Family Encyclopedia >> Health

Eye gymnastics:relieve visual fatigue

Eye gymnastics:relieve visual fatigue

Do your eyes itch, sting, see blurred, especially at the end of the day? Visual fatigue can be very annoying and must be taken into account. In addition to a few precautions, eye gymnastics can relieve you!

The eye:a muscular organ that can tire!

The eye is equipped with external muscles that make it move:the six oculomotor muscles. They are the ones that allow you to roll your eyes when you are annoyed, but also to look in all other directions!

There are also muscles inside the eyeball:

  • The ciliary muscle allows the lens to change its curvature to "accommodate vision":focus from near to far.
  • The iris opens the pupil more or less thanks to the pupillary sphincter muscle and the pupillary dilator muscle, to adapt to the amount of light received.

Eyestrain often results from maintaining vision for a long time at a fixed distance, such as during computer work or a long drive in the car. The muscles we talked about work to keep the eye in the same position all this time. Rather new conditions in the history of mankind, and to which our poor eyes find it difficult to adapt!

What are the symptoms of eye strain?

  • Sensations of irritation (burning, tingling, red eyes…).
  • Blurred or slow-to-accommodate vision (difficulty seeing a clear image when moving from near to far objects, for example).
  • Headaches.
  • Dry or watery eyes.
  • Pain in the eyes and around…

A few tips to relieve your eyes

When you work on a screen, remember to look away for a moment every ten minutes so as not to always stare at the same distance. Avoid a dazzling screen in a dark room:lower the brightness. Put your screen in yellow light mode.

What to do in case of eyestrain?

First thing to do:consult an ophthalmologist! Indeed, these symptoms can also be caused by certain ophthalmological disorders such as glaucoma or strabismus, which can themselves lead to amblyopia (one of the eyes gradually stops working to avoid double vision). Not to mention allergies!

If you don't have a definite vision problem, your ophthalmologist may prescribe eyeglasses. They improve contrast, protect against blue light and sometimes provide a slight correction to relieve the eyes.

Eye Gym:What is it?

Eye gymnastics is sometimes called eye yoga. It is used to relax the eye muscles and preserve their ability to accommodate, but it is also used for rehabilitation to treat certain disorders such as strabismus.

It is generally the orthoptist who takes care of making you do this gymnastics, using special exercises and equipment. However, it is also possible to practice simple exercises at home to relieve visual fatigue.

This eye gymnastics is risk-free as long as your specialist has confirmed that you have no ophthalmological disease. You can practice it, for example, for a few minutes at the end of the day to relax your eyes. Don't overdo it either, so as not to tire them more!

5 eye gymnastics exercises to do at home

  • The pencil :take a pencil and hold it vertically, at arm's length, in front of your eyes. Fix it well while gently bringing it closer to your nose, then moving it away again without taking your eyes off it. To be repeated about twenty times.
  • Flash your eyelashes! Concentrated on your work, you sometimes forget the 15 to 20 eyelid beats that you normally do every minute, to distribute the tear film (tears) evenly over the eye...
  • Palming: rest your elbows on the table and gently press your eyes against your palms for a few minutes, while trying to relax.
  • Draw infinity :imagine that you are following the line of a geometric shape like the sign of infinity (a horizontal 8).
  • Out of sight, near... out of sight! Yes, the heart has nothing to do with it, just pass the gaze of a nearby object several times, such as your outstretched hand in front of your eyes, and the window or a frame hanging on the other end of the room.

Also find our video "Seeing better":https://youtu.be/2KVEAG8Usxg

Do you see double on your screen, and your eyelids are drooping on their own? Either this file is really boring, or it's time for a little eye gym to pamper your peepers! A few minutes a day will help you maintain clear and efficient vision.