Straining your eyes can be very bothersome to many people who spend countless hours on their computer.  From dry eyes, irritation, sandy gritty eyes, to sharp pains at times, this can be very dangerous to your vision.  Unfortunately due to the type of work a person does, that requires long hours staring at a screen, can be very hard to step away for long periods of time to relax the eyes.  

As an accountant, blogger, and author, it requires me to be on a computer typing for long periods of time, which then causes such severe burning. At one time I spent hours glued to my computer because of a deadline I had to finish my first book. This was really overwhelming to the point of wanting to give up because of how bad my eyes felt.  No matter how many eye drops I used, it still didn’t seam to work. All I could think of is possibly losing my vision. So I had to take some steps in order to not cause further damages to my eyes.

Step 1:  Coconut oil

I apply coconut oil to my face every night and I happen to come across this one remedy accidentally after getting a little into my eye. I noticed how it instantly cleared up dry eyes and helped them feel moisturized. So I researched it to see if it was safe to do and surely enough it was. What causes dry eyes is the poor production of oil in the eye ducts, the coconut oil helps to balance your tears. I apply a tiny amount on my fingers and then gently rub it over my top and bottom eyelid. This is also good for pink eye. Got to love natural remedies. 

Step 2:  Apply a wet towel over your eyes

Applying a wet cold towel over your eyes and relaxing for a few minutes with your eyes close, helps to cool down the burning sensation in your eyes. Use this time to meditate and clear the mind as well.

Step 3:  Taking an omega-3 supplements

Being that I’m a health nut and like to do as much as I can naturally, I increased my take of omega-3 by taking a supplement, plus eating foods rich in this nutrient. Salmon, fish, shrimp all kinds of seafoods, Walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds and flax seed oil. The chia and flax is great to put into a morning smoothies to make it easier to consume.

Step 4:  Lots of water

Our bodies are made up of 70-80% water and our organs depend on water to keep it functioning properly. Therefore, getting the right amount of water your body needs is essential for keeping it well hydrated, which can also help with dry eyes,

Step 5: Work in small phases

I know for some people it may be hard to do, but if at all possible work in phases. Because of my severe burning eyes, I had no choice but to work in small spurts at a time and came to realized I got more accomplished then being glued to a screen 24/7 and struggling. This gave my eyes a break in between to relax them and recoup my vision. 

While it might be hard for some to step away and relax your vision, just take 5 minutes to close your eyes, this too will help to relax the mind for a few minutes. It’s something that must be done in order to save your vision from further complication. 

Even cool air from air conditioners can cause your eyes to burn. So on weekends I force myself to stay off of computers, cell phones and tv’s and go outside to breathe the fresh air.  This truly helps far more then most remedies above. Not only that when you go back to work you feel more refreshed and ready to work. Find some eyelove time and pamper your vision for longterm health.