Although the most common cause of headaches is stress, one of the commonly overlooked causes of stress is eyestrain. In this age of computer technology, eyestrain is an ever-increasing problem. Most of us over expose our eyes not only by using computers, but also by watching television, playing video games, or even reading for relaxation after a day of intense computer use.
Aging Eyes
Moveover, as we age, we generally experience a loss of vision that often goes untreated. Because the loss is slight, we don't notice it or if we do, we adapt. But even if you're only straining our eyes slightly, it can bring on headaches. Blurry vision means you're creating too much strain on your eyes without giving them proper rest or nourishment. Remember, the tissues and blood vessels around your eyes are delicate and it's important to treat your eyes properly. It's also important to keep in mind that if you wear glasses, your prescription can change over time, especially as you age. If you're experiencing headaches that seem otherwise unaccountable, it's possible you need new glasses and that's one of the first things you may want to check out.
Computer Use
If you spend a lot of time working on the computer, it's essential you take a break for at least 2 minutes after every 60 minutes of work. The best thing to do is nothing: simply close your eyes and relax. This gives your eyes a chance to rest and can keep a headache from developing or keep a developing headache from getting worse. When you do any work with your eyes at a close range, your eye muscles contract, and if you don't take enough breaks, the prolonged use of a computer screen can result in what is now called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). The symptoms of CVS include blurred vision, strained eyes, light sensitivity, and headaches.
Helping Your Eyes
One way to help your eyes is to blink them gently but with effort a number of times whenever you think of it. This will massage your eyes and help them relax. You can also use pure rose water. A few drops of rose water in your eyes daily will help them stay moist and stress-free.
Using Sunglasses
Sunglasses are another way to protect your eyes. Sunglasses can reduce eyestrain and accompanying headaches. The pupil of the eye controls the light that enters the retina. When there is only a little light, the pupil dilates to let light in. In bright light, the pupil constricts to keep light out. There are times when it is so bright the pupil can't constrict enough to keep the excess out. In such cases, we all resort to squinting. Squinting, however, strains the muscle surrounding the eyes, which causes fatigue and pupil constriction. Squinting easily leads directly to eyestrain and headaches. Sunglasses help because they reduce the amount of light that can reach the eyes.
Using Eye Pillows
Eye pillows also keep the light away from your eyes and help with eyestrain. They are most commonly made from silk and herbs that relax tense muscles and provide soothing aromatherapy. Lavender eye pillows are especially popular. Lavender has a demonstrated ability to induce relaxation and it helps in revitalizing tired eyes. It has also proven helpful in treating sinus headaches.
Treat the Problem, Not the Symptoms
Remember, once you treat eyestrain and stop creating it, eyestrain headaches will disappear. If, on the other hand, you simply take painkillers and don't address the eyestrain, you'll only be masking the problem while it's actually getting worse.
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Jerry Alexander is a webmaster and author. His articles, can be found at his Author's web site. [http://jerryswrite.com]