycopene that can soothe the skin around the eyes.
• Cold tea bags – They have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that improve blood circulation.
• Potatoes – These help in the synthesis of collagen around your eyes for fresh and supple skin.
• Vitamin E oil – It fights free radicals, reduces wrinkles, and removes dark circles.

However, make sure you do not get any of these into your eyes and only use them judiciously as a compress to relax the skin around your eyes. 

#6. Can eyesight improve?

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, your eyes are completely developed by the time you reach 20, and your nearsightedness is not further changed until 40. However, you can improve your eyesight with the help of lenses and treatments.

Not to mention, a healthy lifestyle with eye exercises and good food accommodates lifelong eye health.

All that said, we bid you adieu with the hope that the above tips will help you maintain healthy sight and reduce daily eye strain.

If you’ve any more questions, drop them down below.