Most people  suffer from over the eye headaches, if only occasionally, mainly because of our hectic lifestyle and associated stresses. Headaches can make you screw up your eyes in discomfort and can cause frown lines and wrinkles.

It’s all too easy to reach for the pills but why put what is effectively poison into your body if you can help it.

If your headaches are frequent, the wisest move is to consult your doctor but if they are only spasmodic then are some very useful yoga exercises that could help to drive the stress away.

As soon as you start to feel a headache coming on and your eyes begin to ache, and obviously if it is convenient, you should begin the following yoga exercises.

Any delay will make the headache more difficult to alleviate.

Yoga Position No 1- Balasana (Childs Pose)

• Kneel down and with your feet touching each other, sit back onto your heels.

• Spread your knees apart as wide as your hips.

• Breathe in and then breathe out and while you do so lean forward so that your body is as close as possible to your thighs.

• Stretch out your arms with your palms upwards.

• Relax your shoulders to the floor. You should be able to feel a stretch between your shoulder blades.

• Stay like this for 30 seconds to a few minutes.

• Slowly and gently lengthen your body and breathe in and come up.

Yoga Position No 2- Downward Facing Dog

• Kneel with your hands on the floor just in front of your shoulders, palms spread and facing forward, knees below the hips and the toes under and forward, feet slightly apart.

• As you breath in begin lifting your knees and heels up.

• As you do so round the tailbone away from the pelvis and by pushing forward with the hands raise your bottom towards the ceiling and tuck the top of your thighs into your groin area.

• Exhale slowly and as you do so straighten your legs until the knees are only slightly bent at the same time bringing the heels back into contact with the floor.

• Tense the muscles of the thighs and press lightly inwards.

• Gradually straighten the arms using the fingers for leverage, and then close the shoulder blades against each other, slight pause before widening them and push them down towards your bottom. The back will then become straight or slightly concave.

• Keep the head between the arms but under control, do not let it hang.

• Inhale and hold for 1-2 minutes then bend the knees slowly to the floor back to the start position exhaling as you do so.

Yoga Position No 3-Standing Forward Bend

• Stand in a relaxed position with your hands on your hips.

• Breath in and out, as you exhale bend forward slowly from the hips. Feel yourself lifting upwards out of your body and lengthening.

• With knees, straight if possible, bring your hands to the floor slightly in front of you or beside your feet or to the backs of your ankles.

• Breathe in and lift and lengthen your body slightly, breathe out and release a little more into the pose

• Relax your head completely and stay in the pose for 30 seconds to one minute.

• To come up, place your hands on your hips, breathe in and straighten your spine slowly.

Yoga Position No 4- The Bridge Pose

• Lie flat on the floor, preferably on a yoga mat. If, required, support your neck with a folded towel or similar.

• Bend your knees, bringing your feet as close to your bottom as possible.

• Breathe out and press your inner feet and arms into the floor.

• Push your tailbone upwards and into the pubis, Firm your buttocks and lift them off the floor. Balance by putting your hands onto your pelvic area.

• Keep lifting until your thighs are level with the floor.

• Keep your knees directly over your heels, but push them forward away from your hips.

• Bring the pubic area towards your navel.

• Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to one minute, breathe out and release, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.

Any or all of these poses should help to bring you headache relief and keep those furrows away from between your eyes.

The festive season is here again so lets get going and create some beautiful sparkly eyes to give you a touch of glamour.

Follow the steps below and you will be the wow of the party.

Apply a light coat of light-reflecting foundation cream on your face and eyelids.
I personally always use mineral makeup . I have used it for years and will never use anything else. But it is a personal choice.

Using a small eyeshadow brush, apply blue shadow across the upper eyelid to the crease.

Withe a slightly larger brush apply glitter eyeshadow in the crease almost up to the eyebrow.

Just under the brow arch blend a light reflecting highlighter.

Apply a dark blue eyeliner pencil or shadow around the rim of the eye, top and bottom,taking care to use small strokes which will give a softer appearance.

Finally add several coats of black mascara to give drama.

If you begin a course of Pilates your eyes will be just one of the many areas of your body to benefit.

The Pilates system of combining strength training, body toning, stamina building, dance, yoga and posture improvement has become one of the most flexible and widely used health and fitness routines available.

Since Joseph Pilates developed the system, specialist fitness centers, coaches and teachers have become available throughout the United States and the developed world.

The system caters for all adult age groups, whether it using workouts that tones muscles, body toning exercises to enhance that glamorous look, or training schedules that can correct the bad posture that leads to spinal and other related problems. Pilates will improve your body shape and definition.

Irrespective of age and physical disabilities the practice of the appropriate Pilates exercise schedule can be life enhancing to those that are prepared to take the trouble to explore the variety of benefits and routines that are offered by the system and then act upon the most suitable for their circumstances.

These can vary between as little as fifteen minutes a day, perhaps to alleviate a painful back condition to a full scale regime to improve and enhance a sporting aspiration.

Pilates is not only a physical improvement system but also has an important psychological input. Joseph Pilates believed that an individuals mental attitude to the fitness and development of the physical body was as important as the exercises and training to which it was subject. In other words having the right mental attitude to whatever you want to achieve with your body.

Mind over matter. Think young and beautiful.

There are a number of inexpensive devices that will help with the Pilates experience but essentially the Pilates system is a ‘hands on’ opportunity to improve those areas of the body that only you feel has the need to benefit.

Explore the Pilates system, remember it has worked for countless others, if you have the dedication it will work for you, whatever your physical aspirations are there is a Pilates system that could benefit you.

Benefits

• Posture improvement

• Alleviate back pain

• Tone your body

• Enhance your energy

• Be fit and healthier

• Get the body you’ve always wanted

• Look younger

• Have brighter, shining eyes
  

These are centuries old exercises that the Chinese believed could reduce eye strain and improve vision.

The Chinese are well known for treating health problems using Acupuncture techniques and many Western medical professionals have come to recognize it’s benefits.

The principle is to stimulate a pressure point in the body that is directly related to, but often remote from, the source of discomfort.

These acupuncture points can also be stimulated by other means than inserting fine needles.

Finger pressure on acupuncture points is known as Acupressure and one of these trigger points that relates to eye function is located on the hand.

Before starting remove your glasses or contact lenses and make yourself comfortable.

Exercise 1.

• Massaging your temples can help you to relax and lessen eyestrain.

• By using the tips of your index or second finger gently rotate the depression on either side of your forehead on a level with your eyebrows.

• Do this for a minute or two changing from a clockwise to an anti clockwise motion from time to time.

• You can do this easy exercise as often as you feel like, particularly if you want to feel less tense.

Exercise 2.

• This is an easy one, which you will probably already know.

• Using the first two fingers and thumb of either hand just gently pinch and rub the bony bridge of your nose. Great for tension and headaches.

Exercise 3.

• Just below the cheekbone and under the outside corner of each eye is an important massage area.

• Any fingertip (or two) will do to stimulate this location.

• Simply rotate both sides at the same time using gentle pressure. You can feel an effect on your eyes if you try smiling at the same time.

Exercise 4.

• Find the upper part of your eyeball immediately below the eye socket where you will notice a very small gap.

• Using the ball of your thumbs press gently upwards on both sides and at the same time with your fingers draw down the skin of your forehead from round about the hairline.

• We not going to make any comment about wrinkling but this is another area of muscle and nerves in the eye area that can benefit from relaxing massaging.

Exercise 5.

• Close your eyes and lightly pass your fingertips back and forth over the top and bottom lids. This stroking has a calming and relaxing effect.

Exercise 6.

• Open the right hand palm down and thumb extended, place the thumb of your left hand over the skin between the thumb and forefinger with the left fingers below the palm of the right hand.

• Try to locate a point about 2-3 inches (5 – 7 cms) in by pinching with your left thumb and forefinger underneath that feels a little painful.

• After stimulating this point a few times reverse hands.

• This exercise can be repeated several times a day.

Just been reading about some unusual treatments and remedies for this unpleasant, irritating and watery eye ailment- Conjunctivitis.

• Try bathing your infected eyes with pure distilled rose water with no additives, and as an added bonus this has the most wonderful smell.

We read that rose water sold in chemists and even natural health stores often contains additives so be sure to read the labels carefully. Providing the rose water is pure and applied hygienically I can’t see this doing any harm and may well be soothing even if it does not act as a cure.

• Another extraordinary treatment said to act as a cure is to add a drop of cayenne pepper tincture to an eyebath. Apparently it is extremely painful but the eyes will feel wonderful afterwards.

I read that it will clear the eyes of toxins and bacteria and stimulates the flow of blood.

• Another curious treatment is to place half a tomato on each eye and allow the natural juices to soak into the lids and surrounding area. The tomato juices are said to act as a cure.

I should make it clear that I am not in any way a medical expert, just passing on some interesting information that I have read which is no way intended to be a recommendation.

You should always obtain a doctors opinion before trying any medication, even natural homeopathic remedies can have side effects in certain instances.

The best case expectations for patients successfully undergoing Lasik Eye Surgery is that there are no longer any vision problems or, at the very least, a significant reduction in dependency upon contact lenses or eyeglasses is likely to be experienced.

What to Expect

The first stage is for the eye surgeon to take very accurate measurements to establish just how much reshaping of the cornea is necessary.

This procedure is painless and is undertaken often several days before surgery.

The equipment used is highly sophisticated and relies on a computer to process the information that will provide the surgeon with the information needed.

Often only one eye will be treated initially followed by the other up to two weeks later. This is purely as a safety precaution despite this procedure having an excellent safety record.

The Surgery

An anaesthetic eye drop that numbs the upper layer of the eye surface is the first stage of the procedure. No general anaesthetic is necessary and the patient remains conscious and aware throughout.

Using a laser the surgeon makes an incision in the delicate corneal surface tissue enabling it to be moved out of the way to allow the laser to reshape the underlying cornea.

The incision is then replaced and sealed by the laser and a protective dressing is placed over the eye. As a rule the surgical procedure takes no more than ten to fifteen minutes an eye.

After Effects

Discomfort or even pain may be experienced when the anaesthetic eye drops wear off, although very often this of very short duration.

There may be some initial vision loss or blurriness and a sensitivity to light and dryness of the eye surface can be a problem.

If experienced these side effects will normally disappear in time often quite quickly. The possible exception is dryness of the eyes, which can be embarrassing, as tears will form.

Your surgeon can prescribe drops to alleviate this problem if it occurs. It is rare for any of these side effects to persist and become permanent.

Advice

As anybody knows who is dependent on eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct impaired vision it can seem worth any risk to have normal unaided sight.

As they say ‘the eyes are the mirror of the soul’ and women in particular are conscious that their eyes and surrounding area should be the most attractive of their facial features and should never be obscured by eyeglasses.

It is therefore of the utmost importance to seek the advice of a fully qualified and experienced ophthalmic surgeon before contemplating Lasik surgery.

As your sight is so valuable to be on the safe side if you have any doubts get a second qualified opinion. If the surgery goes wrong it is permanent and normally cannot be reversed.

Think hard about the risks and benefits before going ahead.

Every beauty conscious woman knows that the skin on the eyelids and surrounding area is extra sensitive due to its fineness.

But, did you know that the best way to take care of this delicate area is not just by using specifically designed eye creams and anti wrinkle products  but to only use make up which is designed to be the best for this area. The eye make up that is recommended by most makeup artists and models has to be mineral makeup.

Made from natural ingredients, mineral makeup allows the skin to breathe. As it should always be applied lightly with a soft  brush
the makeup doesn’t clog. If you suffer from rosacea and require more coverage you just add another light layer.

This is truly makeup which gives an air brushed look lasting much longer than traditional foundation cream and powder. Not only that but it has SPF (sun protection factor) due to both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Oxide, which reflect both UVA and UVB rays of ultraviolet light, that are main ingredients of mineral makeup.

Benefits

• Gives a glowing natural non made up look

• Sun protection

• Natural ingredients

• Suits sensitive skin

• Lasts longer on the skin than ordinary makeup

Not everyone’s skin is the same. Mineral Hygienics foundations can match each individual’s skin tone, and they have colors that suit women of all ages, skin types and complexions.

Many people suffer from dry eyes in varying degrees of severity.

The symptoms can range from occasional and mild inconvenience to waking up to the eyelids stuck together and even adhering to the eye surface with acute discomfort lasting all day.

In order to determine possible causes and treatment it is necessary to have an understanding of how the surface of the eyes function.

• Eyes are dependent upon tears to keep them constantly moist and lubricated to maintain comfort and vision.

• Tears consist of water to keep the eye surface moist, oils for essential lubrication, mucus to allow the tears to spread evenly over the surface and antibodies together with certain proteins that resist and fight infection.

• Glands around the eye secrete these complex tears and if there is a dysfunction then the symptoms of dry eyes will appear.

Probably the most confusing symptom is the occurrence of excessively watery eyes when tears pour down the cheeks.

In this case the tears will consist almost entirely of water and lacking the necessary components to lubricate the eye surface.

It seems a contradiction but excessive tears are a symptom of dry eyes and are a result of a distress signal sent by the eyes to the nervous system that they are not obtaining sufficient lubrication.

All these excessive tears are capable of is washing away some wastes from the eye surrounds and without the oils and mucus they do not coat and moisturize the eye effectively.

Apart from excessive watering, other symptoms of dry eyes are pain, in and around the eyes, a sensitivity to light, grittiness in the eye, itching, redness, or blurry vision

Causes of dry eyes

* sensitivity
* air conditioning or other dry air environments
* hay fever and other allergies
* natural aging processes
* menopause
* side effects from certain medications
* a number of diseases and problems with the structure of the eyes.

A severe dry eye reaction in the eyes is one of the symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome and is mostly accompanied by an excessively dry mouth.

It is a difficult disease to diagnose correctly despite a reasonably high incidence of varying intensity among adults.

Although there is no cure, relief through regular medication is obtainable.

Dry eye syndrome cannot be cured, but artificial teardrops and lubricating ointments can relieve the symptoms but it is important to keep to regular applications even if your eyes feel fine.

Eyes can dry out while you sleep so remember to apply a lubricant at bedtime.

Other treatments include the temporary or permanent blocking of the ducts that drain the eyes and, surgery, and prescription medications as advised by your eye specialist.

If you find that the discomfort from sticky eyelids on waking and excessive tears is increasing accompanied by a dry mouth then be persistent with your medical advisor, ask for a referral to a specialist.

You might be suffering from early stage Sjogren’s syndrome and as we have already mentioned it is difficult to diagnose.

You look in the mirror and there they are. Those ugly dark bags and shadows  under your eyes. They make you look tired and worn out, older than you really are.

What causes eye bags and how do you get rid of them?

One of the most common causes of dark under eye bags is not enough sleep. Surprisingly, too much sleep can also cause them.

If either of these are the cause, the solution is simply to increase the amount of sleep you get or decrease it according to your particular circumstances.

For most people, the optimum amount of sleep is 6 to 8 hours. Adjusting the amount of sleep you get to meet your particular needs will alleviate the dark circles under your eyes.

Too little Iron or deficiencies in other vitamins is also a common cause of dark circles under the eyes.

Since different people can have deficiencies in different vitamins and/or minerals, you should check with your doctor to determine what supplements and/or diet changes will resolve your problem. Blood tests may be able to determine which vitamins or minerals you need to supplement.

When you have a cold, the flu or any other illness, darkness under the eyes is quite common and will usually go away on its own.

Getting sufficient rest, fluids and a good diet, avoiding refined sugars and carbohydrates will help you recover from the illness and fade those dark circles.

Allergies can also cause dark under eye circles. In addition to rest, fluids and good diet, treating the allergy symptoms will help fade the dark circles.

Certain ethnic groups, such as those of Indian descent, and people who have had facial laser treatments, chemical peels, and such can often have hyperpigmentation.

This occurs when excessive melanin accumulates under the eyes. This can be treated using Hydroquinone or Kojic acid as they can lighten the skin in people who have hyperpigmentation.

It is often used to reduce the visible melanin in the skin before laser treatments to reduce the likelihood of postoperative hyperpigmentation.

Some medications, such as Retin A, can cause too many superficial blood vessels to become visible under the eyes.

Though you don’t want to eliminate all the vessels, many of them can be minimized or removed with intense pulsed light or a number of different laser treatments.

Other causes of visible blood vessels under the eyes are general fat loss, age related fat loss, skin that becomes thinner due to aging, superficial blood vessels or thinness that is hereditary.

When fat is lost in the face, whether it is from aging or any other reason, a hollow, sunken look can result with blood vessels being more apparent and causing a darkness to appear under the eyes.

Treatment for these conditions can include injecting catalysts and fillers, such as Restylane or Sculptra, or fat-grafting.

With any treatment involving any type of surgery, whether it is laser surgery or any other type of surgery, there are risks involved.

The same holds true with anything being injected, even fat taken from another area of your body or applied topically.

The first step in minimizing risks is to make sure you consult with a qualified, reputable physician for treatment. Topical treatments can cause burning, peeling, redness and swelling in some people.

Injection treatments and laser surgery can cause swelling, bruising and tenderness or pain. Both injections and topical treatments can cause an allergic reaction in some people.

With many of these treatments, a patient will be advised to avoid exposure to sunlight as much as possible.

However, whatever the reason for dark under eye circles, there is an immediate way to cover them, whether it is just until another treatment is done or as your only treatment and this is using a cream such as

Dr Michelle Copeland Ageless Under Eye Concealer Light

Cosmetics can be used to cover the dark circles by using a yellow base to offset the blue skin tones. This can be a very effective way to conceal those ugly dark circles under your eyes.

We hydrate our bodies with water, hydrate our skin with lotions and potions, but what are we doing to keep our eyes hydrated, healthy and looking their best?

While few are aware of it, eyes dry daily due to our environment, lifestyle and physical condition.

In fact, 77 million Americans suffer from symptoms of dry eye and for many, dry eye is a chronic condition that can significantly impact the way they live and sleep.

Many experience symptoms such as irritation, burning and itching, and don’t even realize the underlying cause is dry eye.

Contact lens wear, Lasik, staring at computers all day, allergies, hormonal changes, air planes all challenge our eyes ability to stay moist and comfortable.

Because the cornea has the highest density of nerve endings in the body, when eyes are dry, fatigue, eye redness and puffiness often follow. And when we are tired, we look tired!

As we age our bodies produce less oil, 60% less at age 65 than at age 18. This oil deficiency, which is more pronounced in women, affects the skin as well as the tear film.

Additionally, many environmental, lifestyle and physical conditions clog the glands that release these critical oils. With less oil to seal the watery layer, the tear film evaporates much faster leaving eyes dry and irritated.

There’s no cure, only treatments. In the past, the standard treatment methods were limited to artificial tears and ointments.

But Tranquileyes Eye Hydrating Therapy is a new, proven method for naturally restoring vital moisture to the eyes and surrounding skin.

Tranquileyes soft flexible goggle forms a warm, moist humid environment around the eyes that help stimulate tear production and prevent the evaporation of tears.

• The heat stimulates and loosens the critical oils that slow evaporation of natural tears.
• The warm moisture increases the relative humidity around the eyes to prevent the evaporation of tears while moisturizing the surrounding skin.

The results are clear, comfortable eyes that you can see and feel.

You can also create cold therapies with tranquileyes to help reduce eye puffiness which is often directly related to eye dryness. And enjoy the added benefit of complete darkness while using tranquileyes to promote deep sleep or relaxation.

Hand assembled in California, tranquileyes are doctor recommended and proven effective for people with chronic to mild dry eyes.

Tranquileyes is found in the finest spas including Ritz-Carlton and Canyon Ranch, and major medical institutions including some Mayo Clinics. For more info check out www.eyeeco.com.