As the day progresses, the eyes become more and more irritated. Towards the afternoon, relaxed vision decreases, texts appear blurry, eyes water or itch and headaches can develop. The reason is dry eyes. These home remedies and tips will help!
The so-called office eye syndrome occurs when bright artificial light, dry air and working on a computer screen irritate the eyes, causing them to dry out. In dry eyes, the tear ducts no longer produce enough tear fluid to keep the eyes moist. The composition of the tear fluid can also be changed so that it can no longer sufficiently moisten the eyes.
Table of Contents
Causes of dry eyes
- Infrequent blinks: On average, a human blinks 20 to 30 times a minute. When working on the screen, however, blinking can sometimes be reduced to just one or two times per minute.
- Unnatural light sources: The light from the screen is reflected and dazzling, which disturbs the view of the monitor. Dry eyes can also occur if the workplace is too bright or too dark.
- Dry air: If the workplace is close to an air conditioner or heater, the tear fluid can evaporate more quickly and dry eyes can develop. Dry air can also reduce tear fluid. The humidity in rooms should therefore not fall below 30 percent.
- Dust : Dust, lint and other small particles can also irritate the eyes. Therefore, it is better to wipe the dust more often.
Symptoms of dry eyes
Typical symptoms of dry eyes are:
- burning and itchy eyes
- red eyes
- feeling tired in the eyes
- foreign body sensation in the eye
- sensitivity to light
- Visual disturbances and blurred vision
- swollen eyelids
Home remedies for dry eyes
- Water
Dampen a cloth and place it over your eyes for a few minutes. The water moistens the eyes. - Blink
Blink your eyes a few times in a row and you will notice that your eyes are producing more tears again. - Cucumber slices
The classic for swollen eyes, dark circles or dry eyes. Place a slice of cucumber on each closed eye and relax for 20 minutes. The trick also works with raw potato slices. - Massage
Stimulate tear production by gently massaging the skin around your eyes. - Coconut
Oil Melt some coconut oil and rub around the eye area. The oil moisturizes, has an anti-inflammatory effect and supports a massage. - Eye drops
If you don’t have any cucumber slices with you or you don’t want the tears to drip despite all the measures, you can use eye drops, e.g. B. from Bepanthen (approx. 9 euros), Hylo Comod (approx. 24 euros) or Viscosan (approx. 10 euros). These moisturize the eyes, relieve burning and itching and help against tired and swollen eyes.
Prevent dry eyes
To prevent dry eyes, take a five-minute break for every hour of screen work. Take your eyes off the screen, look into the distance, blink more often or close your eyes more often. With the screen, make sure that it is set at the correct height. The top line of the screen should be below eye level. You don’t have to open your eyes fully, which reduces the loss of tear fluid. Sufficient water is also helpful against dry eyes. Drink one and a half to two liters a day.
