Beauty is in the of the eye of the beholder, and for many people crow's feet, puffy bags or red eyes are just not beautiful. Don't worry, help is on the way!

Do your eyes feel puffy and tired after sitting in front of a computer terminal or after driving for a long time? If you answered yes, it is not surprising, since staring for long periods of time and air pollution are the main factors in eyestrain. Here is what you can do.

The acupressure points are located in the indentation on the upper ridges of the eye sockets close to the bridge of the nose. Press upward, and hold for two minutes, while breathing slowly. Self-massage can be done by rubbing your palms together till they heat up, and placing them over your eyes. Hold for a count of 12. Then place your thumbs on the upper orbital bones (directly below eyebrows at the inside corner of eyes), gently press, and massage the bones. Finally, place your fingertips on the lower orbital bones (directly below your eyes on the bony ridge), gently press and massage the bones.

The homeopathic remedy Ruta graveolens works to alleviate a headache that accompanies aching eyes. Soothing compresses of camomile tea, milk, witch hazel and cold water tea bags placed on your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes are also good.

Another trick is to place cucumber slices on your lids as a refresher and astringent. They are great after a day in the bright sunshine. The glare from ultra violet (UV) light can occur during snow or water skiing, sun bathing or driving the car. A good pair of sunglasses will take out 99 per cent of the UV rays. Grey-colored lenses will reduce the most glare with the least amount of distortion. Green and brown lenses are the next best.

Irritation

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, doesn't just happen to children. You can easily get infections from inadequate cleansing of contact lenses or wearing your lenses for too long. Old or improperly stored make up can be a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Remember to replace it regularly.

When putting on make-up, ensure that you apply it on the outside of your eyelashes, to prevent irritation of the eyelid's lipid pores. Mascara can migrate into the eyes and cause irritation. If this happens, remove the make-up with a hypoallergenic lotion or oil. Eyewashes, which cleanse the eye's mucous membranes, are great to relieve minor inflammation, redness, and discomfort. An eyecup or a small shot glass is all you need to give your eyes a healing bath. A salt wash can be made by adding five millilitres (one teaspoon) of salt to 625 mL (two and a half cups) of boiled filtered water. You can also brew mint tea, eye-bright, raspberry leaves or goldenseal into a tea and use one part tea to three parts filtered water.

Eye Moisturizers

Regardless of skin type or age, everyone's eyes can benefit from daily moisturizing. This sensitive area reacts strongly to lack of sleep, pollution, diet, irritants in make-up and stress. Therapeutic oil left on for least 30 minutes once or twice a day will assist in eliminating the weary impression that fine lines can give your face.

Warm up a small amount of olive oil, and then soak two cotton swabs in the oil. Securely tape the swabs under your eyes with some medical adhesive tape. You can also break open a vitamin E capsule and dab the oil around your eyes as freely as you wish. Or, pulp a carrot in the blender and blend with enough vegetable oil to make a smooth paste. Spread this around your eye area.

Improve Your Vision

Many people do not enjoy wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses. Simple eye movement exercises may be all that is needed to avoid wearing glasses altogether. Vision therapy exercises work on relaxing the eye muscles that cause myopia, or nearsightedness. These muscles are too tense to allow the eye to focus properly.

Typical eye movement exercises for nearsightedness have an individual stand at a distance and focus on a picture, or a calendar. The person rocks backwards slightly until the numbers on the calendar are blurry and then moves to bring them back into focus. In just three to four weeks of practice, there will be a visible improvement. Eventually, eyeglasses will be a thing of the past.

Taking care of your eyes is easy. You will notice a difference quickly and your eyes will thank you.

Cindy Mortimer is a kineseologist living a holistic, vegetarian life in Toronto, ON.

Source: alive #210, April 2000