Natural Ways to Ease Eye Strain

With the prevalence of electronic devices today, used by both adults and children, it’s not surprising to learn that eye strain is a growing problem. According to the Mayo Clinic, some common signs and symptoms of eye strain include:

• Sore, tired, burning or itching eyes
• Watery or dry eyes
• Blurred or double vision
• Headache
• Sore neck, shoulders, or back
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty keeping eyes open

If you’ve noticed that you’ve suffered from any of these symptoms, it’s important to address the problem. Failing to do so can lead to a variety of eye issues. While the professionals at Premier Eye Care in Calgary, AB are here to help you and your family maintain eye health, here are some helpful natural ways in which you can ease eye strain.

First of all, if your work consists of a lot of screen time, it could be a good place to start. Making just a few changes to your work habits can make a big difference. For example, place your screen a sufficient distance from your eyes – 20-26 inches – and a little below eye level. Clean smudges and dust from your screen so that your eyes don’t have to strain to make out crisp images or struggle against glare or reflections. One step that can be especially helpful is to stick with the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes or so, look away from your screen and focus instead on something across the room (it shouldn’t be too close) for 20 seconds. As you focus on this object, make a conscious effort to blink – slowly – 20 times.

Besides work habits, your nutrition plays a part in your eye health as well. Carrots are well-known to be good for the eyes. This is because they are high in lutein, which, in addition to being nutritious, is a natural filter of high-energy blue light (the light that is emitted from electronic devices). Zeaxanthin isomers are also good nutritional filters. These two nutrients can be found in foods such as egg yolks, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens, broccoli, zucchini, and Brussels sprouts. Try including these in your diet and see if it makes a difference in how often or strongly you feel the signs of eye strain.

If you feel that there is something wrong with your eyes, contact Premier Eye Care to make an appointment as soon as possible. In the meantime, do your best to keep them healthy in Calgary, AB by trying these tips.