If you’ve ever stared at a screen, read, or wrote for an extended period of time, chances are you’ve experienced eye fatigue to some degree. Eye fatigue is exactly what it sounds like – when your eyes feel tired and strained after prolonged use. While this may seem like an unavoidable phenomenon, there are several strategies you can use and supplements you can take that may effectively relieve this bothersome feeling.
Do your eyes ever feel tired or overworked? Eye fatigue refers to a group of symptoms that includes eye discomfort, burning, itchiness, and tiredness.
More specifically, eye fatigue can feel like:
Irritated or sore eyes
Watery or dry eyes
Difficulty focusing
Light sensitivity
Double or blurred vision
Discomfort in your back, shoulders, or neck
Though eye fatigue may not seem that serious, over time it can be uncomfortable, decrease your productivity, and affect your quality of life.
Many things can cause eye fatigue, but one of the most common culprits these days is our digital devices. Experts estimate that eye fatigue related to device usage contributes to as many as 10 million eye doctor visits annually. This is because our devices emit blue light, which can put a strain on our eyes with prolonged exposure. Additionally, people tend to blink less frequently when looking at a phone or computer screen. Blinking is important to moisturize the eyes, so when you blink less, you may experience symptoms such as dry, burning, itchy, or tired eyes. Thus, many people who work on a computer, play video games, or simply have high screen time will experience eye fatigue.
Other things can also cause eye fatigue, particularly activities that require intense use of your eyes. Common alternative causes of eye fatigue include reading, writing, driving, or looking at bright lights.
There are many habits you can implement to possibly reduce symptoms associated with eye fatigue.
These include:
The 20-20-20 rule. Look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes to rest your eyes after staring at a screen for a while.
Blink. Remind yourself to blink more often when looking at screens.
Take breaks. Every 2 hours you spend looking at a device, take at least a 15-minute break to give your eyes a rest.
Adjust lighting and glare. Utilize a glare filter for screens and ensure that the lighting in your room is bright enough.
Artificial tears. If you experience dry eye symptoms, artificial tears drops can do wonders to moisten up your eyes and prevent further irritation.
Eye exams. Although eye fatigue is common, you want to ensure that you don’t have more serious issues at play. Regular visits to the optometrist can ensure that your eyes are healthy, and they can also recommend tips for dealing with eye fatigue.
Wear glasses. If you regularly wear contact lenses, alternating with eyeglasses can help give your eyes a break.
When we think of eye health, we tend to think specifically about how good or bad our vision is. However, there are so many other aspects of eye health, such as getting enough eye-friendly vitamins and nutrients from our diets. Things like lutein, zeaxanthin, B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium are essential for the overall wellness of our eyes and the prevention of eye fatigue.
Although it is best to get these vitamins and nutrients through our diets, some people may have deficiencies. Thus, adding in a supplement to support your eye health can be helpful in these scenarios. Additionally, supplements can also introduce other ingredients and substances that can support eye health that you may not normally get through your diet.
For example, Eyemuse is a supplement that contains a lactic acid bacterium known as Lactobacillus paracasei KW3110 (L. paracasei KW3110). Though you wouldn’t normally get KW3110 through your diet, this postbiotic can be incredibly helpful in preventing or reducing the symptoms of eye fatigue.*
Eyemuse isn’t just any old supplement – its use in eye fatigue is backed by scientific evidence and data.*
Let’s review the Eyemuse research:
Eyemuse Study 1: This first study evaluated Eyemuse versus placebo in a randomized, double-blind trial in 88 healthy subjects. Results indicated that Eyemuse successfully improved critical flicker frequency (CFF), an indicator of eye fatigue. These findings suggest that KW3110-containing supplements like Eyemuse may minimize inflammation in retinal cells, thus decreasing ocular disorders in otherwise healthy individuals.
Eyemuse Study 2: There is in vitro evidence that KW3110 effectively suppresses the death of retinal cells. One clinical study tested this theory in humans, analyzing the impact of KW3110 on visual display terminals (VDTs). VDTs emit blue light, which can cause ocular conditions that lead to eye fatigue. This trial found that in 62 healthy subjects that experienced eye fatigue, Eyemuse significantly improved symptoms of eye fatigue (2).
Eyemuse Study 3: Trials in humans show great results with Eyemuse, but one final study demonstrates that Eyemuse really works at a biological level. The research showed that KW3110 activates anti-inflammatory cytokine production, suppresses inflammation, and prevents degeneration of photoreceptors in mice with light-induced retinopathy (3).
If you’re looking to add Eyemuse to your supplement routine, look no further than the Eyemazing gummy. This daily eye defense vitamin combines the powerful Eyemuse with several other eye-healthy ingredients, including Lutemax 2020 (containing high-bioavailability lutein and zeaxanthin), vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc. The Eyemazing eye vitamin gummy is available directly through the Zen Nutrients website, or on Amazon.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
References
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