Better Living

101 Tips:   1-25

    Now whatever is the cause or whatever be the nature of the headache, most headaches are preventable. There is no need to endure the pain when you really have an option.  Follow the tips given below and you will be amazed to find that the prevention is actually in your hands.
 
1.
    Do not read when you are lying down. The lying down posture is clearly not the best position to read. It is a very common thing for a person to flop down on the bed with a book and read it while lying down. In fact, many people make it a habit to read for a few minutes before going to sleep. Let us say it once and for all; it is not good to read while you are lying down.

2.
    If you must read, prop up your head with at least two pillows. If you find it impossible to read while you are in bed, the best thing that you can do is prop up your head with a couple of pillows. Pillows give support to your head and neck so that your head is in a partially raised position. This will cause less harm to your eyes and your head in general.


3.
    You need a well lighted room to read. The lighting of your room too is very important. A properly lighted room is what is required if you want to read, do needle work or any other such fine activity. Again too much light is just as bad as a dimly lit room.

4.
    The source of light must preferably be behind your head. The source of light should not come in front of your eyes but must be behind your head. This is also true in the case of a computer as well. The source of light should be from behind.

5.
    Do not hold the book too close to your eyes. This is some thing that happens when you lei down to read. The book tends to move closer to your eyes than intended. This is something that is bad for your eyes. Your eye muscles have to strain a lot in order to focus on nearer objects. The book should ideally be at the level of your chest.

6.
    Do not hold it too far away either. Holding the book too far away is just as bad as holding the book too close.  Remember to keep it at chest level.  Many bookstores have reading stands that will enable you to keep your book position at the right level.

7.
    If you find it difficult to read, get your eyes tested by an oculist. If you find yourself squinting or your eyes watering while you read or do any fine work, then you might need glasses. So do not waste time, consult a doctor at the earliest time possible. Faulty vision is a major cause of headaches.


8.
    Be careful of the print size of the book you are reading. If the print of the book is too faint, or if the font size is too small, just toss away the book. Most libraries have large-print versions of books.  If this is not available, use a magnifying glass or wear magnifying glasses.

9.
    Do not read in moving vehicles.  Many people try to read while traveling by car to kill time.  However, curves and bumps in the road can cause headaches and even motion sickness.

    No matter how smooth the road is and no matter how good the shock absorbers of the car are, there is bound to be jerking motions. This will force your eyes to adjust and readjust to the print and this continuous adjustment and readjustment is very bad for your eyes. At the end of the journey you are bound to end up with a headache.   



10.
    The light from your T.V or P.C monitor is not enough to read. Some people tend to read in the light that comes from a turned on television set or a computer. This light is not enough for your eyes to pick out what is printed, and should be combined with lamplight or overhead light.

11.
    While doing work that requires you to strain your eyes, take breaks every five minutes. This is especially true for jobs like needle work and works involving electronic gadgets.

12.
Use an anti-glare screen to cut out the radiation while working on your computer.  Radiation is bad for your eyes and an anti-glare screen is the only and the best solution to this.  Another option is to wear glasses that have an anti-glare coating on the lenses.

13.
    If your job requires long hours in front of the computer, you may want to consider buying a special lamp that clips on the monitor.  This lamp reduces the eye-strain caused by staring at the computer screen, and thus reduces headaches.
 
14.
    Eat plenty of carrots; they are good for your eyes. Carrots are the best things that nature has to offer for eye sight so go ahead and gorge on them. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is the vitamin required for proper eye sight.
   
15.
    Never look at the sun directly, especially between 7 am in the morning and 4 pm in the evening.  If you will be outside during this time or driving, be sure to shield your eyes in some manner.

16.
    While going outdoors during the summer, protect your eyes using sunglasses. Sunglasses are the best protection that you can give your eyes when you go out in the sun. The sun beats down ultra violet and other harmful radiations. You eyes need protection from these radiations because they can cause serious damage to your eyes if they are directly exposed to them.   Below are some tips for choosing sunglasses.

§    The sunglasses must cover the region of your eyes completely.
§    Sunglasses may be of any color that you like but make sure that they guard your eyes against ultra violet radiations.
§    Take care to see that your sunglasses are always clean and free from dust and smudges.
§    The best way to choose your sunglasses is to put them on and stare at your face in a mirror. If you can see your eyes in the mirror, then the glasses are not good enough. 

17.
    Do not work continuously on your computer for more than half an hour. This in fact is a very relative concept because some people tire faster than other when working on the computer. Computer screens emit radiation, so the less time in front of the computer, the better.

    If your eyes give you signs that it has had enough take the cue. But often, after you get used to working on the computer, you start ignoring these signs. The best thing you can do is make it a point to give your eyes a break at least every half hour of working on the computer.

        The best rest that you can give your eyes is staring at a distant object. Or you can try massaging your eyes gently. Please remember that your eyes are unlike any other part of your body so you have to take very good care of them. The same holds true when it comes to massaging your eyes as well.

§    When you massage your eyes take care to use only the soft balls of your fingers.
§    Do not use your finger tips because your nails could give you scratches.
§    The best fingers to massage your eyes with are the three middle fingers, which are the fingers between your thumb and the little finger.
§    Place the balls of your fingers on you’re your eye brows and gently press down.
§    Please remember to be gentle; we are not talking about a major massage therapy here.
§    Now let your fingers roll down around your eyes making gentle circling movements.
§    The motion should start from the eye brows and end at the corners of the eyes near the nose bridge.
§    Repeat this two or three times and you can feel your eye muscles relax.
§    It is a good idea to this at least five or six times a day if you are working at something that gives a lot of strain to your eyes.     
18.
    If you feel that your eyes are under strain, take a break. The best relaxation for your eyes is staring at a distant object or just keeping them closed. Your eyes will give you signs when they are under strain. You will find that you are getting tired sooner, your eyes may start to water or you might notice that you have to squint your eyes in order to get a better view.

19.
    Never watch television while lying down. The best position to watch television is sitting and your eyes should preferably be at the level of the television screen.

20.
    Do not sit too close to your television set. Take care to sit a considerable distance from the screen. It is easier for your eyes to focus on the images that flash across your TV screen. It is also less harmful for your eyes.   The ideal distance from your TV set is around five feet or more.

21.
    The room in which your television or computer is should be properly lit. Watching television or working on the computer in the dark unnecessarily strains your eyes.  Make sure to always turn on a lamp or overhead light.

22.
    In the ideal condition, the light source should be behind you placed in such a way that the glare des not reflect on the screen.

23.
    Try to blink deliberately while working on the computer. When you work on the computer there is an increased tendency to stare unblinkingly at the monitor. This especially true if you are playing an exciting game. In such cases you should make a conscious effort to blink your eyes.

    If you do not blink your eyes, they will become dry, they will hurt and this will ultimately precipitate as a headache. It is when you blink that your eyelids wash your eyeballs with the tear secretions. Your eyeballs must be moist always so remember to blink your eyes even if you are deeply engrossed in something interesting.

24.
    Breathing exercises help you breathe better and release the toxins in your brain.  The human body takes in a lot of toxic substances, both through the air and through food and drink. Apart from this, various toxins are also released in the body as a result of the various processes that are going on. These toxins have to be released on a continuous basis or else they will accumulate in the body with serious results.

    One of the best ways of releasing these toxins is by means of exhaling while breathing. One funny fact is that most of do not breathe properly. Just take a look at the picture like this. With each breath that we take, we take in oxygen. This oxygen is carried by the blood to every cell of the body and every cell must indeed get enough oxygen not just to survive but to remain healthy as well. 

    So it is imperative that we make an honest attempt to breathe properly. But first of course we have to make sure that we are breathing in unpolluted air. The time best for breathing exercises is early in the morning when the air is comparatively unpolluted.

    Now what you have to do is this. Again, sit comfortably so that there is no strain to any part of your body. It is not imperative that you close your eyes, but I have always noticed that the exercise works better when the eyes are closed.

    When you are ready, what you have to do is to breathe in deeply and slowly, and feel the fresh air filling up your lungs until it just can’t take any more. Conjure up images of the air encircling throughout your body and reaching every cell, literally bathing it with oxygen. Of course it doesn’t happen that way but the image helps a lot. Then hold your breath for a few seconds and then very slowly exhale letting out all that foul air.

    Again conjure up an image of all the toxins being released from your body. Every cell has become free of the burden it was carrying. Now pause for a second or two and again breathe in deeply, slowly letting your lungs fill up with all that good, clean, rejuvenating air. Repeat this exercise at least ten times and take your time for it taking care not to rush through. 

    When you have done that part of the exercise it is time for the second part. Again sit with your eyes closed, but this time, keep one nostril closed with the help of your index finger. It is best to close the right nostril first and that too with your right index finger. Now breathe in deeply and slowly through your left nostril keeping the right nostril closed. When you have held air for a second or two, release your right nostril and breathe out through it.

    While you are breathing out conjure up an image of all the toxins being released form your head and the brain especially. And as you breathe in conjure up images of the clean air circulating though out your brain freeing it of all the worries and trouble and lightening it.

    Repeat this exercise with the other nostril closed and in this way alternate between the nostrils at least ten times. The entire breathing exercise need not take more than ten minutes.

25.
    Use a pillow that is not too thick to rest your head. If the pillow that you are using is too thick, you will be straining you neck muscles when you are asleep. If the neck muscles are taught for too long, they will become stiff and this often precipitates as a headache.