By Laura Gordon
Is your experience is anything like mine? I spend a better part of my work day in front of a computer. By the end of the day my eyes are tired and burn when I close them. Often I have a minor headache.
Lately I began looking for ways of relieving my tired, burning eyes. There are several “cures” that I found to be very beneficial.
The first one came from my ophthalmologist who recommended I use lubricant eye drops several times a day. There are many over the counter varieties on the market. By the way, Visine is not a good option for the long run. Briefly, as a vasoconstrictor, prolonged use damages the eyes. The following website is a good source for brand listing, ingredients, recommendations and additional information: http://www.agingeye.net/dryeyes/dryeyesdrugtreatment.php
Here are some techniques also very helpful not only to the eyes but also for puffiness and for relieving minor headaches stemming from tired eyes:
Tips:
1. Look away from the computer several times an hour. Don’t forget that performing some type of exercise like walking, deep breathing, neck and shoulder rolls or other physical exertion is most beneficial to overall health including the eyes.
2. This last one requires two spoons and a refrigerator. Place spoons in the freezer to cool for a few minutes (do not freeze). Cup them over the eyes until the cool sensation penetrates through the eyelid tissue. Then reverse the curvature of the spoon and place them under the eyes. This is feels good and reduces puffiness.
Techniques:
1. Rub both hands together for heat from the friction. Cover both closed eyes with the palms of the hands and experience the soothing warmth flood through the lids and around the eye socket area relaxing the eye muscles and giving the tired eyes relief. Repeat until the eyes feel rested.
2. With eyes closed place thumbs gently below the eyebrows and using the lightest of pressure move in small circular motion for 10 seconds. Move one thumb width away and repeat the light circular motion just barely touching the skin yet moving the tissue underneath. Repeat this exercise until you have made a complete circuit around the eye socket changing to the ring finger on the lateral edge of the eye socket to the bridge of the nose.
3. At the base of each eyebrow place the forefinger above the eyebrow and the thumb below the eyebrow and, again, with the lightest of touches bring forefinger and thumb toward each other gently pinching the skin. Repeat five times. This is the first of three lymphatic drainage moves made on the eye brow reducing puffiness around the eye. The second position is on the center or arch of the eyebrow repeating the “pinch” five times. The last position is on the inside corner of the eyebrow. Again repeat the “pinch” five times. To do this treatment properly and stimulate removal of all puffiness, repeat the entire procedure three more times.
In the course of our busy lives we neglect to set aside a moment for our own healing benefit. Our eyes are our most sensitive organ. Taking some restorative time out lets us “see” more clearly how important it is to take care of them.
This year my eyes have really been giving me some issues, thanks for the great tip to reduce the puffiness. The spoon trick sounds like a winner!
I tried the cold spoon trick and it is awesome! I also tried the warm hands over my eyes technique and while it was soothing, I think I found the cold to be more soothing. These will really come in handy. Thanks Laura!
I just tried number 3 on the list, and it worked! I am really interested in learning lymphatic drainage, so this first foray is very interesting. Thank you, Ross!
Awesome blog. I will remember the spoon trick. That would be great for swollen eyes! The hand friction trick is convenient where ever you are! (especially in class!) The eyebrow pinch I have been doing for a few years. My old reflexologist taught my mom to do that when I was young because she had so many sinus headaches and have incorporated it into my face massages. However, I was not repeating it on each section 5 times. I was merely moving the pinch across the eyebrow.
These are great tips! Also focusing your eyes on things close and far away help. Like focusing on your finger about 10 inches from your face for about a minute then focusing on something past your finger further away. Great stuff! Thanks for the tips!
These are some really good tips. Thanks Laura. The spoon tip I have never heard of so I’m going to try that one out this weekend. The pinching and circular motion around the eyebrow I use every week and I does help alot. Most people that I work on really like this technique.
I’m gonna try the cold spoon technique the next time my eyes start burning. Thanks for the info.
I find it fascinating that I all ready massaged my eyebrows this way. Maybe a human instinct who knows but I did try the cold spoon technique and wow it felt good and it really did work on my bags under my eyes.
This is great! I’ve only tried the spoon trick, which, works wonderfully. This is good to know for all the studying that is being done for school. Definitely will have to try the rest of these out!
This is interesting. I noticed the other day that I still have dark circles around my eyes and was just thinking that they must be there to stay. I will definitely be trying the lymphatic drainage techniques and know several people that I will be passing theses techniques on to. Thanks, no more racoon eyes!
I absolutely hate when my eyes get dry and irritated! I am s guilty party when it comes to visine and it never really worked all that well and now I know why. Thanks for the info
This is a great technique, it will be put to a lot of homework use in my practice.
-Brittany Raines
This is very interesting, I will be sure to do this for future occasions. Thanks!!!
I will have to try these techniques next time my eyes are burning or irritated. These will become handy on late nights of studying! I will also use these tips for my client’s if they have irritated eyes.
found this article interesting and will try this. husband gets tired stressed eyes from working on computer . will try this with him should be helpful.
I often experience burning eyes and the accompanying headache you described here. I have never heard of any of these techniques for relief before, but I look forward to trying them. Thank you
Thanks Laura for the great tips, I will be trying these techniques in the future.
Oh how handy this is going to come in, just goes to show you how we can help ourselves without the expense of purchasing products, don’t be surprised if you catch me doing this in class form now on!
Thanks for the info – love the lymphatic drainage techniques – just taking the time to do this slowly was very relaxing.