Headaches, burning and watery eyes, squinting and eyes that tire easily are common symptoms of near-point stress caused by such continuous close-up visual activities as reading and writing. The problem lies in the fact that human beings were not designed for near vision as a continuous activity. We have “hunter-soldier” eyes for survival. Only in the last 50 years or so have so many people been forced to deal with sustained, near visual tasks. Many visual difficulties can be reduced by following a few of the following simple guidelines:

Look up and away from your close-up task regularly. Make it a habit to change your focus from near to distant objects as frequently as possible.

When watching television, try to sit eight to ten feet away from the set. The ideal distance for close up visual tasks is 14 to 16 inches from the eyes

Good lighting is important. A good rule of thumb is to make your working or reading light three times brighter than the lighting in the rest of the room..

Taking a 30 minute brisk walk three times a week will lower your blood pressure significantly. In a recent study of a group of caregivers walking the allotted amount produced a beneficial effect on their blood pressure. The participants who walked 30 to 40 minutes at least three times a week experienced a reduction in their blood pressure that was stress-induced.

Scientists have discovered that bushing your teeth with your opposite hand or driving to work a different way or even chewing gum is a form of mental exercise that increases blood flowing through your brain which helps to create and strengthen both brain lobes and the link between lobes.

Years ago, I fractured my ribs. If this has ever happened to you, the pain is so severe that if someone walks near you, you will actually scream. I had to go on disability and take pain medication that did not help. My good friend told me to boil some comfrey plants chopped up and strained and while still hot take a rag and dip into the hot solution and apply to the hurt. Within 1 day my hurt was almost completely gone. Just recently I took some Comfrey to one of my coworkers because her back was hurting so bad and she tried it and couldn’t thank me enough, don’t ever turn your nose up at anything unless you have given it a try. I know that your body is going to say, why didn’t you do this before.