AROMATHERAPY

Visual Stress

Your eyes are one of your most valuable assets and if you are a secretary, clerk, accountant or lawyer, you are liable to strain them without noticing until one day the words don't quite focus and the figures seem to move.Visual stress symptoms may also surface as blurring, seeing coloured lights or black specks, haze around objects, tiredness, a feeling of sleepiness, watering, red eyes, bags under the eyes and the feeling of having something in the eye that never goes away. But the most commonly reported symptom is the inability to focus. When you are reading a book, look up quickly at the TV screen and if it's blurred, you could have visual stress.

There are several things you can do to protect your eyes. Make sure your lighting arrangements  at work and at home  are as good as possible - when reading, for example, the light should be behind you, over your shoulder. Move your desk so that you get all the natural light  there is. If you are experiencing visual difficulties you must have an eye test. There are some very good exercises for strengthening the eyes, and I recommend a book called Better eyesight Without Glasses by W.H.Bates.  To strengthen your eyes - whethere you are experiencing visual stress or not - splash them with cold water several times after you wash your face, morning and night. This is also marvellously refreshing. Bathing the eyes in ice-cold water helps to relieve burning. 

Essential oils can be of use but it is vital to understand that they should only be used to bethe the eyelids. To put essential oils into the eyes is extremely dangerous, whether they are diluted in water or not. If you do have visual stress the following treatment can help, but do be very careful to keep your eyes closed throughout.

Make the eyelid bath by adding 10 drops of chamomile german (blue) to 1 tablespoon of disperser (which enables essential oils to become water soluble) or 1 dessertspoon of alcohol (use brandy or vodka). Add this mixture to 150ml good mineral water. Shake well. Keep the mixture in the fridge and bathe the eyelids morning and night. If your eyes are really aching and you have a heavy head, soak a piece of natural material in the solution and place it over the eyes and head. Store your pieces of soaked material in the freezer compartment for when they are needed.

Marigolds are an excellent addition to the solution above and although they take a little time to prepare, it is well worth the effort if you are suffering from visual stress. With this method, the order of preparation is somewhat different. Mix the essential oils and disperser (or alcohol), then add three marigold heads, if you have them growing in the garden, or a dessertspoon of dried petals. leave to stand overnight. In the morning add the mixture to the mineral water and leave the bottle to stand in the fridge for at least five hours,then pour through a paper coffee-filter. You will now have a clear liquid which makes an excellent eyebath.

Mental or emotional stress also causes eye strain and if you can alleviate this you may find that the eye problem goes too. Use the oils from the stress section in your workplace to scent the air and relieve tension.

Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy: Valerie Ann Worwood