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10 Easy Ways To Relieve Your Neck And Eye Strain

Information Technology (IT) revolution is considered as the greatest boon that has happened to humankind ever. It has made the whole world a small place where communications with people living in other parts of the world are just a few clicks away. Use of computers and gadgets has become indispensable in our daily lives. Having said that, continuous use of such devices brings along its baggage. It causes serious neck and eye strain.

Most of the working population today suffers from work health issues. The stress at work often hurts our health, which if ignored, can become a matter of concern in the long run. However, there are some simple ways to get rid of neck and eye strain. Let us learn how.

How To Relieve Neck And Eye Strain?

Because of anxiety in work, most of us do not give much importance to our workplace diets. One of the commonest problems, which people face as work health issues, is straining of the neck and eyes due to constant work. Today, we are going to give you ten simple steps to ease your eye strain and neck pain due to stress at work.

For Eye Strain

Eye strain is mainly a result of continuous work on computers, especially in the office. Here are five ways you can relax your eyes and protect them from any damage.

1. Keep Your Computer Below The Eye Level

how to treat neck and Eye Strain

Mostly it is found that we tend to keep our computer screens either above or at our eyesight level. However, the best way to refrain our eyes from straining is to keep the screen below our eye level. This is because a screen placed too high compels us to keep our eyes wide open with less blinking, causing strain and irritable eyes. Also, to avoid squinting, the computer screen should be placed 20-24 inches away from our eyes.

2. Reduce The Amount Of Glare

The mirror-like and self-illuminated properties of the computer screens reflect the external light of the screen to create glares that strain our eyes severely. This can be avoided by reducing the room lighting by installing shades or blinds. Also, use of anti-reflection screen helps in eliminating the glares.

3. Have Proper Lighting In The Room

Proper lighting is very important to keep our eyes relaxed. We should not work on computers in dark rooms because it strains our eyes heavily. Excessive outdoor light is also tough for eyes. Using indirect lighting (such as floor lamps) is the best while working on computers.

4. Take Frequent Small Breaks

Try to take a 3-5 minute break after every 1 hour of work. Do some normal stretching and work around in that break. They help in releasing the anxiety in work that might have built up in the body and help in making us feel revitalized.

5. Make Sure To Blink Often

how to treat eye strain and neck pain

Blinking is very important for our eye health. Whenever we blink, our eyelids spread new tears over our eyes. This cleans the surface of our eyes and facilitates the transmission of oxygen to the cornea, keeping it healthy. But it is difficult to remember to blink so often when we are burdened with work. So, the best way is to put a small note saying “Blink Now” at the corner of our monitor as a reminder.

For Neck Pain

Similarly, working on the computer all day long can tire the muscles around our neck joints and make them overstretched. Neck strain can also happen after a long drive or while looking at the Smartphone for long. If the problem is not addressed soon, it can also lead to displacement of the neck joints.

Below are a few tips to relax the neck and avoid getting them over-strained.

6. Stretching Is The Key To Relaxing Your Neck

The primary way to keep the neck pain at bay is to do proper stretching exercises. Some common stretches that can be done are:

  • Rolling shoulders backward for ten.
  • Moving neck up and down for ten counts.
  • Squeezing both the shoulder blades simultaneously, ten times.

7. Maintaining Proper Posture While Using Computers

Maintain a proper sitting position while working on the computers. One should always sit up straight and avoid twisting or tilting the head to the side or down while on the computer.

8. Taking Frequent Breaks

We should always remember to take a break in between while driving or using our smart phone. Also, it is recommended that bending the neck forward for longer periods of time should be totally avoided.

9. Taking Care While Sleeping

Several studies have found a connection between neck pain and wrong sleeping positions. We should never sleep on our stomach because it can cause our head to twist for long hours. One should always sleep on his/her side or back. If we sleep in a wrong position, we might strain our necks, and it will further aggravate while we are at work.

10. Simple Remedies For Quick Relief

As a quick solution to ease your neck strain, follow these easy solutions.

  • Applying ice or heat to the strained area brings relief. Ice should be used for the first 72 hours and if the pain sustains, using heat is the best option. Nowadays, many different types of ice bags and ice packs are available that are easy to use. For applying heat, heating pad, hot compresses or warm showers can be used. A word of caution: Never fall asleep with an ice bag or heating pad in place because it can lead to skin injuries.
  • If the pain is bad and you need to get instant relief, then some over-the- counter painkillers can be used such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  • Doing certain motion exercises slowlyside to side, up and down – can help in stretching our neck muscles gently.
  • Avoid any painful or jerking activities, but do not forget to keep moving. It helps in calming the symptoms and reducing the inflammation.
  • Get a gentle massage done over the sore and painful areas.

If one starts to feel neck sprain on a daily basis, try using a firm mattress for sleeping without using a pillow. Alternatively, the special neck pillows can also be used.

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