Vision Problems
Vision Problems
The eye is one of nature’s great feats of engineering, with millions of working parts that let you focus up close, far away and in between, all in spectacular color and three dimensions.
Of course, all of this complexity also means that things can sometimes get out of whack. There are nearsightedness, in which you have trouble focusing on distant objects, and farsightedness, where you can’t see close-up things well. There are glaucoma, a buildup of fluid pressure that can damage your optic nerve, and cataracts, opaque lenses that fog your vision. Diabetes can cause detached retinas and other complications. And macular degeneration—the deterioration of the macula, the part of the eye that’s responsible for distinguishing fine details—is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 50. Some of these problems require glasses, some may need surgery to fix, and some are irreversible. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help minimize vision problems, according to some health professionals.
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Food Therapy
Drink less coffee, says Jay Cohen, O.D., associate professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry in New York City. “One study about ten years ago looked at caffeine and the effect it has on the focusing system of the eye—and it’s a negative effect.” Other sources of caffeine to avoid, according to Dr. Cohen, include tea, chocolate and cola as well as many pain relievers.
He also advises eating an overall healthy diet that relies more on fresh fruits and vegetables than on refined sugars and high-cholesterol animal products. “My feeling is you should have the best possible diet for the best possible vision,” says Dr. Cohen. Foods that are high in carotenes, such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, peas, beets, green beans, brussels sprouts and cabbage, are especially good.
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy
A daily supplement that contains vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene can help minimize vision problems associated with aging, such as farsightedness, says Jay Cohen, O.D., associate professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry in New York City. “Many studies show that people who take antioxidant vitamin supplements are at much lower risk of developing age-related changes in the eyes.”
Yoga
You can strengthen eye muscles and improve vision with a series of simple yoga exercises, writes yoga teacher Rosalind Widdowson in her book The Joy of Yoga. She suggests doing the entire sequence of exercises described below once a day in the order listed.
She says that you can do all of these exercises sitting in a straight-back chair, with your feet resting comfortably on the floor.
Distancing. Put your left hand in your lap. Stretch your right arm straight out, at eye level, with your palm facing you. Make a gentle fist, then raise your index finger.
With both eyes, look down at your nose. Then switch your glance to your raised finger. Then look as far into the distance as you can. Switch back to your finger, then your nose. Do this five times. Repeat this exercise with your left arm extended and your right hand in your lap.
Widdowson says you should also do a set of these exercises first with one eye closed, then with the other closed.
Verticals/horizontals. Sit with both hands in your lap. Hold your head straight up, looking forward. With both eyes, look right, then straight ahead, then left and then straight again. Repeat five times.
After this, look up, then straight, then down and then straight again. Repeat five times.
Diagonals. Again, sit with both hands in your lap and your head held straight up. Start by looking up and right. Then in one smooth motion, move your glance diagonally until you’re looking down and left. Return to looking up and right. Do this five times. Then switch, looking up and left, moving down and right and returning up and left. Repeat five times.
Circles. Sit with both hands in your lap and your head facing forward. Make a full circle with your eyes in a clockwise direction. Do this five times, then do five circles counterclockwise.
Expansion. Close your eyes tightly, then open them wide, looking at an object far off in the distance. Do this ten times.
See also Cataracts; Eyestrain; Glaucoma; Night Blindness