Protect your eyes

Studying round the clock takes its toll on the body and mind, especially eyes, which may feel tired, gritty and painful.

Studying round the clock takes its toll on the body and mind, especially eyes, which may feel tired, gritty and painful.

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Dr Mahipal S. Sachdev, director of Centre for Sight, gives tips on how to reduce eye strain.

Palming: Rub your hands together to make them warm. Close your eyes and cover them lightly with your cupped palms without applying pressure on your eyeballs. Breathe in deeply and relax for 3-5 minutes. Uncover the eyes and repeat.

Convergence exercise: Hold a pencil in front of you at arm’s length. Move your arm slowly to your nose, and follow the pencil with your eyes until you can’t keep it in focus. Repeat 10 times. n Changing Focus: Focus on a distant object for a few seconds and slowly refocus your eyes on a nearby object at an arms length. Focus for several seconds and go back to the distant object. Do this 5 times.

Study in a well-lit room. Eyestrain is often caused by excessively bright light coming in from outside or use of bright light inside. Close drapes, shades or blinds and use fewer light bulbs or fluorescent tubes, or use lower intensity tubes. Position your computer so that windows are to the side of it.

Blink frequently: Every 30 minutes, blink 10 times by closing your eyes as slowly as you would falling asleep.

Take frequent breaks (Rule of 20): Follow 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20 second break and look 20 feet away every 20 minutes.