While the clear remedy for alleviating tired eyes is a good night’s rest, things like giving your eyes a break from screens and using an updated vision prescription can also offer relief. For all of you struggling to keep your eyes open, here are some tips to give your peepers some pep and rejuvenate your tired eyes.

1. Minimize Your Allergy Symptoms

Anyone who suffers from allergies knows they can turn your eyes into an itchy, watery mess. The reaction is caused by histamine, which is released when triggered by your individual allergen sensitivity. Histamine signals the dilation of blood vessels and sparks unforgiving itchiness in your nose and eyes that allergy sufferers know all too well.

The increased blood flow and itchiness caused by allergies result in swelling, which can leave your eyes looking puffy and fatigued. If you believe allergies are causing your eyes to look and feel tired, try taking an over-the-counter or prescription antihistamine to reduce your eye allergy symptoms.

For those with severe symptoms, try avoiding potential triggers during allergy season, such as working in the yard and opening windows in your home.

2. Give Your Eyes A Break From Screens

While technological and digital advancements have offered many benefits, the prevalence of screen use has taken a toll on our eyes. Incorporating both short and long breaks into your screen time can help relieve the symptoms of digital eye strain, such as dry and tired eyes.

The 20-20-20 rule is great for mini-breaks. Every 20 minutes of screen time, look up and stare at something 20 feet away from you (preferably not another screen) for 20 seconds. This 20-second pause gives the tiny muscles in your eyes a well-deserved rest.

Longer intervals where you get up and step away from your screen should be incorporated as well. Use each break as an opportunity to close your eyes while you stretch your legs, neck, and back. This will give your eyes a little power nap before they get back to staring at the screen.

SEE RELATED: What are blue light reading glasses?

3. Alternate Warm And Cool Compresses

Who knew tired eyes and a sprained ankle could benefit from the same treatment? Alternating warm and cool compresses doesn’t just help the appearance of tired eyes, it’s relaxing and allows you to pamper yourself.

The heat from a warm compress relaxes strained and exhausted eye muscles, which makes tired eyes feel better. The chill of a cool compress increases blood flow to the eyes and reduces puffiness and swelling, which makes eyes appear more alert and awake.

While alternating warm and cool compresses is easy and effective for helping tired eyes, it’s only a temporary solution. You should try to pinpoint the underlying cause of your tired eyes and work toward a more permanent remedy.

4. Keep Your Eyes Hydrated

Dryness could be the culprit behind your drowsy-looking eyes. Dry eyes can happen on account of many things, including your diet, age, and the medications you take — all of which can make it difficult for your eyes to stay hydrated.

If you find that your eyes feel dry, the first thing you can try is to blink more, especially during screen time. Blinking is the eye’s natural way of keeping moist and clean, so blinking more frequently may help.

If blinking doesn’t do the trick, artificial tears can be a great source of relief and help your eyes look clearer and brighter. Not sure which eye drops will work best for you? Ask your eye doctor which brands they recommend and work from there.

Drinking plenty of water is a sure-fire way to hydrate your body and your eyes. Typically, when you’re dehydrated, the first place it’s shown is your eyes and your skin by reflecting a dull, exhausted appearance. Increasing your water intake not only improves your eyes, it improves your overall health.

5. Make Sure Your Prescription Is Up To Date

If it’s been a while since your last eye exam, there’s a good chance that an outdated prescription is making your eyes look and feel tired. For most people, vision changes over time — a three-year-old prescription may not work for your current corrective needs and, in turn, is straining your eyes.

It’s recommended that unless you have an underlying condition that requires more attention, you have a comprehensive eye exam every two years. An eye care professional will be able to evaluate your tired eyes and find a solution, either with an updated vision prescription or other recommendations.

If you haven’t needed glasses before, it’s possible your vision has changed — your eyes feel tired now because they need corrective lenses to see properly. The only way to find out is by scheduling a visit with an eye doctor.

TIME TO UPDATE YOUR VISION Rx? Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you.

While some of us may not even notice our prescription has changed, there are a number of obvious (when you know what to look for) signals that our specs could use a refresh. Keep an eye out for these eight signs that you may need new glasses.

↓ Click to enlarge infographic ↓

1. Blurry vision

When your eyeglasses aren’t providing that crisp, clear vision that they used to, it’s probably time to update your glasses prescription.

Sometimes blurry vision will call for fresh eyeglasses with multifocal lenses like bifocals or trifocals. If your text messages are starting to appear fuzzy but your long-distance vision is still good, progressive lenses could be a great upgrade. Or maybe it’s just time to introduce reading glasses to the mix.

Whatever your situation, blurry vision calls for a visit to the eye doctor.

2. Headaches

We may not realize that our vision is changing, but our brains immediately take notice and work to correct the issue. When our eyes are unable to focus, we squint and force the small muscles in our eyes to work harder, resulting in eye strain and headaches.

But headaches related to eyewear aren’t just caused by issues like undiagnosed myopia (nearsightedness) or an outdated prescription. There are plenty of other reasons your old glasses might be giving you headaches.

For instance, frames that don’t fit properly can also cause your head to hurt. If the temples (arms) of your frames are too tight against the side of your head or too short and pulling your ears, it can be uncomfortable enough to cause headaches and irritation.

If you suspect that your eyeglasses are to blame for those frequent headaches, it’s time for an exam. Your eye doctor will ensure your prescription is up to date and an optician will be able to adjust your frames or recommend the best fit for your face.

3. Squinting at Screens

Extended screen time with our computers, phones, and tablets can lead to excessive eye strain. Computer vision syndrome (also called digital eye strain) not only causes sore, tired eyes and headaches, but it can also affect your ability to get a good night’s rest.

So instead of cutting down on your productivity at work (or your social media scrolling), consider a pair of computer or blue light glasses. They’re relatively inexpensive, available with or without a prescription and will work to filter potentially harmful blue light* that can cause eye strain. Learn more about blue light glasses.

And just as with prescription eyewear, you’ll probably notice an immediate difference. Your sight will be clearer, screens won’t seem so harsh and, after a long day at the office, you’ll likely even get a better night’s sleep.

4. Double Vision

Experiencing ghost images with or without your corrective lenses?

Seeing two separate or overlapping images of the same object (diplopia) may be a sign of general fatigue, but it could also be a signal of serious health problems. You may or may not need another pair of glasses, but either way, you should see an eye doctor right away.

If your doctor finds that you have crossed eyes (strabismus), you’ll probably receive a pair of glasses with more prismatic power to reduce the diplopia and correct alignment issues.

Other possible treatments for double vision include patching one eye for periods of time and special contact lenses. More advanced treatments include vision therapy and even surgery.

5. Damaged Lenses

If you wear your eyeglasses every day for a year or more, you’ve probably noticed some wear and tear. Some issues like loose temples may affect the fit but perhaps not your ability to see.

On the other hand, scratched lenses can and likely will interfere with your sight and may need to be replaced sooner than later.

Other potential damage to your lenses may not be immediately noticeable. If you’ve ever used hot water to clean your spectacles, you may have unknowingly damaged any lens coatings.

Have your eyeglasses checked by your optician for any scratches or irreparable damage. They may also suggest adding scratch-resistant coatings to help lengthen the lifespan of your next pair.

6. Skipping Annual Eye Exams

There are plenty of reasons you may be tempted to reschedule your appointments. Maybe your insurance has changed, you’re nervous your prescription is getting worse and aren’t ready to invest in a replacement or you may have even grown attached to your current specs.

But scheduling regular eye exams is more important than just making sure your prescription is current. Your eye doctor may also include some or all of the following eye health tests to look for signs of vision issues:

• Visual acuity test: This exam will test the sharpness of your vision, checking how well you see the details of a letter or symbol from a specific distance.
• Color blindness test: This screening can help detect the presence of a color vision problem and determine the type and severity of color blindness. This test can also detect possible eye health problems that may affect your ability to see color.
• Ocular motility test: This assessment will test your eye’s movements and alignment by covering each eye and observing corneal light reflections.
• Stereopsis test: This test will be able to assess your level of depth perception.

7. A New Job

Sometimes a career change calls for more than just a wardrobe renovation. In addition to helping you stand out in a sea of other employees, a stylish new pair of glasses can also help you get the job done more efficiently.

For instance, if your next venture involves more computer time, you may want to invest in eyewear with anti-reflective and/or blue light-filtering coatings. More physical jobs may call for a durable scratch-resistant coating.

Visit an optician or eye doctor near you to discuss your work responsibilities. A professional will be able to suggest proper eyewear, lenses, and coatings for your new career.

8. Bored with Your Current Frames

If a just-released style of glasses is catching your eye and/or you’re ready for something different, treat yourself! You don’t have to wait for your prescription to change or your other frames to break down before you purchase another pair.

You’ll also find that some frames work better to complement or even enhance certain styles. For example, a dressier frame will instantly add polish to a professional ensemble. Or you may just want to have a little fun and experiment with a funky new style! Find the best frame shape for your face shape with this simple guide!

If your prescription has changed and you’re wary of tossing your beloved frames, ask your eye care provider if they can replace the lenses instead. In some cases, it may also be cheaper than purchasing an entirely new pair!

Updating your eyewear may sound like a chore, but it could be vital to both your eye health and your productivity. Whether it’s been a while or it’s just time for your annual visit, it’s in your best interest to book an eye exam to see if your prescription has changed.

*Lenses do not filter all blue light. References to “Blue Light Filtering” lenses or readers herein refer to readers having lenses to help reduce the amount of potentially harmful blue light transmitted through the lens and varies between lens types. Potentially harmful blue light refers to the 415-455 nanometer range of the visible light spectrum.

Unlike other ocular conditions, leaving presbyopia untreated does not cause more harm to your vision or eye health. Without correction, presbyopia can interfere with day-to-day tasks and have an impact on your life, which is when individuals tend to seek treatment for their condition.

Some telltale signs of presbyopia include:

• Blurriness when reading items 12-18 inches from your face
• Squinting to focus on reading materials
• The need for bright light to read clearly
• Eye strain and headaches after reading

↓ Click Infographic To Enlarge ↓

What Causes Presbyopia?

Between the ages of 40 and 65, most people’s eyes go through a change that leads to presbyopia. In a healthy eye, the cornea and the eye’s lens (the clear disc behind your cornea) work together to focus the light that reflects off of an object so you see the object clearly. The lens contracts and expands thanks to the help of a circular muscle, which in turn allows your eye to adjust for your near and distance vision respectively.

When you develop presbyopia, that lens becomes rigid. This hardening of the lens prohibits the eye from contracting to focus on close-up objects. In the image below, you can see how a healthy eye has the light focused on the retina to produce a clear image thanks to a flexible lens. In an eye with presbyopia, the lens doesn’t contract, so the light is channeled to the focal point behind your retina producing a blurry image.

Although this may sound frightening, everyone develops some degree of presbyopia during their life, and a simple visit to your eye doctor for an eye exam can confirm the diagnosis.

Many people associate the need for reading glasses with aging, but don’t let reaching this milestone get you down. There are several easy fixes to correct your reading vision depending on your preferred method of treatment.

If you’ve received a diagnosis of presbyopia and have an eyeglass prescription from your eye care professional, visit our guide on How to Read an Eyeglass Prescription.

Treatment Options

After you’ve received a diagnosis of presbyopia from an eye care professional, you have several options to correct your vision.

Reading Glasses

If you need no other correction or wear contacts that don’t correct for presbyopia, reading glasses can be an affordable option. This is the iconic image people conjure up when they think of this age-related condition.

However, reading glasses aren’t what they used to be! It’s easy to find reading glasses that look like prescription glasses, are fashionable, and are not one-size-fits-all!  Nearly 50% of Americans aged 45-64 wear reading glasses to correct presbyopia according to The Vision Council’s June 2018 VisionWatch Report.

Reading glasses can be purchased through your optometrist if you have a different reading power in each eye, or need a very weak or strong reading power. Reading glasses purchased from an eye care office tend to be significantly more expensive than over-the-counter reading glasses found at Readers.com®, drug stores, dollar stores, or in value packs. Need help determining your reading glasses power? Try our Power Finder guide.

Prescription Glasses

Single Vision

Single vision lenses have one prescription throughout the entire lens that corrects for myopia (nearsightedness) or presbyopia (farsightedness). This type of lens is the most common and is also the traditional lens found in prescription or over-the-counter reading glasses.

Bifocal

Prescription bifocal glasses can correct for nearsightedness and farsightedness within the same lens. The top of the lens has the correction for distance vision, and the lower portion has the correction for close-up vision. Bifocal lenses have a visible line dividing the bifocal area from the rest of the lens.

Trifocal

Similar to a bifocal, a trifocal lens has three focal points and corrections throughout the lens: distance, intermediate, and close-up. Visible lines do appear between the viewing areas.

Progressive

Progressive lenses have three viewing areas, similar to a trifocal. However, progressive lenses have no lines because the power gradually, or progressively, changes throughout the lens. These lenses also eliminate some of the issues bifocal and trifocal wearers experience due to the abrupt power changes and visible lines in the lens.

Surgery

For those who aren’t interested in wearing glasses, surgical options are available to correct presbyopia for qualified candidates.

A somewhat new technique, a corneal inlay can be performed to correct presbyopia. This short procedure inserts a lens into the cornea of one eye to improve near vision. Corneal inlays can be removed or even replaced if vision post-procedure needs to be adjusted.

Another surgical route involves a refractive surgery like LASIK to help correct your vision by creating monovision. These procedures will reshape the cornea to create close-up vision in one eye, and distance vision in the other. Before performing a procedure like this, your eye doctor may recommend trying monovision contact lenses to ensure monovision is right for you.

*Please consult your eye doctor before making a decision about your eye health. The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. See our full disclaimer.