Tired Eyes - Are Your Eyes Tired?

A stressful lifestyle is the paramount reason for tired looking eyes. So you might get your eyes tired when reading for some time or when using a computer. This condition of 'tired eyes' is characterized by puffiness around the eyes, along with heaviness in the head. People with tired eyes feel their eyelids weigh a ton, even when they are not sleepy. Increasing demands at the workplace and at home have resulted in people experiencing tired eyes at an even more frequent rate. Today's jet-set age causes people to be on the run throughout the day. The yoke on the shoulders of people has spearheaded the condition of tired eyes. All the hidden stress, fatigue, tension, pressure bottled up within the mind surfaces through the eyes.

Tired Eyes Causes

There are scores of reasons which cause tired eyes in people. However, these reasons can be broadly classified into three categories.

Environment: Stress at the workplace or at home and a noisy sleeping environment can result in inadequate sleep at night. Moreover, strain to the eyes can be caused by staring at the computer screen for long hours. Excess reading without contact lenses or glasses and continuous reading in dim light can cause strain to the eyes. Other contributors to the haggard appearance of the eyes are cigarette smoking, environmental pollution, inadequate supply of oxygen to the cornea, allergy and conjunctivitis.

Diet: Decreased water intake and overindulging in salt-based food items play a role in puffy tired eyes as well. Vitamin deficiencies can also result in tired eyes. Lack of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Vitamin K can be contributing factors.

Heredity and Physiology: Genetics can also be a reason for puffiness, swelling or discoloration of the eyes. Age causes thinning and sagging of the eye muscles.

Tired Eyes Symptoms

• Burning sensation
• Watery eyes
• Heaviness in eyes
• Redness of the eyes
• Dry eyes
• Blurred or double vision
• Itchiness in the eyes
• Irritation in the eyes
• Headache
• Sore eyes
• Increased sensitivity to light.

Tired Eyes Treatment

Though this condition is not fatal, it is stressful for the overall health of the body, and must be treated. If not treated on time, the condition can aggravate and result in double or blurred vision. Some simple home remedies to treat tired eyes are as follows:

• Place 2 spoons in the freezer and take them out once they are cold. The cold spoons are to be placed under the eyes to reduce the puffiness of the eyes. Make sure not to freeze the spoons.
• Take a small bowl of cold milk and dip two cotton balls into it. Place this soaked cotton ball over the eyelids.
• For quick relief, take 2 cups of water, and add a tiny amount if boric acid to it. Once the solution has cooled, it can be used to wash the eyes.
• Washing the eyes with cold water on a regular basis also helps reduce the tiredness of the eyes.
• One could dip cotton balls in either tea water or water containing 2 drops of lavender oil, and place them on the eyelids for relief.
• Placing cucumber slices on the eyelids helps get relief from puffiness.

The above remedies help treat tired eyes. But it is still important to eliminate the causes of tired eyes. If inadequate sleep is what is causing the eyes to be tired, then one should try getting more sleep. One can make use of ear plugs and eye masks for sound sleep. A change of routine can help reduce the environmental stress. Since work cannot be avoided, it is advisable to invest in a polarized monitor filter for the computer, which will reduce the reflections, thereby reducing the stress on the eyes. It is also advisable to take short breaks while working with the computer. If diet is the cause, then one can take vitamin supplements to counter the eye problem.