Nearsightedness

Overview

Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is a condition characterized by an inability to properly see clearly when examining objects in a mid or far distance, while the ability to observe clearly close up is perfect. Nearsightedness occurs because light rays fall in front of the retina rather than on it, making it difficult to correctly see far away. All conventional medicine can offer as treatments for nearsightedness are corrective prescription lenses (contacts or glasses) or surgical treatment (Lasik as well as PRK).

Symptoms of Nearsightedness

The most typical symptoms of nearsightedness are the inability to see when looking at objects in the distance, need to squint the eyes in order to see, and eyestrain. Fatigue and headaches are other common signs and symptoms.

Causes of Nearsightedness

The main cause of nearsightedness is the eye balls becoming longer than normal or the cornea becoming too steeply curved. Another common trigger is the inability of the eye lens and its associated muscle tissue to properly unwind.

Shortcomings associated with Conventional Nearsightedness Treatments

The main conventional remedies available for nearsightedness are corrective prescription contacts or surgery. Both treatments are not without shortcomings, however, and can possibly result in severe complications.

Remedial Prescription Contacts: Corrective lenses in the form of contacts or glasses are the most commonly prescribed traditional treatment for astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. While they can certainly improve symptoms caused by all three of these vision disorders, they are able to also worsen them too, and usually do over time, by leading to long-term dependency on lens wearing because of decreased sensitivity of the eye muscles which result from using corrective lenses. Other side effects of corrective contacts include increased sensitivity to artificial light, and loss of depth of perception.

Contacts can cause additional problems, including a significant increase in the risk of developing microbial keratitis, an infectious situation characterized by irritation of the cornea.

Surgery: In recent years, surgical procedures to correct astigmatism, far-sightedness and nearsightedness have become quite popular. The two main types of surgeries for this purpose tend to be Lasik surgery and photorefractive keratomy (PRK). Lasik surgery is performed with a very thin knife, with which the surgeon cuts a flap near the top of the cornea. The laser is then employed to burn part of the cornea, after which the actual cornea flap is reattached. PRK additionally reshapes the cornea using a laser, without the need for first creating a cornea flap, but usually requires a longer waiting period before patients see results.

Although many patients report enhanced vision after undergoing Laser eye surgery and PRK surgeries, each procedure can cause the following unwanted effects:

Free radical damage caused by the laser can result in a harmful thinning of the cornea and damage to its structural ethics.

Chronic dry eye due to a diminished capacity to produce tears.

Seeing a halo around lighting.

Impaired visible accuracy.

Tears in and detachment from the retina.

Openings in the macula (the central region of the retina), lead to macular degeneration.

Harm to the optic nerve.

Natural Cures

Ayurveda: According to Ayurveda theory, the majority of vision problems are due to digestive disorders. Emphasis is placed on normal eye workouts, and the use of the herbs amla, licorice, and triphala, along with a diet rich in organic, whole food with abundant amounts of antioxidant rich vegetables such as celery and spinach.

Bates Technique: The Bates Method originated at the beginning of the 20th century by Dr. W. H. Bates M.D. (1865-1931), a prominent American ophthalmologist. The Bates Method is used to improve sight and restore natural routines of viewing, which Dr. Bates believed become reduced through stress, tension and the resulting misuse of the eye balls. The aim of the Bates Method is to teach people with vision problems such as astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness how to get the eyes and mind to work together harmoniously to significantly improve eyesight.

The Bates Method is not really a medical treatment, but a method of education that involves active understanding and the open awareness of learning to appreciate what we see, such as the appreciation of a painting, a beautiful garden or perhaps a cathedral. Dr. Bates thought that healthy vision is the result of a relaxed state of mind and body in which the individual feels an immediate contact with the encompassing world via his or her five senses. Poor eyesight, he believed, is actually the result of tension, where the person is, to some greater or lesser extent, isolated externally via the feeling of being locked in a pattern of psychological-physical tensions, such as worry, anxiety, rigidity, day-dreaming, boredom, misunderstandings, impatience, etc.

The Bates Method is taught via a student-teacher relationship where the student is shown how to relax the eyes, then the body, and then both together. As the relaxation progresses, the mind, the eyes and the body begin to focus collectively more harmoniously, allowing eyesight to improve naturally by itself, along with the overall health of the eyes.

Psychophysiological feedback Training: Biofeedback training can be helpful for improving a number of vision problems, including astigmatism, near and farsightedness, and night blindness. Conventional biofeedback training helps patients become better able to relax the muscles of their forehead, thus reducing stress of the eyeball and general eyestrain.

A particular biofeedback device for improving poor eyesight is the Accommotrac Vision Trainer®, developed by optometric physician Joseph, Trachtman, Ph.D., of New York City. This device works by measuring how clearly and effectively the retina perceives pictures. As sufferers change their eye focus, the Accommotrac transforms the visual images they are viewing in to sound. This particular device enables them to be better able to detect and manage their changes in focus, thus also improving their control over the eye muscles themselves. Sessions are usually scheduled once per week for an hour each time. The actual Accommotrac has been shown to provide substantial improvements within refractory eyesight problems, including astigmatism, near and farsightedness, and night blindness.

Diet: Stress a diet of natural, whole foods, with a daily abundance of clean fruits and vegetables. Select from a wide variety, focusing on those foods rich in antioxidants. These include red, orange and purple bell peppers, carrots, celery, dark-green leafy vegetables such as chard, kale, collard, spinach and richer colored green leafy lettuces, parsley, tomato plants and yellow squash. Fruits high in antioxidants include uncooked or juiced Acai berries, the exotic goji berries, dark colored berries, red and purple grapes, plums, cherries, mangos, melons and citrus fruits. For a fairly sweet treat or to help suppress chocolate cravings, enjoy the antioxidant rich unsweetened cacao. Mixed with natural sweeteners such as raw honey or agave syrup, cacao is a scrumptious alternative to the typical processed sugar in conventional chocolate products.

Natural egg yolks are also suggested because they are full of carotenoids, an essential class of antioxidants. It is advisable to eat soft, rather than hard cooked egg yolks in order to preserve heat sensitive useful carotenoids. Gentle boiled, poached, sunny side up, or even raw eggs are best. Uncooked eggs might be eaten when they come from a trusted organic supplier and are cleaned prior to cracking. Salmonella moves on the shell of the egg and enters the egg from the outside, so washing eggs with warm sudsy water minimizes exposure.

Avoid all processed and fried foods, sugars and sugar products, refined simple carbs, alcohol, and unhealthy hydrogenated and partly hydrogenated oils. Milk and dairy products should be consumed moderately and ideally only in the raw or organic form. Avoid conventional fats and overcooked/grilled meat. In addition, test for food allergies and sensitivities and eliminate those foods for which you test positive.

Also be sure to drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day, at least half your body weight in ounces, to help flush out accumulated debris in the eye drainage channels. Correct hydration can also be essential for maintaining the flexibility of the eyes’ lenses. Fresh raw green juices are also an important addition to one`s daily diet. See the recipe section for green juice suggestions.

Attention Exercises: These eye workouts are useful for preventing and curing most kinds of vision difficulties.

Rest your eyes for 5 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, relaxing your gaze and looking into space.

Blink your eyes regularly. This reduces eyestrain.

Take regular breaks during the day to breathe deeply for a few minutes, coupled with neck and shoulder stretching. This helps to ensure your eye muscle tissue receives adequate amounts of oxygen.

To further reduce facial tension, yawn in an exaggerated fashion. Doing so helps you to stretch as well as relax your own facial muscles.

Cover your eyes with you palms for 5 minutes and breathe deeply. Do this every 1-2 hours.

Invest 20-30 minutes each day rapidly changing your focus from near to far. An easy way to do this is to hold your finger 6-8 inches from your eyes. Focus on this for a second, then concentrate on an object in the distance. Continue changing your focus from near to far. This is an excellent way to exercise your eye muscles.

Roll your eyes all the way up and all the way down in a full round motion for 5 minutes, 3-5 occasions a day.

Pin a sheet of reading material to the wall and read it from 2 feet away (or even closer if you need to). Each day, move further away from the wall. With regular practice, you will eventually be able to browse the same materials from across the room. If you are nearsighted, change this process, beginning as far away from the linen of paper as you need to be, then slowly moving closer each day until you are able to see clearly standing only a few inches away.

Herbs: These herbs will help prevent and slow the actual progression of nearsightedness: Bilberry, curcumin, gentian root, grape seed extract, ginkgo biloba, as well as pine sound off extract (pycnogenol).

Juice Treatment: Drink 16oz.of carrot juice and/or carrot juice combined with freshly juiced celery, cucumber, parsley, and spinach in two divided doses (8oz. per serving) every day.

Lifestyle: Avoid eyestrain by refraining from working at a computer terminal or reading for long periods of time. Also refrain from watching television or movies at nighttime, as well as spending prolonged periods in darkness.

Nutritional Supplementation: Useful nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, lutein, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), riboflavin, selenium, taurine, zeaxthanin, as well as zinc.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): According to TCM theory, most vision problems are caused by diminished liver function. To restore healthy liver function, TCM practitioners mix acupuncture with dietary changes and conventional Chinese herbal treatments, such as ginkgo biloba and ginseng.

Alternative Professional Care

The following professional treatments have all been shown to be helpful for preventing and treating nearsightedness: Acupressure, TCM, Behavioral and Syntronic Optometry, Bodywork (Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, Reflexology, Rolfing, Shiatsu, as well as Therapeutic Massage), Craniosacral Therapy, Chiropractic care, Detoxification Therapy, Environmental Treatments, Magnetic Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, and Osteopathic Medicine. (See Glossary for descriptions of these Alternative Treatments.)