What to Do if You Have Headaches

Do you have a headache when you read or perform some other close work? I mean headaches caused by incorrect visual habits only, not pathological or psychological headaches. But suppose you’ve noticed that every time you do the homework at your house using a lamp, you quite often have a headache. Here’s what you can do to eliminate it.

Check you light first. Sometimes the reason for you head and eye ache is that the light is too bright and the glare from the white pages cause great strain for the eyes. Get yourself a dimmer light. (I won’t even talk about fluorescent light, I assume you are using incandescent light bulbs)

Adjust the distance. Maintain good posture, do not bend forward. Do not try to read at a maximum possible distance if you have good eyesight, just be sure to glance from the window or around the room now and then.

Read fine print. One of the amazing discoveries of Dr. Bates is that fine print is actually beneficial for the eyes while large print is a menace. The reason is that it’s easier for normal eye to shift around small objects (like small letters) than it is around big letters. Remember that what seems to us as the smooth process of vision is actually part shifting from point to point of the object and partly interpretation by the brain.

Read fine print at candlelight for 10 minutes in a darkened room. My guess is that if you have headaches doing close work you are somewhat hyperopic. Reading at candlelight with relaxed eyes helps to alleviate mental tension and visual problems, especially hyperopia

When you write, don’t look at the stuff that you’ve already written. Instead, follow the tip of your pen.