by Annabelle Floresby

Created on: February 14, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

You wince, squeezing your eyes shut to shield them from the morning's first blinding light. When slowly blink your eyes open again, squinting in the brightness at the mirror before you, you groan in horror to see that once again, purple, baggy, shadows line the area under your eyes. What to do?

Eyes are some of the most important, yet most neglected parts of the human system. They're what people look into when they talk to you; you use them to communicate emotion and convey enthusiasm. Many can agree that sight is the most enlightening sense to possess, and that blindness is more incapacitating than deafness, or needless to say, the sense of smell or taste. There are several easy things you can do to take care of your eyes and get rid of those purple bags.

Give your eyes a rest when they are tired. Like exercising muscles for long hours, eyes too can be strained. To avoid problems associated with eye overuse and to prevent near-sightedness, optometrists across the nation have formed the 20-20-20 guide for activities such as looking at a computer screen, reading, writing, or such. For every twenty minutes or this kind of work, focus your eyes on something twenty feet away for a count of twenty seconds. Avoid frequent viewing of fine print on paper or screen, and do not read or write in poorly lit areas with your eyes closer than a foot's length to the paper.

If your occupation involves a lot of eyestrain, at the end of each day, wash hands and gently massage closed eyelids and the surrounding area. Try these massages which physicians of traditional Chinese medicine have proven to not only reverse the effects of eye muscle use but also to prevent or in some cases, even cure common eye conditions such as myopia. Hold your hands with your palms facing you and gently press your fingertips on the area where the lid over the eyeballs meets your brow bone, moving your fingers back and forth if needed to cover the entire arc. Place two fingers flat over the center of each closed eyelid; quickly and lightly brush in a small, back-and-forth motion from left to right. This can also be repeated on the lower lids. Keep in mind that contact lenses need to be removed before attempting any of these.

Already have the under-eye bags? Fashion models share a special tip: keep a couple spoons in the freezer, and lay them over closed eyes in the morning to rid of any purple color or swelling. Sometimes, those bags and other symptoms of eye fatigue, such as itchiness or minor pain, are just a reminder that you simply need to get in some shut-eye. Get in those Zzzzz's gives your eyes the most refreshing type of rest of all.

Learn more about this author, Annabelle Floresby.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.