Staring at a computer screen for hours together can damage your eyes, the first sign being eye strain. When you work on a screen, your eyes tend to blink less than what is normal. This causes excessive dryness, itching, muscle pain and eye strain. Also, too much or too little light adds a lot of strain to the eyes that can sometimes cause permanent damage.
Here are 5 exercises you must do daily to improve the health of your eyes
1 . Palming
-Rub your hands for 15-20 seconds till they become warm. Now, gently place the palms of your hands over your eyes, making sure that the base of your hands rests on your cheekbone.
-While you are at it, take deep breaths 5-6 times and relax.
-It helps in relaxing the eye muscles and gives them a welcome break from continuous visual stimulation.
-You can do this 4-5 times a day if you work on a computer for prolonged hours.
2 . Eye Rolling
-Sit up straight with your spine erect. Keeping your head fixed, direct your gaze upwards to the ceiling.
-Now, start to circle your eyes slowly in a clockwise direction. Try to trace as large a circle as possible without putting unnecessary force on your eyes.
-Without moving your head, direct your gaze up toward the ceiling. Then slowly circle your eyes in a clockwise direction, tracing as large a circle as possible.
-Repeat this exercise 3 times. Close your eyes for 15 seconds.
-Once you feel relaxed, repeat the same exercise in an anti-clockwise direction. You can do this exercise 2-3 times day to keep your eye muscles strong.
3 . Focus Shifting
-Sit in a relaxed position. Hold one arm straight out in front of you in a loose fist, with the thumb pointing up. Start focusing on your thumb.
-Keeping your eyes fixed on it, start moving the thumb slowly closer to the tip of your nose, till you can no more focus clearly.
-Pause for 2-3 seconds, then start over again. Repeat up to 10 times.
4 . Blinking
-When you use the computer for long hours, your eyes blink less, causing dryness, itching and added eye strain.
-You may have to train yourself to blink normally while computing.
-Aim for a blink every four seconds to keep your eyes nicely lubricated and happy.
-This sounds like a simple task, but when focusing on a computer screen it can be difficult to remember
5 . Distance Gazing
-Choose a distant fixed object or point on the wall. Stay focused on the object.
-Take a deep breath and then shift your gaze slowly to another distant object around you.
-Now, try to focus on a couple of objects at varying distances from you.
-Then finally, shift your focus slowly to something close to you like your computer screen or a book.
-This will help in increasing the accommodative power of your eyes.
-Do this 4-5 times a day, especially if you read or work on a computer for long hours.
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In addition, try to look away for 5-10 seconds from your screen after every 20 minutes, wear anti-glare glasses and adjust the brightness of your screen and your room to protect your eyes. If you have been experiencing eye symptoms like headache, itching, redness and eye pain for sometime now, consult an eye specialist. Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!