Brown Sugah 

Studying for Final Exams 

Can Take a Toll on Your Eyes 

By Sheena Shaw            

Finals are here and many are buckling down to ensure that they receive an A on their exams. The long nights and heavy studying can stress your eyes. The lack of beauty sleep can present symptoms like red, puffy eyes and even low stamina in your day, but I am here to help. 

A healthy amount of sleep can refresh your body and re-generate the energy you need to continue your day. According to Leonard J. Press, board-certified optometric physician in Fair Lawn, N.J., "When you do not get enough sleep, your eyes have not had enough time to refresh themselves. As a result, the blood vessels near the surface of the eye become enlarged and dilated, causing the bloodshot look. The best remedy is, of course, to get more sleep, but there are different things you can do to get rid of your red, dry eyes."           

First thing first, changing your study schedule around to regulate how much sleep you get can help you catch up on beauty sleep. A desired length of sleep is typical around six to eight hours. Now, under sleeping does not completely restore your body’s energy you need. Also, oversleeping is not a positive thing either because it still can drain the energy you have managed to gain in the first place. When studying, it is best to take breaks throughout the day to avoid any type of fatigue. For example, sitting in front of a computer screen all day can do that to a person.            

If somehow you still have red, puffy eyes, there are still other options to get rid of it. Using cold compression can be a method to reduce the puffiness. Applying a frozen bag of some type of vegetable or frozen meat to your eyes for at least 10 to 15 minutes a couple of times during the day will help. The cold can shrink the blood vessels to until there are barely visible. If not apply a cold substance, then try something a warm compression. Applying a warm cloth to your eyes may help more than something cold because it will get rid of the red eyes but not so much of the puffiness.           

Drinking more water each day will increase the hydration in body. You can even drink green tea because green tea has antioxidants in it that soothe your eyes and the redness. Using a humidifier will keep your eyes moist at night. 

If you are just dealing with red eyes, it is best to use eye drops to clear it right up. Once or twice should be a proper dose to take to aim for clear eyes.

When long hours of studying begin to take their toll on me, I basically run cold water on my face and I am set for the rest of the day. Nevertheless, pick what works best for you and be prepared to do great on your exams.