Tired eyes can be caused by a number of factors, ranging from general fatigue to specific eye conditions such as dry eye syndrome and eye strain.[1,2] Because of this, there are a number of techniques you can use to try to relieve the feeling of tired eyes in your day-to-day life.
How to relieve tired eyes
Sometimes, tired eyes can be a sign of something a little more serious. Often, if you’re wearing the wrong strength of glasses – whether that’s for reading or everyday sight – you can experience tired eyes as a side effect of your eyes needing to work harder to focus. Therefore, if you’ve noticed a gradual increase in tired eye symptoms without anything obvious to cause them, then it may be worth having an eye test to see if your eyesight has changed.[1]
Tired eyes can also often be a symptom of dry eyes, so using remedies designed for those conditions may help.[2] For example, TheraTears® Dry or Tired Eye Drops contain witch hazel to soothe the eyes and reduce puffiness, as well as containing gentle preservatives to reduce irritation on the eye. Eye drops such as these are designed to be used as and when you need them, so they’re great to take to work or other events if you find you often get tired eyes on the go.
What home remedy is good for tired eyes?
As well as getting help from your optician or using eye drops, there are also behavioural changes you could make that might ease tired eyes. The first and most obvious of these is to reduce fatigue by getting more or better quality sleep. Of course, tired eyes can cause irritation that makes it harder to fall asleep.[3] To remedy this, try pairing this technique with an eye drop intervention such as TheraTears® Overnight Eye Drops, which are preservative-free and contain cross-linked hyaluronic acid to soothe dry and tired eyes so you can get a good night’s rest.
Another factor that can play a big role in dry eyes and eye strain is computer use. Sometimes this can happen if you use computers for long periods of time, e.g. for work or school. Other times, it can be about how you use your screen – for example, having screens too close to or too far away from your eyes to be comfortable.[1,2]
Whatever the case, it’s worth checking your screen use to see if there are changes that can be made. Ensure that your set-up at your desk is optimal so you don’t have to strain to focus on what’s on your screen, and do the same for other permanent set-ups such as your TV placement. Then, if you’re satisfied with the distance between yourself and your screen, analyse the things you use screens for to see if there’s anything you could cut out to reduce your overall screen time.[1,2]
Finally, check your surroundings. Spending a lot of time in highly air conditioned or heated environments can dry out your eyes, leaving them feeling tired and itchy. This can often happen in office environments, but you can also feel similar effects if you’re out in windy conditions or other environments with particularly dry air.[1,2]
If this sounds familiar, there are things you can do to help. Firstly, you could use artificial tear eye drops to moisten your eyes to keep those tired eyes at bay. On the other hand, if you have the power to do so, it can be more effective in the long term to combat the environment directly – that is, turn down the AC, heating or whatever is affecting your eyes.[1,2]
Everyone is different, and there are so many things that can contribute to the problem of tired eyes. With the tips explained above, hopefully you can take control of your tired eyes and find a solution that suits you. If your tired eyes don’t go away after trying the above recommendations for a week or two, then consult a pharmacist or your GP for tailored advice.
Resources:
[1] https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-eye-strain
[2] https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-dry-eye
[3] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/why-do-you-have-blurry-vision-in-the-morning
