How to Get Rid of Tired Eyes

As your eyes are the windows to your soul, tired eyes often give you a flushed out look, mostly due to eye strain or intense use. They are characterized by symptoms like dry eyes, watery eyes, sore or irritated eyes, under-eye puffiness, dark circles, general fatigue, etc.

In addition, the condition can be accompanied by headache and dizziness. More often than not, tired eyes are caused by factors like, inadequate sleep, pollution, excessive crying, poor lighting conditions, and activities such as working on the computer for too long, reading for long periods, and so on.

Moreover, dry eyes and eye fatigue due to aging, intake of certain medications, and conditions such as Farsightedness, Astigmatism, Sjögren’s syndrome, etc. can also give rise to this problem.

How to Get Rid of Tired Eyes

Here are 6 ways to soothe tired eyes.

1. Cucumber Slices
2. Tea Bags
3. Cold Compress
4. Lavender Oil
5. Rose Water
6. Eye Exercises and Massage

 

1. Cucumber Slices

   • Put freshly cut cucumber slices on your eyes.
   • Leave on for 20 minutes.

   Thin, cool slices of a cucumber are soothing for your eyes. So, put freshly cut cucumber slices on your eyes and leave for 20 minutes. To increase the effectiveness of this remedy, apply a cold water compress on your eyes for about a minute.

2. Tea Bags

   • Brew two tea bags.
   • Place them in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
   • Apply the cooled tea bags under your eyes for 10-15 minutes.

   Apart from soothing tired eyes, tea bags shall also help reduce dark circles and under-eye puffiness. If you do not have time to put the used tea bags in the refrigerator for cooling, just dip them in a bowl of ice cold water. You can use chamomile tea, green tea or black tea bags because they are rich in tannins and antioxidants.

3. Cold Compress

   • Soak a clean wash cloth in cold water and wring out the excess water.
   • Place it on your eyes for 10-15 minutes.

   It helps ease inflammation and relieves eye strain. You could also use cold milk instead of water as it can be beneficial in fading under-eye circles as well. Alternatively, you can simply wash your eyes with cold water several times a day.

4. Lavender Oil

   • Mix a drop of lavender essential oil in half a liter of water (preferably distilled water).
   • Dip two cotton pads in the solution.
   • Place one pad on each eye.
   • Leave on for 20-30 minutes.

5. Rose Water

   • Soak two cotton pads in rose water.
   • Apply them on your eyes for 20 minutes.

   Rose water is highly beneficial for dry, sore, and tired eyes. You can either use rose water purchased from a natural health store or prepare rosewater eye wash at home.

   For this, you need to steep 10 dried rose buds in a cup of boiling water. Let it simmer for 10-20 minutes, until the quantity of water reduces to half. Strain the solution and store it in the refrigerator.

   Put two to three drops of this solution in your eyes with the help of an eye dropper. Moreover, you can use a combination of two tablespoons rose water, one teaspoon distilled water, and about five drops of euphrasia tincture as an eye wash.

6. Eye Exercises and Massage

   • Close your eyes.
   • Place your finger tips at the outer edges of your eyes.
   • Press them lightly and massage the area in circular motions.
   • Repeat three to five times.

   Apart from this, try another relaxing technique called palming.

   • Rub your hands together for 20 seconds.
   • Cup your palms over your eyes (do not press the eyeballs) and seal the spaces between your fingers to eliminate any trace of light.

Here’s a video showing another effective eye exercise.

Tips to Prevent Tired Eyes

• Regular eye exercises can help a great deal in preventing as well as treating tired eyes. Frequent blinking, too, is good for your eyes as it replenishes your eyes by keeping them lubricated.
• Ensure proper lighting in your room to avoid low light situations that make your eyes work hard. In addition, when working on a computer reduce the brightness of the screen; better still, install a protection screen/glare filter. Plus, keep the monitor 20-26 inches away from your eyes. It should be a little below the level of your eyes.
• More often than not tired eyes are caused due to lack of moisture or dry eyes. So, use a humidifier.
• Needless to say, give proper rest to your eyes. So, do not compromise on getting your 6-8 hours beauty sleep.

Dos and Don’ts

Dos	Don’ts
When working on a computer for a long time, do take an eye break for about 5-10 minutes at every hour to reduce eye strain.	Do not use eye drops more than four times a day.
Do enjoy a healthy diet, particularly rich in vitamin A and vitamin C.	Do not rub your eyes vigorously as it shall cause further irritation.
Do consult a doctor if you have dry, red, and irritated eyes.