According to medical research, the most common causes of visual impairments are functional disorders, which in most cases can be overcome with simple and natural treatments, without the need for surgery, glasses or contact lenses.
This article will discuss the most effective ways to restore vision, which have proven themselves in the treatment of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and other visual defects. The effectiveness and speed of treatment directly depends on the complexity of the violation, its duration and the implementation of prescriptions.
Neglect of advice and recommendations, eye strain from excessive work, physical and mental stress, as well as improper nutrition can significantly slow down progress in treatment, and in some cases stop it completely. To prevent this from happening, you should carefully follow all the instructions throughout the entire course of treatment, as well as after its completion.
Causes of visual impairment
According to the research of Dr. Bates, the main cause of visual impairment is psychological and physical overstrain, which leads to disturbances in accommodation - the ability to equally clearly see distant and close objects.
Contrary to the prevailing stereotype, focusing of vision occurs not only due to a change in the curvature of the lens, but also due to a change in the shape of the eye itself, due to the action of the external muscles of the eyeball, which are responsible for the movement of the eyes in all directions.
Due to the contraction of certain groups of eye muscles, the back wall of the eye approaches or moves away, depending on whether you are focusing on a distant or near object. Thus, many visual impairments are nothing more than the result of a violation of accommodation due to improper functioning of the external muscles of the eye.
In the case of nearsightedness (myopia), the eye has a constantly elongated shape, which does not allow focusing on distant objects, and in the case of farsightedness (hypermetropia), on the contrary, the eyeball has a compressed shape, thereby not allowing you to see close objects clearly.
Correction of vision with the help of lenses aggravates the situation even more, as it fixes the muscles in one position, violating the natural accommodation. As a result, muscle tension increases and the disease progresses.
Thus, glasses and contact lenses are the main cause of the ongoing deterioration of vision, which they are aimed at combating.
Exercises to restore vision
Using special techniques to relieve tension from the eye muscles in combination with diet and general health improvement of the body, one can significantly improve vision, and in some cases completely overcome many visual defects, including myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.
To achieve the maximum result, it is necessary to be conscious of the treatment and carefully follow all the instructions. The main task is to learn how to relieve tension and achieve the desired level of relaxation of the eye muscles. Deep relaxation and relaxation is the key to successful vision restoration.
Gymnastics for the eyes
Gymnastics for the eyes is an essential step towards improving vision. The main task of eye exercises is to relieve tension from the eye muscles and bring them into tone. This will significantly speed up the process of treatment and return to normal vision.
Gymnastics for the eyes with myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism consists of four basic exercises that must be performed in the most relaxed state. This is best done while sitting in a chair or sofa.
- Exercise #1. As gently as possible and with minimal effort, move your eyes up and down 6 times in each direction. Movements should be as slow and evenly spaced as possible. As you relax, the range of eye movements will increase. Keep it as relaxed and relaxed as possible. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times with pauses of 1-2 seconds between repetitions.
- Exercise #2. Smoothly move your eyes from side to side 6 times in each direction. No tension. The main task is to relax overstressed muscles, not to increase tension, so eye movement requires a minimum of effort. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times with an interval of 1-2 seconds between sets. As you relax, increase the amplitude, while maintaining relaxation and ease.
- Exercise #3. Bring your index finger to your eyes at a distance of about 20 cm, focus on it, and then look at a large object that is 3 meters or more away. Then look back at your finger, then focus again on a distant object. Move your eyes back and forth 10 times at a fairly fast pace. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times with an interval of 1-2 seconds. This is one of the best accommodation exercises to do as often as you can.
- Exercise #4. Move your eyes as gently and slowly as possible in a circle, first in one direction and then in the other direction. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times for 4 circles in each direction with an interval of 1-2 seconds between cycles, while applying minimal effort.
Before each exercise, you need to relax your eyes by covering them with your palms for a few seconds. If you wear glasses, they should be removed while exercising. If your eyes hurt during the process, stop the exercise and rest. Wash your face with cold water and do palming.
Wellness exercises for the neck
Gymnastics for the neck is an essential step towards restoring vision. Due to overexertion of the neck muscles, the nerves are affected and there are problems with the blood supply. Thus, in order for the treatment to be successful, it is imperative to exclude disorders in the spinal system and achieve complete relaxation of the muscles of the back of the neck.
- Exercise #1. Take a free standing position, arms relaxed and lowered down. Raise your shoulders as high as possible, then pull back as far as possible, then lower down and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 25 times, making fairly quick circular movements with your shoulders.
- Exercise #2. Perform circular movements in the same way, only in the opposite direction. Pull your shoulders back, then lift as high as possible, lower down and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise continuously 25 times.
- Exercise #3. Lower your chin to your chest as low as possible, relax your neck as much as possible, then gently raise your head and tilt it back as far as possible. Don't try hard during the process. Repeat the exercise 12 times.
- Exercise #4. Gently lower your chin to your chest, then turn your head to the left, tilt back, turn to the right and return to the starting position. All movements should be slow, uniform and with the maximum possible amplitude, but without tension.
- Exercise #5. Slowly turn your head to the right, return to the starting position, then turn your head to the left. Turns should be slow, without tension and with maximum amplitude. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Regular exercise helps to relax the muscles of the neck and upper back, improves the flow of blood and nerve energy to the head, normalizes high and low blood pressure, and also has a positive effect on vision and general well-being. Gymnastics for the neck is best done in the morning or in the morning and evening, as well as throughout the day, if necessary.
Eye strain relief exercises
In order to succeed in improving vision, the eyes need to be given a full, consciously provided rest every day, lasting 30-60 minutes to relax all the muscles and tissues surrounding the eyes. For this, there are special exercises:
Covering the eyes with the palms of the hands (palming) is one of the simplest and most effective exercises for correcting vision, which can be performed almost anywhere and at any time. The technique for performing the exercise is as follows:
- Sit in a comfortable position in a chair, armchair, or sofa to feel free and comfortable. Relax as much as possible.
- Close your eyes and cover them with your palms so that the middle of the right and left palms are opposite the right and left eyes, respectively, and the fingers are crossed on the forehead. Eliminate any pressure on the eyes.
- Get into a comfortable position with your elbows resting on your knees or on a table. The eyes should remain closed and covered with palms.
- Relax as much as possible, do not hold your thoughts on something important or serious, think about the good and positive. Try to see as much black as possible. The more black in front of the eyes, the more relaxation and rest they experience.
Schematically it will look like this:
To achieve a good effect, covering the eyes with palms must be performed at least 2-3 times a day for 10-20 minutes at least. It is also recommended to do the exercises in between work when your eyes are tired.
Swinging to the sides is a very effective exercise for relieving tension from the eyes and relaxing. To perform it, stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms lowered down along the body. Keeping yourself relaxed and at ease, begin to sway slightly from side to side.
In the process of movement, you can imagine yourself as a pendulum and move in the same measured and slow way. The torso should remain straight and the legs should not bend. If necessary, you can slightly raise the heel without taking your feet off the floor.
It is best to perform the swing while standing by the window. At the same time, the eyes should be relaxed and look without tension at the objects outside the window, "swaying" with you. After a minute, close your eyes and imagine the "movement" of the window as clearly as possible. After a minute, open your eyes again and keep moving, then repeat the exercise again.
Swinging should be performed at least 3 times a day for 5-10 minutes. When performed correctly, it effectively relieves stress from the eyes, and also has a very beneficial effect on the condition of the eyes and the nervous system as a whole. It goes without saying that if you wear glasses or contact lenses, they must be removed before doing this exercise.
Blinking is a very simple and effective eye strain relief exercise. Unfortunately, in many people with visual impairments, the natural process of blinking is disturbed: they blink less often, their eyes become less mobile, and the blinking process itself occurs convulsively, with tension and not regularly.
To improve vision and the condition of the eyes in general, it is necessary to develop the habit of blinking frequently, regularly and in a relaxed way, thus preventing tension. It is recommended to blink at least 1-2 times every 10 seconds without any effort, regardless of the situation.
Sunlight is very important in the treatment of visual impairment and should be used to the maximum by all patients. However, it is worth using it with care so as not to harm yourself. To do this, follow the main rule - never look at the sun with an unprotected eye, so as not to damage the retina.
There are many ways to restore vision with sunlight. The simplest and most effective is to face the sun, close your eyes and slowly turn your head from side to side so that the rays evenly fall on your eyes. It is recommended to perform this exercise 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes. For safety reasons, it is best to do this in the morning and evening.
You can also rock from side to side while facing the sun. Of course, with closed eyes. Such sunbathing improves blood circulation in the eyes, relaxes muscles and nerves.
In addition, the following exercise is very favorable for improving vision:
- Cross the four folded fingers of one hand and place them perpendicular to the other four.
- Place your palms over your eyes so that one palm covers one eye, and the other creates a point for a thin ray of the sun to pass into the other eye.
- Pass a small beam of light through your fingers and look at it. Adjust the thickness of the beam so that the contemplation of sunlight is pleasant and does not cause discomfort.
- After 1-2 minutes, switch hands to look at the sun with the other eye.
Watching the sun through the hole between your fingers is very careful! Failure to comply with safety precautions can damage the retina of the eye!
Cold water is an effective remedy for quickly relieving tension and improving the tone of the eyes, as well as the muscles and tissues surrounding them. To do this, while washing, close your eyes and do not splash water into them too much. Repeat the procedure 10-20 times, then gently wipe your closed eyes with a towel.
Repeat the procedure every time your eyes are tired, but at least 3 times a day. At the same time, note that the water should be cold, not cool.
Training memory and imagination is an important step towards good vision. It is very easy to verify this - we recognize familiar objects much faster than unfamiliar ones, since memory and imagination come to our aid. Therefore, they must be developed in order for the restoration of vision to be successful.
To train your memory and imagination, you can use the following exercise. Carefully consider any small object, its size and shape. Then close your eyes and try to remember everything in great detail. Repeat the exercise.
The above exercise should be performed for 5 minutes or more, of course, without glasses or contact lenses. Words or letters from books can also be used as objects. Regular exercise contributes to a significant improvement in vision over time.
Central fixation is a basic exercise that allows you to better see the objects on which you are concentrating your attention. Unfortunately, people with visual impairments are often deprived of this opportunity. Due to the constant overexertion, they see better with peripheral vision than with central vision.
To restore central vision, use the following exercise. Open the book and concentrate all your attention on some line. Next, highlight the word in the center of the line and concentrate on it. After that, close your eyes and imagine that you see this word as clearly and clearly as possible, and imagine all the surrounding words as blurry as possible.
Open your eyes again and repeat the exercise. Perform the central fixation for 5 minutes, each time imagining the central word more and more clearly, and all the surrounding words as blurry as you like.
As your vision improves, move on to shorter words until you can do the exercise on two-letter words, concentrating on one letter. The second letter will be blurry. In this case, we can consider that the central fixation is almost achieved.
Reading - Contrary to popular stereotypes and misconceptions, reading is one of the best ways to train your eyes and keep them active and healthy. Of course, this applies only to those cases where reading occurs without tension. Otherwise, poor vision will only get worse.
To improve eyesight, it is necessary to read without strain. To do this, take a comfortable sitting position, cover your eyes with your hands and relax as much as possible. After a few minutes, take the book and start reading, holding it at the most comfortable reading distance, remembering to blink while reading. As soon as the first signs of fatigue appear, give your eyes a rest. Close them for a few seconds, and if necessary, cover your eyes with your palms (palming).
As your vision improves, gradually change the distance to the book. In the case of myopia, the distance must be increased, and in the case of farsightedness, it must be reduced. If at the moment you have very strong myopia, then you can start reading with one eye, giving preference to the eye that sees worse. As vision improves, it will be possible to start reading with both eyes.
Initially, the duration of reading can be only a few minutes. However, you should not despair. Over time, by mastering the skills of relaxation and relaxation, you will be able to read longer without any effort or tension.
Proper nutrition and diet to improve vision
Improper nutrition is a common cause of visual impairment with age. In many cases, following a diet alone can significantly improve vision, and in combination with special exercises, completely restore it.
It is impossible to make a universal diet that would suit everyone, so the following are general recommendations for making the right diet:
- Eat only natural food.
- Eat more vegetables, fruits and greens (according to the season).
- Cook food as little as possible and only when necessary.
- Exclude artificial and concentrated food, semi-finished products and canned food.
- Minimize, or better yet, completely abandon fried, smoked, fatty, sweet and salty foods.
- Avoid drinking alcohol and carbonated drinks.
- Minimize your intake of tea, coffee and sugary drinks.
- Eat animal products, such as meat, in moderation.
- Start your morning with a light breakfast. Fruit and milk are best for this.
- Eat small meals, but often. Optimally up to 5-6 times a day.
- Each meal should contain foods rich in fiber (see point 2).
- Eat dinner no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that it is necessary to minimize, and it is better to completely abandon the consumption of everything that is so diligently promoted with the help of the media. Food should be treated as a necessity, not as a means to satisfy our tastes and whims. By changing your relationship with food, you will change your health.