tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39133569231882997722024-02-19T02:47:10.605-08:00The Cure of Imperfect SightThis Blog aims to be a collection of facts and not of theories.Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-71304243050278624202008-01-03T02:21:00.000-08:002008-01-03T02:27:32.489-08:00The Main Event<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Now that you've completed your quick warm-up — it should only take about five minutes to complete the whole process — you're ready to move on to your actual eye exercises.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Exercise 1 — Palming<br /><br />This exercise is beneficial in so many ways that it should be the foundation for your eye workout, and the exercise you do even when there's time for nothing else. Palming can<br /><br /><ul><li> Promote relaxation and smooth eye movements.</li><li> Develop central fixation — the ability of the eyes to see one point best.</li><li> Develop greater control of the focusing mechanisms of your eyes.</li><li> Isolate eye muscle movement from head movement.</li><li> Reduce muscular strain and tension in your eyes, neck and head.</li><li> Relax tired or strained eyes and restore peace and quiet to your mind.</li></ul><br />Listen to the radio if you wish, or just allow the mind to wander, keeping it away from anything unpleasant. If stressful thoughts intrude, push them aside to be dealt with later. Find a comfortable position and choose a time when you can exercise without being interrupted.<br /><br /><ul><li> Briskly rub your hands and palms together until they feel warm (15 - 20 seconds).</li><li> Place your cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of each hand should overlap and rest on the center of your forehead.</li><li> Make sure there is no contact between your palms and your closed eyelids.</li><li> Also make sure there is enough room between your palms (as they cup your eyes) so that you can breathe easily.</li><li> Don't create any unnecessary pressure on your face.</li><li> If your arms get tired, try resting your elbows on your thighs or on a table.</li></ul><br />When you first close your eyes, you may see sparks, dots of light, and color patterns, all of which are signs of strain and tension. When the picture "fades to black" and the sparks disappear, you'll know that your eyes are relaxing. The more relaxed they become the "deeper" the blackness will appear to be.<br /><br />Remain with the eyes shut for several minutes. The exact period that suits you best has to be found by trial and error; five minutes is about right, and four should be regarded as a minimum. It can be difficult to judge the passage of time, and some such device as a non-ticking cook's timer, or one of those electronic watches or pocket calculators which incorporate an alarm, is very useful.<br /><br />Exercise 2 — Up and Down<br /><br />Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times to relax the eye muscles.<br /><br />Exercise 3 — Left and Right<br /><br />Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining.<br /><br />Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.<br /><br />Exercise 4 — On the Edge<br /><br />Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless.<br /><br />Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.<br /><br />Now do the same exercise in reverse.<br /><br />Look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.<br /><br />Exercise 5 — Crop Circles<br /><br />Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again.<br /><br />Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise. Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds.<br /> <br />Note: When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feel a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.<br /><br />Exercise 6 — Be Shifty<br /><br />Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times.<br /><br />Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly.<br /><br />Now look at the closer point (the pencil or your finger tip) then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.<br /><br />Exercise 7 — Squeeze Play<br /><br />Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly.<br /><br />This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.<br /><br />Exercise 8 — Blinking and Breathing<br /><br />Blink your eyes rapidly a half-dozen times. Then shut the eyes lightly for the space of two whole breaths. No more than a few seconds should pass between one blink and the next. Repeat these steps 4 times.<br /> <br />Nasty Habits: One of the "bad habits" so many of us share is the tendency to stare sightlessly, with our eyes immobile and our breath stopped. Staring is very hard on your eyes! As soon as you catch yourself with your gaze locked, blink your eyes rapidly while taking a couple of deep breaths.<br /><br />If you can find time to "blink and breath" once or twice a day, you'll do wonders for establishing good tone in the muscles of your eyelids.<br /><br />Exercise 9 — Finger Massage (3-Finger Variations)<br /><br />Place the tips of each of your middle fingers on the bony outer corners of your eye sockets. Then close your eyes and gently hook both middle fingertips around and slightly inside these corners. Rest your index fingers on your temples, the other fingers on your cheeks and your thumbs behind your ears. Don't touch your eyes, just the inside surfaces of the outer corners of the sockets.<br /><br />For a count of five, inhale and apply pressure in an outward direction on both sides simultaneously (as if trying to widen your head). Then, relax the pressure and exhale for a count of five.<br /><br />Repeat the sequence a total of five times. When you stop — and before you open your eyes — take a deep breath, exhale and, in a quick motion, fling your fingers away from your body as if you were throwing the tension away through your fingertips. Open your eyes.<br /><br />Exercise #10 — Finger Massage (5-Finger Variation)<br /><br />Place the five fingertips of each hand together — as if you were cupping your fingers around a marble — and place them on your closed eyes with only light contact between your eyes and your fingertips. Massage both closed eyes by vibrating your fingertips lightly and quickly from side to side.<br /><br />Repeat the sequence a total of five times. When you stop — and before you open your eyes — take a deep breath, exhale and, in a quick motion, fling your fingers away from your body as if you were throwing the tension away through your fingertips. Open your eyes.<br /><br />Exercise #11 — Pencil Fusion (1-Pencil Variation)<br /><br />Hold a pencil straight up in front of you about 18 inches (45 centimetres) from your face. Look at the pencil, and then allow your eyes to refocus in the distance beyond it (on the far wall if you are indoors). You should now be able to see two blurred pencils, like gateposts one on either side of the point you are looking at.<br /> <br />Analysis: If you can only see one pencil, shut either eye alternately to find out which is the weaker.<br /><br />Exercise #12 — Would You Like to Swing on a Star<br /><br />This exercise is very effective in breaking the habit of staring and it is believed that 50 swings performed at bedtime and again when you first wake-up will help prevent or alleviate eyestrain during sleep.<br /><br />Stand with your feet about 12 inches (30 centimetres) apart and your arms hanging loosely at your sides. Lift your right heel, and turn your body (at the waist and hips) to the left. When you have reached the limit of comfortable travel, turn to the right, letting the left heel rise and the right one return to the floor. Keep your arms relaxed so that they rise slightly as you swing. Keep your eyes open and allow the image of your surroundings to rush past without trying to focus on anything in particular.<br /><br />Do not go too fast; try to make the swings smooth, level, and rhythmical. Repeat 20 times.<br /><br />Exercise #13 — Fun in the Sun<br /><br />"Sunning" consists of exposing your closed lids to sunshine to get your retina accustomed to progressively brighter light and ultimately able to function efficiently over the entire range of normally encountered light intensities. If direct sunlight isn't available, artificial full-spectrum lights can be used.<br /><br /><ul><li> Face the sun, eyes closed.</li><li> Allow the warmth of the sun to penetrate deeply into your eyes and forehead. Turn your head from side to side at a slow, relaxed pace.</li><li> Breath deeply.</li></ul><br />You should slowly build up to a maximum of 20 minutes of sun after about 3 months of practice. If you are very light sensitive, you may want to start by closing your eyes and just facing into the sky but not directly at the sun.<br />Warnings:<br /><br /><ul><li> Do not look directly at the sun.</li><li> Do not wear contacts or lenses when sunning.</li><li> Do not use fluorescent light.</li><li> Never use an infrared or ultraviolet lamp.</li><li> It is advised to sun only in the morning or evening and only for short periods of time.</li></ul><br />It is advised that you sun only in the morning or evening, and not during midday hours (11AM-3PM) when the sun is at its strongest and the rays are most damaging. </div></span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-14600144559161950952008-01-03T02:02:00.000-08:002008-01-03T02:21:03.796-08:00Your Workout for Better Vision<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Now we're ready to get down to the nitty-gritty... the actual exercises you need to do to improve your visual powers.<br /><br />Some manuals go into excruciating detail about what part of the eyes you're exercising and what's happening with the blood flow and musculature. They may quote "experts" about the benefits of the different exercises and include page after page of diagrams and complicated instructions for performing the various steps in the visual workout. It's exhausting!<br /><br />Your visual workout should be relaxing or exhilarating, but never exhausting!<br /><br />Rather than wear you out with lots of theory and unnecessary detail, we'll focus on 13 Simple Exercises (a "baker's dozen") that you can do throughout the day to rest, relax, and ultimately strengthen your eyes and your vision.<br /><br />The 13 Simple Exercises should be preceded by the Eye-Body Warm-up, a series of three "warm-up" exercises that engage your whole body.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />EBW #1 — Swing on a Star<br /><br />The exercise known as "swinging" is the first step to relaxing your eyes and your upper body, too. Scheduling just five minutes to swing will help you regain the natural range of movement your eyes may have lost as you develop your vision.<br /><br />To swing properly, begin by standing with your legs apart... a little wider than shoulder-width... with your arms hanging loosely at your sides. Consciously relax your neck, shoulders, back, and stomach. When you're ready, begin by slowly swinging your body from side to side.<br /><br />While you're swinging, continue to breathe naturally. Avoid looking down or tilting your head. Allow your elbows to bend naturally and to follow your body.<br /> <br /><br />Note: Don't confuse "swinging" with "swaying." (To swing, you rotate your upper body around your spine — moving from the torso to the chest to the head.)<br /><br />As for your eyes, they should be allowed to move naturally, shifting focus as you swing. They'll automatically follow a line of sight that is parallel to the floor. You shouldn't try and focus on any specific thing. You can be aware of the motion within your line of vision, but simply let the images go by. Remember to blink lightly and often to keep your eyes lubricated.<br /><br />Optical Illusion<br /><br />During the first few moments of swinging, the room may appear stationary to you. Or you may feel your focus jump from point to point. This is caused by your eyes working to hone-in on specific objects.<br /><br />Little by little, this "vision horizon" will change. By the time you finish the exercise, you should notice that your eyes see the room spinning in the opposite direction of your swing... a sign that you've truly relaxed your peepers.<br /> <br /><br />Warning Flag: Swinging may make you feel unbalanced (physically, not mentally), dizzy, and/or sick to your stomach. This may be due to your inner ear's ability to deal with the motion.<br /><br />If you feel a bit unwell as you're swinging, don't stop immediately... but do slow down. Shift your concentration to your breathing and take a few deep breaths. You can also bend your knees to help you feel more "grounded."<br /><br />If you continue to feel disoriented, stop completely. Take a few deep breaths to regain your sense of balance. Then, when you're ready, continue your swings, but at a slower pace than before.<br /><br />Before long, and with just a little trial and error, you'll know exactly what pace is right for you.<br /><br />EBW #2 — Heads will Roll<br /><br />Head rolls are the upper body's best friend. Simple to do anywhere and anytime, they relax your neck, head and face muscles.<br /><br />If you're someone who hunches over your computer keyboard all day, you'll find them a real winner for reducing shoulder tension. And... as we know... a relaxed body sees best.<br /><br />Stand Up, Sit Down, Roll, Roll, Roll<br /><br />You may do head rolls standing up or sitting down... although preferably not behind the wheel of your car! Sit or stand with your spine straight, but not rigid, and your eyes open. Align your body so that it feels as though your head is sitting on top of your spine.<br /><br />Take a deep breath. As you exhale, let your chin drop slowly to your chest.<br /> <br /><br />Note: The key to this exercise is isolating the movement of your head and neck. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed.<br /><br />Roll your neck slowly in one direction and then in the other. It isn't necessary to force this movement. You may simply let the weight of your head and gravity do the work.<br /><br />Despite their simplicity, neck rolls must be done methodically. As your head moves from side to side, be sensitive to areas of tension and tightness. Gently move through those "trouble zones" until they loosen and relax.<br /> <br /><br />Warning Bell: Never force any movements. "Size" doesn't count in head rolls. It's more important to do a series of small head rolls in a slow, easy manner.<br /><br />EBW #3 — Finger Tapping<br /><br />To stimulate the visual centers of your brain and develop the ability to focus clearly.<br /><br />The act of tapping your fingertips together for as little as 60 seconds stimulates the nerve endings in your fingertips, of course, but it also stimulates the visual pathways in the brain and is helpful in the development of the ability to focus clearly.<br /><br />The science behind why this works isn't nearly as important as the fact that it does.<br /><br />1. Loosely place the bottom of your palms together and, with your wrists relaxed, tap your fingertips together rapidly.<br /><br />2. Breathe easily and keep your arms and elbows relaxed.<br /><br />The first thing you will probably be aware of is a tingling, or even a sense of "tenderness" in your fingertips. Don't worry; this is natural and nothing to be concerned about. And even though it's your fingers that are tapping, don't be surprised if you experience sensations in other areas of your body, like the stomach.<br /><br />These sensations are linked to your body's release of tension. And when you finish this portion of the Eye-Body Warm-up, you should be feeling relaxed and ready for the next step.</div></span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-75348668198016644642007-12-19T00:08:00.000-08:002007-12-19T00:09:41.663-08:00Eye exercise - Testimonial<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Meagan struggled in reading, writing and math. After a year of tutoring with limited success, she was found to suffer from "eye tracking problems" and poor visual perceptual skills.<br /><br />As a result of Vision Therapy, Meagan now reads with fluency. Since she is no longer skipping lines, "everything makes more sense!" Her writing and spelling have improved as well. Her teachers and parents are thrilled, and Meagan is proud.<br /><br />With Vision Therapy, we saw dramatic results in a relatively short time, compared with our year of tutoring. Meagan is such a confident student now and shares her successes with me instead of asking me why all her friends could spell and she couldn't, and why did everyone else understand math and she didn't. Reading is now a joy instead of a chore. I wish we had discovered Vision Therapy sooner!<br /><br /> <b>Jenny Sugiyama, Meagan's parent</b></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-76539934387811213112007-12-19T00:03:00.000-08:002007-12-19T00:06:59.089-08:00Eye exercise - Testimonial<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Before Vision Therapy, there was a large gap between James' academic potential and his actual performance. Even though he is an intelligent boy, he was struggling with reading and writing. We were afraid that James would fall further and further behind in reading. We were also concerned about his self-esteem, even though he is a very bright boy. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Since starting Vision Therapy, his reading has improved. He is not skipping words and sentences, and has become a more fluid reader. Now that we have corrected some of his mechanical vision problems, we expect the reading and writing to continue to improve. </span><br /> <br /><b style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gayle Lamar, James' parent</b><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, 2/13/02</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-87009210624025469652007-12-18T23:55:00.000-08:002007-12-19T00:01:29.204-08:00Eye exercise - Testimonial<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: arial;">Since 2nd grade, my son has had trouble with tracking. The teachers knew about him having this problem but didn't know about eye therapy exercises that help with tracking. If there were eye exercises in school, then his tracking wouldn't have slowed him down. Fortunately, he is very smart and catches on to things very fast. Now that he is in Vision Therapy, his tracking has improved. He has said that he notices more things also. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> Thanks to Vision Therapy, there are two more happy vision sighted people in the world. </span><br /></div> <b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Jean R. Fisher and son</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, 9/28/99</span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-39355173043192780872007-11-11T16:28:00.000-08:002007-11-11T16:53:47.536-08:00Vision Therapy FAQ<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">What is Vision Therapy or Visual Training?</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Vision therapy (visual training, vision training) is an individualized supervised treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies which have various causes, such as:</span><br /><br /><ol><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">inadequate sensorimotor development</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">trauma to the nervous system (i.e., birth injury, brain trauma, closed head trauma, etc.)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">stress</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">in some cases, contributing hereditary factors (i.e., crossed-eyes, wandering eyes)</span><br /></li></ol><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Vision therapy trains the entire visual system which includes eyes, brain and body. However, it is important to understand that vision therapy is a form of neurological training or rehabilitation (it can be compared to some forms of occupational therapy or physical therapy). The goal of vision therapy is to train the patient's brain to use the eyes to receive information effectively, comprehend it quickly and react appropriately.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Vision therapy sessions include procedures designed to enhance the brain's ability to control eye alignment, eye movements, focusing abilities, and eye teamwork (binocular vision). Visual-motor skills and endurance are developed through the use of specialized computer and optical devices, including therapeutic lenses, prisms and filters. During the final stages of therapy, the patient's newly acquired visual skills are reinforced and made automatic through repetition and by integration with motor and cognitive skills.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0); font-family: arial;">Can vision therapy help children with learning problems?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes! Vision therapy can be an important part of the overall treatment of a child's learning problem.</span> <span class="fullpost">Vision and sensorimotor deficits can cause eyestrain, headaches, blurred or double vision, loss of place while reading, and difficulty maintaining attention on close work. Even intelligent, highly motivated children can be severely handicapped by these problems in the academic environment.<br /><br />Correcting these deficits allows affected children to benefit from academic remediation and to achieve their full potential in the classroom.<br /><br />What are possible symptoms of learning related vision disorders?<br />Please see the Parents' Checklist for Learning Related Vision Disorders.<br /><br />How many children are affected by learning related vision disorders (such as in cases of children with suspected or diagnosed learning disabilities, developmental delays, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, or with double vision, reading difficulties, etc.)?<br />Approximately 20% of school-aged children may be affected to some degree by learning related vision disorders. This percentage dramatically increases within the special education, learning disabled and remedial reading populations, where as many as 70% of the students have a significant visual component to their learning problems.<br /><br />My child tested as having 20/20 eyesight and healthy eyes after having a standard eye exam with an eye chart. Should I still investigate the possibility of a visual problem?<br />Perhaps . . . being able to read the letters on an eye chart at 20 feet distance does not guarantee adequate visual skills for reading and learning. In fact, the children most handicapped by vision or sensorimotor deficits often have 20/20 distance eyesight in at least one eye. The problems with eye alignment, eye teaming, focusing, and visual endurance which are likely to affect school work are easily missed in school screenings and conventional eye exams (with the 20/20 Snellen chart). Find out what visual skills should be tested in a comprehensive Eye Exam<br /><br />How can I find a qualified eye doctor to examine and treat my child?<br />Doctors who offer special services in the areas of learning related vision disorders and vision therapy can be found by consulting a National Directory of Board certified doctors at www.vision3d.com. You can receive a free and immediate referral by submitting a form at this Directory.<br /><br />What other problems can be helped with vision therapy?<br />Vision therapy is not only for children. Many adults find that vision therapy effects an improvement or recovery of their vision impairment; even in cases in which visual problems have been previously pronounced uncurable or hopeless by other vision care professionals. For example, many cases of lazy eye (amblyopia) can be successfully treated with vision therapy at any age. For many years, it was thought that amblyopia (lazy eye) was only amenable to treatment during the "critical period". This is the period up to age seven or eight years. Current research has conclusively demonstrated that effective treatment can take place at any age, but the length of the treatment period increases dramatically the longer the condition has existed prior to treatment.<br /><br />Eye doctors trained in vision therapy are uniquely qualified to treat the visual consequences of traumatic brain injury (birth trauma, closed head trauma, etc.).<br />Turned eyes or crossed eyes (strabismus) are effectively treated with vision therapy. In fact, vision therapy is often the only alternative to surgical intervention AND vision therapy -- the non-surgical alternative -- has much higher success rates than eye surgery. Success rates following surgery for strabismus are actually quite poor and multiple surgeries are frequently performed on one individual. If you would like to learn more about vision therapy as compared to eye muscle surgery, visit a page on Eye Muscle Surgery<br /><br />Is there more than one type of vision therapy?<br />Yes. Not all vision therapy programs are the same. Differences in the approach to vision therapy can be as diverse as the doctors who provide it. Make sure you understand what you can expect from the program and how goals will be achieved.<br /><br />Are computers used in vision therapy?<br />Yes. The computer has produced major advancements in the administration of vision therapy. State-of-the-art technology and software allows vision therapists to offer patients challenging programs for the enhancement of eye teaming, focusing, binocularity, fusional and convergence skills, and perceptual-cognitive skills, etc.<br /><br />Can a vision problem affect a child's self esteem?<br />Yes. Children with vision problems often have a history of underachievement and frustration. They often conclude that the reason for their low achievement is that they are not as "smart" as other children. Low self esteem and a lack of confidence are often the result of this conclusion. Correcting the vision problems which have been interfering with normal performance can have dramatic effects on both performance and self esteem.<br /><br />How long does vision therapy take to correct learning related vision disorders?<br />Vision therapy programs are individually designed for each child based on the severity of the conditions being treated, the patient's motivation and readiness, and the number of therapy sessions per week the patient can attend. Therapy programs might range in duration from 3 months to 2 years. However -- to use some common terminology -- vision therapy is "short-term therapy" or "goal-oriented therapy." Unlike some other forms of therapy, you will not hear of an individuals being in therapy for years without goals being met. Vision therapy is effective AND cost-effective!<br /><br />How long do the results of vision therapy last?<br />Most healthy vision therapy patients enjoy long term resolution of their visual problems. Generalizing the newly acquired visual abilities to the activities of daily life allows these new visual skills to become self-reinforcing. Efficient vision becomes a habit, as hard to break any other habit! Sickness, extreme fatigue or emotional trauma may cause temporary changes in visual skills. Patients with strabismus, amblyopia or traumatic brain injury may need to perform a minimum level of periodic maintenance therapy in order to sustain the high levels of visual performance attained during regular in-office therapy.</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-15113094319106182222007-11-04T23:28:00.000-08:002007-11-05T00:12:13.061-08:00Eye exercise - EYEPORT® Vision Training System<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2DrHcqwsL5EVfufAIp-wN0oYsaesrsFOATN21hM7V1djRTnnbITrQTwpS84L44LV3SmGZeDozMrcavwtTVw0UPqC3LiZlT-nImwJamLA_gxjedxataKjMkh-cWNJCZqpCcp8fffr9aM/s1600-h/Light.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129258740248834658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2DrHcqwsL5EVfufAIp-wN0oYsaesrsFOATN21hM7V1djRTnnbITrQTwpS84L44LV3SmGZeDozMrcavwtTVw0UPqC3LiZlT-nImwJamLA_gxjedxataKjMkh-cWNJCZqpCcp8fffr9aM/s320/Light.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;">From: </span><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.exerciseyoureyes.com</span></span> - Try it!</div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">In a Whole New Light</span><br />The EYEPORT® Vision Training System has revolutionized the way people look at their vision. To read more comfortably, learn more easily, work less painfully, and play sports more effortlessly, people everywhere are doing daily eye exercises with the EYEPORT.<br /></div><div align="justify"><em><span style="color:#999900;"><br />"I work with physical therapists and nurses and we all believe that exercise is critical to getting results and enabling people to be independent. So when I first received the EYEPORT and told them what I was doing, they were all very excited, because the concept is sound and it's what we do with our patients all day long. … But then when I started seeing the results … they lined up to get a chance to use it."<br /><br />Judy Bennett, Portland, OR<br /></span></em><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It’s Really Simple<br /></span>How the EYEPORT vision training system works is really quite simple. Your eyes’ focusing muscles flex and relax when they follow the EYEPORT's programmed series of alternating red and blue lights. Because the lights turn on in different directions, patterns and speeds, your eyes exercise through their full range of motion—horizontally, vertically, diagonally, near, and far. And you don’t even work up a sweat. </span></div><div>><span class="fullpost"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129260050213859970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk6H44Cfn6uoceXD5z_c5GUJm0dVWpm0O6olBoZFrSrDu-QNyMWj2TDMqvVNaDu5jKvqJdK-a3-Tsqu9r4hVHt3k0vCpElIlmLW4XQwS1rwxSdoFDa6io91c1Co9ay0uBTrixb18xnts/s320/Light-Red.jpg" border="0" /><br />Since you often focus at close range while reading or working at a computer, your focusing system becomes stiff and cramped causing computer eye strain. Limbering up your eyes as part of a daily routine will retrain them to work the way they’re supposed to...and you'll be well on your way to improving your visual performance. All you have to do is commit to a daily 10-minute workout to see results. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129260849077777042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi112rUhyphenhyphenj1Ie-uRIpp1uIC2xcB0hylkdAjtQS6Au6JwyLAvEbSkH4wpS2Etlf0Qblj5fQQfheFxulIViENWMK5ME7TnzyKHh313H7C1uPLETfry_hJZwLcA_V_LX9X1DbSJGltkpFqoOU/s320/Light-Blue.jpg" border="0" /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><div><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">And It's Patented<br /></span>What makes the EYEPORT unique is its patented use of alternating red and blue lights. This makes it possible to achieve dramatic results, faster and more efficiently than with any other vision exercise product available today.<br /></div><div><span style="color:#999900;"><em><br />"Using the EYEPORT is like opening up a new world. My eyes feel stronger, more active and more alert. There's more to see and interact with. It makes me a more efficient athlete and has made me more comfortable and relaxed in a broad range of activities. I was amazed at the way it changed my life."<br /><br />Rick Chetnever, Kula, HI<br /></em><br /></span>Basically, your eyes react differently to red and blue lights due to a scientific phenomenon called chromatic aberration. The focusing system contracts when it sees red and relaxes looking at blue. By combining eye exercises with specific colored lights, the EYEPORT strengthens your vision skills in a revolutionary new way never previously done. And it's easy.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#999900;">"Using the EYEPORT is easy. I did not have to strain to focus, my eyes just followed the lights and focused automatically."<br /><br />Patricia Lawson, Washington, DC<br /></span></em><br />With Some Pretty Innovative Features<br />It may look like a space ship, but it’s far easier to operate. Here are some of the EYEPORT's features<br /><br />* Portable and easy to use<br />* Automatic shut-off<br />* Pre-programmed workouts<br />* Multiple speed settings<br />* Special glasses to train each eye individually<br />* Carrying case included</span></div></div><br /></span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-82808179791387777062007-11-04T23:01:00.000-08:002007-11-04T23:04:51.244-08:00Eye exercise - Yoga for Eyes<span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Like any other muscles, the eye muscles also need exercise to be healthy and strong. Most of the time, we only shift our gaze minimally from left to right, as when reading, and turn our heads if we want to look elsewhere. By moving the eyes in every direction, without turning your head at all, these Five Yoga Eye Exercises will strengthen the eye muscles, help prevent eyestrain and improve eyesight. Breathe normally while you practice.<br /><br />First look up, then look down. Now look to the far right and then look far left. Next look up to the right, then look diagonally downward to the left. Repeat in the opposite direction. Now imagine a large clock - look up at 12 o'clock, then circle around it clockwise, quite slowly for two rounds then quicker for three. Repeat the exercise in a counterclockwise direction. Lastly, hold your thumb up about a foot from your face, and move your eyes from the thumb to the wall beyond and back. To end, always "palm" your eyes as shown below.</span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Look up and then look down.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Look at the right, then look at the left. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Look at the top right, then bottom left. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Look at the top left, then botttom right. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Look up. Roll your eyes clockwise, then counterclockwise.</span></li></ol>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-11981051594425935972007-10-25T19:21:00.000-07:002007-10-25T19:24:31.162-07:00Eye exercise - Make your own Pinhole Glasses<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">It is easy to make one yourself too. Just get a piece of black paper (the thicker the better) and poke holes in it using a mechanical pencil. The holes should be approximately 5 millimeter apart from each other. Start with 5 holes, forming a centralized star-shaped pattern for each eye. Note that there is no limit to the number of holes and you can have as many as you wish.<br /><br />Trim to size and attach it securely to a redundant spectacle frame (with both lens discarded). Alternatively, 2 rubber-bands can be used in place of the frame. Here is your very own pair of handmade pinhole glasses with no cost attached.<br /><br />Good Luck.<br /></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-15627084453381871892007-10-25T12:49:00.000-07:002007-10-25T19:01:34.337-07:00Eye exercise - Ortho-K<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ortho-K</span> is a non-surgical process which reshapes (flattens) the cornea of the eye using contact lenses to reduce refractive errors (nearsightedness and astigmatism). Accelerated Ortho-K uses reverse geometry contact lenses. Flattening the cornea reduces the focusing power of the eye. Since the amount of corneal flattening can be accurately controlled, it is possible to bring the eye into correct focus and compensate for the refractive error.. After the contact lens is removed, the cornea retains its flattened shape for part or all of the remainder of the day. A retainer lens must be used each day to maintain the corneal flattening, or the myopia will revert to the pre-treatment level. Ortho-K is also successful for some degrees of farsightness by steepening the central cornea.</div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-86856955884528603482007-10-25T12:36:00.000-07:002007-10-25T12:42:11.866-07:00Eye exercise - Testimonial<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Michael</span>. 26 Years Old.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I get super benefit with this Therapy. Thanks for this useful Blog. My eye initialy -3.25 now -3.00 only during 1 week exercise.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks.</span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-74346847185538555682007-10-08T23:11:00.000-07:002007-10-09T00:33:05.843-07:00Eye exercise - Pinhole Glasses<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">How pinholes function. Pinhole glasses (also known as stenopeic glasses from the Greek words for "little opening") are not made of glass at all but of an opaque substance such as metal or plastic. The user looks through any of the many small holes in the material. These holes have the effect of reducing the width of the bundle of diverging rays (called a "pencil of light") coming from each point on the viewed object. Normally, the full opening of the pupil admits light. It is the improper bending of the outermost rays in that pencil of light which causes refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia (diminished focusing range with age) and astigmatism to be noticeable. Pinholes can bring about clearer vision in all these conditions. By blocking these peripheral rays, and only letting into the eye those rays which pass through the central portion of the pupil, any refractive error in the lens or cornea is not noticed as much. The pupil may be wide open, but only the central portion is receiving light. The improvement in visual acuity can be striking.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><br />Look at this drawing of a myopic eye with a pinhole lens in front of it. You will see that the eye does not need to deal with the rays that would need the most bending since they are blocked by the lens. It is said that Scheiner first described this effect in 1573. Those who are familiar with cameras will recognize that this is the same principle used to increase the depth of focus by decreasing the aperture. Pinhole cameras also operate by this principle.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38NCOn6q2JVKuU-xL5sEFgD2NHhPQMO3CfVzfBFShOyBcHNtEjKCCBnku7Kp0_E5xEtZn3W3qRMtfQwjRuHm740MidIE7e1hR7IuMdCJaBTriXL1xckoax719rqXonINosJsCb4g7u4E/s1600-h/Pinhole.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38NCOn6q2JVKuU-xL5sEFgD2NHhPQMO3CfVzfBFShOyBcHNtEjKCCBnku7Kp0_E5xEtZn3W3qRMtfQwjRuHm740MidIE7e1hR7IuMdCJaBTriXL1xckoax719rqXonINosJsCb4g7u4E/s320/Pinhole.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119224208160866418" border="0" /></a><br />An easy way to demonstrate this is to make a fist and put it up to one eye while closing the other eye. Open the fist just enough to create a small hole to look through. <span class="fullpost">If you have a refractive error, you should see more clearly this way. This same improvement in the vision takes place when someone squints to see more clearly. The upper and lower eyelids cut off the rays that would normally enter the top and bottom of the pupil and the vision improves somewhat. Since there is no similar way to cut off rays entering the sides of the pupil, these rays still contribute to the blurred vision. Looking through pinhole glasses instead of squinting cuts off the peripheral rays from all sides. Since the glasses are so close to the eye, the material between the holes is greatly out of focus and is not as disturbing as one might think. After a period of getting used to the glasses, the brain tends to ignore the presence of the material.<br /><br />Also of interest is that the farther away the viewed object is, the less the pinholes are noticed. The honeycomb effect of the holes is more noticeable when viewing a book held close to the eyes, because the eyes are focused just a short distance in front of the glasses. When looking at a distant TV, however, the holes are hardly visible at all since the eyes are focused much farther away. Also, because of the distance, you can view the entire TV screen through one hole, an obvious benefit.<br /><br />Looking through the teeth of a comb held in front of the eyes is another way to simulate the pinhole effect. The native people of Alaska have long used this principle by wearing glasses with narrow slits to look through, thus blocking out much of the glare from the sunshine reflecting off the snow and ice. Anyone who remains in this environment for long periods during the summer without protection can suffer from snow blindness. This painful condition forces the person to discontinue the use of the eyes until healing can take place. This is nature's way of protecting the eyes from permanent damage.</div></span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-25209233232664789052007-10-01T22:53:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.485-07:00Eye exercise - Trayner pinhole glasses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHmcx-39UJ9BXaSRhIhezhk3yXedfcxrOazZSfd38Hvzdy-Ck1LWAnC0pD_VY7eTZOGpjtikFf2hf9c2gYVRbYHAveEaMnNZRHwZbS5pE46J4WIUmx1tcIxI3EjUmnYk7zoCNhNp1lLU/s1600-h/Pro6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHmcx-39UJ9BXaSRhIhezhk3yXedfcxrOazZSfd38Hvzdy-Ck1LWAnC0pD_VY7eTZOGpjtikFf2hf9c2gYVRbYHAveEaMnNZRHwZbS5pE46J4WIUmx1tcIxI3EjUmnYk7zoCNhNp1lLU/s320/Pro6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116614989758742626" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Trayner pinhole glasses consist of conventional spectacle frames with the lenses replaced by opaque screens containing lots of small holes. Looking through the pinholes immediately makes blurred vision sharper. This can help people learn to focus where they had previously needed glasses.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);"><br /><br />How do Trayner pinhole glasses Work</span>?<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">When the eye receives a blurred image it moves the focus, looking for a sharper image. If this is not found the eye is left unfocused. With the Trayner pinholes the image is slightly clearer so the eye can learn to focus again exercising the focusing muscles. With regular practice the eyes are able to see more without glasses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-31671016344302992732007-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.486-07:00Eye exercise - Part 04<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Here are some Eye exercises you can use to complement you Trayner glasses.<br /><br />Start with <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-size:130%;" >5 minutes</span> a day, later you may wish to inrease to 5 minutes twice a day. These exercises are best done without glasses or contact lenses.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Palming</span> - Cup your hands and place them gently over your closed eyes. Total darkness is very therapeutic and relaxing for the eyes. Palming may be done at any time during the day to revive tired eyes. Whilst palming your eyes perform the following exercise: Keeping your head still, look down as far as you can, then return your eyes to the centre. Continue by looking to the right as far as possible, up as high as you can and then to the left, returning the eyes to the centre after each movement. Repeat this 10 times.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Tromboning</span> - Focus on an object, eg a pen tip, held at arm's length. Slowly (take at least 5 seconds) bring it in until ir touches your nose, focusing on it all the time. Move in and out 10 times.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">This is similar to exercise 1</span>. This time focus on a pen or other object held in your hand. Hold this directly in front of you and move it slowly as far down as you can continue to see it. Focus on it all the time, wiggle it if necessary to help you see it. Repeat for the other directions, focusing on the object on the outward movement only. Repeat 10 times.</div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-21323588393799883252007-09-26T13:53:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.486-07:00Eye exercise - Part 03<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;">Visual (eye) exercises are designed to improve the patients’ ability to see clearly during movement, allowing for an overall increase in balance and stability while moving. Eye exercises are included as a portion of vestibular therapy, which is a very specialized form of physical therapy. A vestibular therapist, under the direction of a physician will develop a set of individualized exercises to address the needs of each patient. As a result, no two patients will have the same exercises or respond to the exercises in the same manner. The goal of visual exercises is to retrain the eyes, and the movements of the eyes, to more effectively communicate with, and in respond to vestibular, somatosensory, and central nervous system (CNS) changes. <span class="fullpost">A better coordination between the four different sensory systems and will increase the likelihood that there will be an alleviation of symptoms.<br /><br />The exercises listed below are only an example exercises and non-specific to any person or condition, they are only examples for discussion purposes only. The following exercises are helpful for some patients with dizziness. DO NOT use them unless the therapy program has been prescribed by a physician and carried out by a physical therapist. The exercises listed below are only some exercises that will help provide a natural progress to improve visual coordination.<br /><br />Head Rotation and Gaze Stabilization Exercises<br />Gaze stabilization exercises or as they are some times referred, vestibulo-ocular reflex training, is used to train the eyes to remain fixed on an object as the patient moves. This is a very practical exercise that correlates with real world activities. As a person moves from one place to anther their head also moves. In a perfect world our eyes will move in an opposite direction of our head to keep our vision stable. However, when the vestibular system or inner ear is not functioning correctly it is impossible to keep your vision stable, resulting in the symptoms associated with dizziness and other vestibular disorders. Through diagnostic testing, EIT physicians can objective evaluate vestibulo-ocular reflex, allowing very specific and individualized exercises to be prescribed to retrain the vestibular system to properly communicate with the eyes. These exercises are generally done with the head moving in two specific directions, either up-and-down or side-to-side, while the eyes remain focused on a target. The speed of the movement is progressive, meaning that one would progress from a slower to faster speed as they can tolerate. Generally movements start at about 2 Hz (2 rotations per second) and progress up to 5-6 Hz (5-6 rotations per second). The number of repetitions and proportion of the exercises will vary based on the specific abnormalities.<br /><br />The exercises listed below are designed to stimulate the balance sensors within the inner ear. As a result of this stimulation the inner ear becomes challenged, and as a consequence will usually give you the sensation of being dizzy or not balanced. Therefore, these exercises should be done while sitting in a chair or other safe place so that one will not fall if they do become dizzy. The key to these exercises to keep your eyes open and focused on an object. This exercise should be "progressed" to a more difficult level as a person begins to correctly adapt and adjust to the exercises.<br /><br />Eye and Head Coordination Exercises<br />This exercise is designed to improve the coordination between eye movements and head movements. The goal is to practice enabling the brain to remember where a target is with the eyes closed. Practice for about 2 - 3 minutes three times a day.<br /><br /><ol><li>Pick two objects in the room that are far apart but close enough that you can see them without moving your head. It is best if one of these objects is high and the other low. Suitable objects may be a plant, light switch, doorknob, or picture on the wall or other object.</li><li>Next, move your head and eyes so that you are looking directly at one of the objects. Now close the eyes and move the head so that when you open the eyes they will be perfectly positioned on the second object.</li><li>Then, open your eyes and look at the second object. Pay careful attention to where your eyes "looked" at the moment you opened them and note if the eyes have to move "find" the second object.</li></ol><br />Play this game over and over by going back and forth between the two objects. The goal of this game is to train the brain so that no corrective eye movements are required to "find" the object when the eyes are opened. You should choose other objects as well. Some of these should be close, others far away, some high and some low in the room.<br /><br />When you are getting better at this exercise try it using objects that you must move your head to see. These of course will be further apart then the first set of objects.</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-4235729426691754262007-09-22T21:22:00.000-07:002007-09-26T20:13:11.521-07:00Cataracts<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What is a cataract</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Over half of those over 65 have some cataract development and most cases can be treated successfully with surgery. A cataract is not a skin that grows over the eye. A cataract is a clouding of part of the eye called the lens. Vision becomes blurred or dim because light cannot pass through the clouded lens to the back of the eye.</span><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What causes a cataract</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cataracts can form at any age, but most often develop as people get older. In younger people they can result from an injury, certain drugs, long-standing inflammation or illnesses such as diabetes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What are the symptoms</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Symptoms can include</span>:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Blurred Vision: "I'm not seeing as well as I used to" people may notice that some things seem blurred round the edges, or that your glasses seem dirty or scratched.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Seeing Double: The cloudiness in the lens may occur in more than one place, so that the light rays that reach the retina are split, causing a double image.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Poor Vision in Bright Light: Bright light or very sunny days may make it more difficult to see.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Change of Colour Vision: As the cataract develops, its centre becomes more and more yellow, giving everything you see a yellowish tinge.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What can be done</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The most effective treatment for cataracts is a small operation to remove the cloudy lens. Diets or drugs have not been shown to slow or stop the development of the cataract.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What is a lens implant</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When the cloudy lens has been surgically removed it is usually replaced by a plastic lens so that the eye can focus properly. Occasionally a doctor will decide an eye is not suitable for a lens implant. In these cases contact lenses or special glasses will be prescribed instead.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">What happens after the operation</span>?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Your sight will usually improve within a few days, although complete healing may take several months. It is a good idea to have some help at home if you can, especially if you find it difficult to put your eye drops in.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You will need to take it easy for a couple of weeks so your eye can heal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Avoid rubbing your eye; wear an eye shield if you are a restless sleeper.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Don’t do any heavy lifting, and avoid strenuous exercise and swimming.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You can do light housework or cooking but try to get some help if you can.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You don’t need to stay indoors but take care if it is windy, in case anything blows in your eye.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Wash your hair leaning backwards rather than forwards.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Avoid eye make-up for six weeks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You can resume your sex life a week or two after the operation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Avoid driving until your surgeon tells you it is safe.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">New glasses are usually prescribed four to eight weeks after the operation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">How long you are off work will depend on the job that you do. Ask your eye specialist about this.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This page is designed to give you a very brief introduction to the subject of cataracts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Further information is available from RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) Tel: 0345 669999.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">RNIB works for the estimated 1.7 million people with serious sight problems in the UK with information, help and services.</span></span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-80667115164236109462007-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:002007-09-26T20:46:15.914-07:00Eyedrops - how to use them properly<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;">Your optometrist or doctor may prescribe eyedrops for you to use to treat certain eye conditions, infections or diseases. Before you use any eyedrops, be sure to tell your optometrist about any other prescription or non prescription medications that you are taking or any allergies that you have.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">Here are some general tips about correctly putting eyedrops in your eyes:<br /><br />Look at the ceiling by standing or sitting and tilting your head backwards. Some people like to lie down on a flat surface.<br /><br />The best way to ensure the drop remains in your eye is to gently pull the skin of your lower eyelid between your thumb and index finger to create a "pocket" for the drop. If you are unable to master this, gently pull your lower lid down with your index finger.<br /><br />Look up (so you are not looking directly at the bottle) and gently release a drop into the pocket of your eye. Keep the bottle's nozzle or the eyedropper clean by not touching it to any part of your eyes.<br /><br />If you are unable to get the drop into your eye because of blinking, try this: Close your eye and pull the lower lid down. Aim the drop into the inside corner of your eye. Open your eye and let the drop run into your lower lid. (Be sure to try the open-eye method at your next scheduled dose as it is a more reliable way to ensure the drop remains in your eye).<br /><br />To help keep the medication in your eye and prevent it from escaping through the tear duct, your optometrist may instruct you to "occlude" this duct by gently pressing on the inside corner of your closed eye with your index finger for about three minutes. If drops have been placed in both eyes, you can perform occlusion by placing your thumb and index finger (or the index fingers of both hands) on either side of your nose and gently pressing down on the inside corners of both closed eyes. This step is very important with some medications, so do not skip it if your doctor specifies it.<br /><br />Gently blot your closed eyes with a tissue to wipe away any excess drops.<br /><br />If you use more than one kind of drop, wait at least five minutes between drops.<br /><br />Be sure to follow all of the instructions that your doctor of optometry gives you and to complete the course of medication he or she prescribes. If you experience any side-effects, (such as burning, inflammation, puffiness, itching, etc.) call your optometrist immediately</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-3006088113274558892007-09-22T06:33:00.000-07:002007-09-26T20:50:53.221-07:00How to Exercise Your Eyes<span style="font-family:arial;">We all know how important it is to keep our bodies fit by doing things like going to the gym, jogging, and swimming. But, did you know that you can exercise your eyes as well? Not only will eye exercising keep your eyes healthy and minimize eyestrain, it could improve your vision.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);"><br /><br />Step</span>:<br /><span class="fullpost"><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><ol><li>Vision Improvement Exercises</li><li>Head Rolls - this exercise is to relax your neck, head and face muscles and reduce shoulder tension. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. On the exhale, slowly drop your chin to your chest. Relax your neck and shoulders. As you inhale deeply again, slowly and gently roll your head around to the left, then back, keeping your shoulders still and relaxed. Make your movements slowly, carefully and deliberately. Now exhale full as you roll your head to the other side and down to your chest again. Repeat this sequence twice then change directions and repeat twice more.</li><li>Sit comfortably on a chair. Rub your hands together until they feel warm. Close your eyes and cover them lightly with your cupped palms. Avoid applying pressure on your eyeballs. Place your palms so that the nose remains uncovered, and the eyes remain behind the slight hollow of the palms. Make sure that no light rays enter the eyes, and leave no gaps between fingers or between the edge of the palms and the nose. You may still see other lingering traces of colors. Imagine deep blackness and focus on the blackness. Take deep breaths slowly and evenly, while thinking of some happy incident; or visualize a distant scene. After your eyes see nothing but blackness, remove your palms from your eyes. Repeat the palming for 3 minutes or more.</li><li>Close your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds, then open them for 3-5 seconds. Repeat this 7 or 8 times.</li><li>Close your eyes and massage them with circular movements of your fingers for 1-2 minutes. Make sure you press very lightly; otherwise, you could hurt your eyes.</li><li>a. Sit quietly and relax, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Close the eyes gently. When you press each point, be gentle. Don't use too much force and avoid putting pressure on the eyeballs.</li><li>b. Put your thumbs below your eyebrows and above the inside corners of your eyes and place the other four fingers of each hand on your forehead. Press your thumbs into the point for four breaths.</li><li>c. Use the thumb and index finger of either hand to massage the bridge of your nose. Press the point and then squeeze with an upward motion. Press and squeeze four times for four breaths.</li><li>d. Place your middle fingers on your cheek bones, directly below the center of each eye. Massage the center part of your cheek for four breaths.</li><li>e. Massage a point starting at your temples right below the eyebrows and level with the outside end of your eyes. Then place your thumbs on the inside end of the eyebrows and massage. Move to the middle of the eyebrow and massage. Then massage the end of the eyebrow. Lastly, massage right below the middle of your eye.</li><li>Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.</li><li>Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining. Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.</li><li>Sit and relax. Roll your eyes clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Repeat 5 times, and blink in between each time.</li><li>Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless. Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. <span class="fullpost">Close the eyes and rest.</span></li><li>Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.</li><li>FIGURE EIGHTS This exercise increases the flexibility of your eye muscles in a relaxed way. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths. Either stand or sit with your feet shoulder width apart with your hands at your sides. Do not cross your hands. Let your knees bend slightly. Imagine a figure eight approximately ten feet from you lying horizontally (lying in the shape of an infinity sign) Let your eyes trace along the figure eight without moving your head. First trace in one direction, then in the opposite direction. Always remember to continue to breathe and blink as your eyes move effortlessly along the figure eight. Check for tension in the jaw and let it release.</li><li>Sit about 6 inches (200 mm) from the window. Make a mark on the glass at your eye level (a small sticker, black or red, would be perfect). Look through this mark and focus on something far away for 10-15 seconds; then focus on the mark again.</li><li>Hold a pencil in front of you at arm's length. Move your arm slowly to your nose, and follow the pencil with your eyes until you can't keep it in focus. Repeat 10 times.</li><li>Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly. Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.</li><li>Look in front of you at the opposite wall and pretend that you are writing with your eyes, without turning your head. It may seem difficult at first, but with a bit of practice it is really fun. The bigger the letters, the better the effect.</li><li>Imagine that you are standing in front of a really big clock. Look at the middle of the clock. Then look at any hour mark, without turning your head. Look back at the center. Then look at another hour mark. Do this at least 12 times. You can also do this exercise with your eyes closed.</li><li>Focus on a distant object (over 150 feet or 50 m away) for several seconds and slowly refocus your eyes on a nearby object (less than 30 feet or 10 m away) that's in the same direction. Focus for several seconds and go back to the distant object. Do this 5 times.</li><li>THE HOT DOG This exercise is done to improve the flexibility of the inside muscles of your eyes (called the ciliary muscles). It is important to keep those muscles flexible. Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths. Either stand or sit with your feet, shoulder width apart. If you are standing, make sure your knees are slightly bent. Aim your eyes on any target in the distance. While looking at your distant target, bring your index fingers, tips touching about eight inches in front of your eyes and into your line of sight. Still aiming your eyes at the distant target calmly notice a mini hot dog has appeared between the tips of your fingers. Remember to continue to breathe easily and deeply. Do not let the awesome beauty of the mini hot dog to distract you and to cause you to aim your eyes directly at it. Continue to aim your eyes toward the distant target. Pull the tips of your fingers apart slightly and observe the hot dog floating in the air. Now keep the hot dog for two breaths, then look directly at your fingers and the hot dog will disappear. Do not retrieve the hot dog for two breaths; then look again in the distance and find it once again. Switch back and forth for two minutes.</li><li>Scanning - this exercise helps you increase the flexibility of your eyes. Sitting or standing at one end of a room, let your eyes scan around the edges of objects in the room - clocks, televisions, doors, lights, computers, etc. The object of this exercise is to keep your eyes moving in a loose and fluid way. Do this exercise for two minutes. Remember to breathe.</li><li>Hydrotherapy Place a bowl of hot water and a bowl of cold water in front of you. The hot water should be hot but not so hot that it burns you. The cold water should be ice cold, so either put ice cubes in it or get it out of the refrigerator. Put a wash cloth in each bowl. Place the wash cloth from the bowl of hot water against your closed eyes for 30 seconds. Then do the same with the wash cloth from the bowl of cold water. Continue to alternate the hot and cold wash cloths. Finish by gently massaging your closed eyes with a dry towel. Do this for two minutes.</li><li>Focus on an object in the distance (as far as possible) with a low contrasting background. Do this for a few minutes every half hour or so. This does not improve your vision, nor does any other technique. It can, however, maintain your best eyesight level during the day and prevent significant further vision deterioration.</li><li> SUNNING This exercise is done without any glasses or contact lenses. The eyes are light-sensing organs, they are designed to receive and interpret light energy. Eyes need good, natural light in order to stay healthy and vibrant. Even though we have heard that the reduction in the ozone layer, we need to protect ourselves from ultra-violet radiation, it is still important to allow the eyes to receive natural sunlight at least 20 minutes per day. (full-spectrum lights can be used if it is not possible to experience natural light.) Remember to breathe. Take two deep breaths. Sit or stand in a place where the sun is shining on you or under a full spectrum light source. Close your eyes gently. Move your head slowly from side to side so that you go from an area of shade into an area of light falling on your closed eyelids. Remember to continue to breathe easily and deeply. Feel the light on your eyelids; visualize accepting the light energy. Alternate between five breaths of sunning and two breaths of palming</li></ol></div></span>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-444971648718486042007-09-22T02:37:00.000-07:002007-09-23T02:59:41.797-07:00Laser Vision Correction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y7_mB_UwxC2Y4CeJnSC_EwKe3f5YtfC6Y3v88BD5di2z2avEjpjjyxb9PpiGvHw0PzpC8vYn9k4u4FsWeCce7_-JDZKO09kcS1BciRce5jrNLkN-VRocUmpfJII1u0HJtqm6vkAKRaU/s1600-h/lasik.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y7_mB_UwxC2Y4CeJnSC_EwKe3f5YtfC6Y3v88BD5di2z2avEjpjjyxb9PpiGvHw0PzpC8vYn9k4u4FsWeCce7_-JDZKO09kcS1BciRce5jrNLkN-VRocUmpfJII1u0HJtqm6vkAKRaU/s320/lasik.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113337100783206482" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Laser Vision Correction has become one of the fastest growing and popular procedures in the world to correct vision. Little does the average person know that Laser Vision Correction has actually been around for quite some time. While the advent of more affordable, smaller, and efficient lasers has sky rocketed the procedure to worldwide acclaim, the principles of laser vision correction has been around for well over thirty years. It is a safe and proven method that has given millions of people the ability to see without glasses or contact lenses.<br /></span><br />In the beginning, the cornea was reshaped by actually cutting into the tissue. This provided good visual correction, however there were higher risks of corneal scarring. With the introduction of lasers, the same method of shaving tissue was achieved, but with much less scarring to the cornea. This resulted in cleaner, clearer visual correction. Since then, there have been many variations of the procedure. You may be familiar with Radial Keratotomy, LASIK and LASEK. These are all offshoots of the work that pioneering physicians began some thirty years ago. For the most part they all achieve the same end, just by using different techniques. Each technique offers distinct advantages depending on the type of eye you have. The type of procedure the surgeon selects to use is critical.</div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-64608632782211429722007-09-22T02:08:00.000-07:002007-09-22T02:36:30.049-07:00Lasik Information<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WnECWlM0Dp-_Av_qLVvOROorSPJEFzQ1JQhNz0Vh2-qkascw_TOoi5urlswNQ1-zovpstSxo6XNO7TCrVevgn3YB8aIV4zJXEt8kgmi-zoN5iiNraM8oL3ooueNEWUC3ajSnI9b_bN0/s1600-h/lasik.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WnECWlM0Dp-_Av_qLVvOROorSPJEFzQ1JQhNz0Vh2-qkascw_TOoi5urlswNQ1-zovpstSxo6XNO7TCrVevgn3YB8aIV4zJXEt8kgmi-zoN5iiNraM8oL3ooueNEWUC3ajSnI9b_bN0/s320/lasik.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112959933935140914" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">By learning more about LASIK Eye Surgery and Custom Lasik Surgery, you are taking the first important step towards achieving improved, normal, natural vision. Most people who wear glasses and contact lenses wish that they did not have to. Now, thanks to advanced laser eye surgery, there is an alternative to reduce your dependence on glasses or contact lenses, or possibly eliminate them completely. LASIK Surgery and Custom Lasik have transformed peoples' lives. The ability to see better without the hassles of contact lenses or glasses has inspired patients to explore new opportunities in their personal lives, in their workplace and recreational activities. LASIK patients have freed themselves from the many restrictions glasses or contact lenses can create and thus can enjoy this new found freedom with improved vision. LASIK Laser Eye Surgery and Custom Lasik are not for everyone. You should make a well informed decision when choosing this treatment. A LASIK Surgeon can help you decide if LASIK or Custom Lasik is right for you.</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-26766687471924018212007-09-18T06:14:00.000-07:002007-09-18T09:05:05.747-07:00Healthy Eyes - Eating Right for the Eyes<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">An essential part of eye care is eating the right foods that contain the right vitamins to help keep the eyes health. There are a lot of eye diseases and eating the proper foods can lower the risk of these diseases.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Healthy Eyes - Antioxidants</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Antioxidants help prevent many diseases affecting not only the heart, immune system, cancer but also the eyes. Antioxidants include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A. These antioxidants can help prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration, cataracts, and other eye diseases. Good sources of antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables, with the highly pigmented ones having a higher concentration. So when picking fruits and vegetables notice the color and chose the ones with more color to them. Concentrations of antioxidants are more abundant in raw form and are loss through the cooking, canning, drying, and freezing. Obtaining too much of these antioxidants will also cause different negative effects, so it is a must to be watchful of amounts taken.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Antioxidants - Vitamin A for healthy eyes</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Vitamin A is an antioxidant found in foods made from animals which includes liver and eggs and in fruits and vegetables like carrots and spinach. Most types of milk are also fortified with vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential to proper functioning of the retina. It also helps prevent night blindness by helping the eye to adapt between bright light and darkness. Vitamin A also helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the forming of cataracts. With AMD and cataracts being the leading causes of visual impairment and with the number of people to be affected increasing, getting a good amount of Vitamin A is essential to the eye's health and beauty.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Antioxidants - Vitamin C</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Vitamin C does it all. It strengthens your bones and muscles, keeps our immune system in good shape, keeps our teeth and gums healthy, reduces the risk of many diseases and it is no surprise that it is essential to keeping the eyes healthy. Vitamin C is another antioxidant that also helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the forming of cataracts. Vitamin C, as we all know, cannot only be found in citrus fruits and of course orange juice, but also green peppers, strawberries, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Antioxidants - Vitamin E</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Vitamin E is another antioxidant that does it all. Consuming a rich amount of Vitamin E helps prevent or reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease, coronary heart disease, and help protect against different types of cancers. For eye care, Vitamin E has been associated with the prevention of cataracts and the delaying of cataract growth. The best sources of Vitamin E are nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified products such as cereal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Minerals - Selenium and Zinc</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Selenium and Zinc are two key minerals that help the oxidation process. They help the body absorb antioxidants and getting daily values of these minerals help antioxidants in the prevention of eye diseases. Zinc can be found in cheese, yogurt, red meat, pork, and certain fortified cereals. Selenium can be found in walnuts, enriched breads and rice, and macaroni and cheese. As with antioxidants, getting too much of these minerals can cause problems.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Eating the right foods is essential to healthy eyes. These antioxidants and minerals can help keep our eyes stay healthy.</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-29478553841278234202007-09-17T19:38:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.487-07:00Eye exercise - Part 02<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-family:arial;" >Tired eyes? Hyperopia? Myopia? Eye training: Exercise your eyes and see better - perhaps you also will be able to get rid of your glasses and loose some headache in the deal</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />It's not unusual that visual defects and headache is the result of people using their eyes in the wrong way and that they never exercise their eyes. To sit for hours and stare into a book or a computer screen at the same distance and from the same angle is for the muscles of the eye the same thing as it is for the legs to sit still on an aeroplane or a train for several hours - the problem is that people in today's society have gotten used to this eye torment and take hardly no notice of it. This has gone so far that for some the muscles of the eye are so stiff that they rather turn the whole head than just the eyes when seeing something in the periphery.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The eyes needs training, and if you utilize the following simple exercises it might even happen that you can discard your reading glasses after a while.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);"><br />Do like this</span>:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The first part of the eye exercise is good for the muscles surrounding the eyeball. Look at something on the right in your field of vision. Keep your eyes on that object and turn your head to the left as far as possible without loosing sight of whatever you've choose to look at.<br /><br />Do the same thing but in reverse; fix your stare at something on the left and turn your head rightwards as far as you can. Repeat the procedure in all directions; up and down and in the four diagonal directions. Repeat the entire exercise a few times.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The first times you perform this exercise you will probably experience some pain and perhaps even headache and nausea - but those symptoms will disappear in time and are signs that you really are in need of this exercise. But be careful.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It might be a good idea not to perform this exercise on the bus or in similar circumstances - people might believe that you are having a seizure of some kind.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The second part of the eye training prevents the lens of the eye from getting stiff and exercises the small muscles inside the eye which shape the lens and thus help you focus on things you look at.<br /><br />Hold up your finger in front of you and focus on it. Move the finger towards you as close as you can get without loosing focus. Then look outside the window and focus on the horizon. Repeat a few times.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ9BJzGr4JNu9h49WnCvYAcae1PXs97pUWTM6npe5AKrCus_CyvfTCpZLLnzSHauVXhVBxoS6sh-5tsF0sAoghPqxVi44b4ktvxITf9PaAWtsn5XvICvoj7UePgn1z8yeh4dwDCQTxkI/s1600-h/train.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ9BJzGr4JNu9h49WnCvYAcae1PXs97pUWTM6npe5AKrCus_CyvfTCpZLLnzSHauVXhVBxoS6sh-5tsF0sAoghPqxVi44b4ktvxITf9PaAWtsn5XvICvoj7UePgn1z8yeh4dwDCQTxkI/s320/train.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111370947321843202" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Many visual defects such as myopia - short-sightedness - and hyperopia - long-sightedness are a result of that the eyeball is not perfectly spherical. Many times myopia is the result of the growth of the brain which has "flattened" the eyeball from behind. The exercises described above might if practised regularly help shape the eyeball into a more spherical shape and thus also improve your sight.</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-13028887841413202592007-09-17T01:30:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.487-07:00The Fundamental Principle<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >Do you read imperfectly?</span> Can you observe then that when you look at the first word, or the first letter, of a sentence you do not see best where you are looking; that you see other words, or other letters, just as well as or better than the one you are looking at? Do you observe also that the harder you try to see the worse you see?<br /><br />Now close your eyes and rest them, remembering some color, like black or white, that you can remember perfectly. Keep them closed until they feel rested, or until the feeling of strain has been completely relieved. Now open them and look at the first word or letter of a sentence for a fraction of a second. If you have been able to relax, partially or completely, you will have a flash of improved or clear vision, and the area seen best will be smaller.<br /><br />After opening the eyes for this fraction of a second, close them again quickly, still remembering the color, and keep them closed until they again feel rested. Then again open them for a fraction of a second. Continue this alternate resting of the eyes and flashing of the letters for a time, and you may soon find that you can keep your eyes open longer than a fraction of a second without losing the<br />improved vision. If your trouble is with distant instead of near vision, use the same method with distant letters. In this way you can demonstrate for yourself the fundamental principle of the cure of imperfect sight by treatment without glasses. If you fail, ask someone with perfect sight to help you.</div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-44369416796519901552007-09-17T01:20:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.487-07:00Research Confirms Vision Therapy Can Improve Reading Comprehension<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Results of a study of sixth grade students with below average reading scores found that providing visual attention therapy can significantly improve their attention and reading comprehension.</span><br /><br />The study, reported in the November/December 2003 Journal of Learning Disabilities, found that a few as 12 one-hour sessions of computer-based vision therapy can enhance reading ability and improve a child's overall attention in the classroom. "Results of this study support previous research that found visual attention and eye movement abilities contribute significantly to a child's ability to read", according to Harold A. Solan, O.D., M.A., FCOVD, Distinguished Service Professor of Optometry at the State College of Optometry, State University of New York and lead researcher for the study. "This newest research confirms that visual attention can be improved through vision therapy resulting in enhanced reading comprehension."<br /><br />"Far too often, children with reading and learning difficulties may struggle in school because of undetected vision problems", stated Dr. Solan. "Difficulties with maintaining visual attention and processing visual information in the classroom doom many children to reading failure. Results of this and other studies now confirm the significance of good visual abilities to reading and learning. Vision abilities needed to succeed in school can be developed through programs of vision therapy which can lead to improvements in reading and learning as found in our study", he stated. The program of vision therapy provided to the children in the study included specific procedures to improve perceptual accuracy, visual efficiency and visual search and scanning abilities. Additional procedures to enhance how the eyes and brain process visual information were also conducted. Children in the study were tested before and after the therapy using standardized measures of attention processing. The children receiving vision therapy showed significant gains in standardized attention scores and reading comprehension. In terms of learning rate (LR), these students reading skills progressed 1.1 years or 220%.<br /><br />Visual attention therapy procedures, a part of optometric vision therapy services, have often been used in treating patients with learning-related vision problems. "This study further confirms the benefits of vision therapy that developmental optometrists have clinically reported in their patients for many years. Vision therapy, a prescribed program of visually guided procedures or 'exercises', is used to help the eyes work together and with the brain to properly interpret visual information", reported Dr. Solan.</div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3913356923188299772.post-58186281847837212722007-09-17T01:10:00.000-07:002007-10-03T21:41:00.488-07:00Macualar Degeneration and Optimum Nutrition<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Reading about this now may help you be able to read other things later. </span><br /><br />If there ever was a clear example of an ounce of prevention beating a pound of cure, it would be macular degeneration. "Macula" means "spot," which in this case is on the retina. This is where visual images are focused on the inside of the back of the eye. A lack of antioxidants in the diet puts the retina at risk, causing premature aging and deterioration. Therefore, consuming generous amounts of the body's principle protective antioxidants, namely vitamins C and E, the carotenes, and small amounts of the mineral, selenium, will help protect your sight. Start now, for macular degeneration is the number one cause of vision loss in the elderly. If you have already been diagnosed with the condition, your doctor has probably told you that there is no medical treatment to rely on. If so, then there is no reason not to try nutrition. If antioxidants can prevent macular degeneration, larger amounts of them may help reverse it. The theory is easy enough to test, and safe enough to trust. There are no toxic levels whatsoever for Vitamins E and C and carotene. Too much Vitamin C is indicated by very loose bowels. Excessive carotene, which is the orange color in carrots, is indicated by orange colored skin.<br /><br />So if you look like a pumpkin stuck in the outhouse, take less. Ah, but if you don't, then you can take more. Vitamin E is so safe that premature babies are specifically given it to prevent oxygen damage to their retinas. These infants require about 200 International Units a day to be effective. That is the adult dose equivalent of about 7,000 I.U. of Vitamin E daily! Little clinical need has ever existed in adults for even half of that amount. However, the US RDA of vitamin E is only 10 - 15 I.U., and that is not enough to stop macular degeneration in a hamster. Between 600 and 1,200 I.U. daily is a common therapeutic level for a person. It is only possible to obtain such amounts by taking a supplement. Selenium increases the effectiveness of Vitamin E in the body. Only a little selenium is needed, probably between 50 and 200 micrograms daily. Too much selenium can indeed be toxic, and amounts over 600 mcg daily must be avoided. Zinc is another important mineral for the retina. <span class="fullpost">Up to 660 milligrams of zinc a day has been used in some studies, but there is an eventual risk of copper deficiency and anemia if such a high level were maintained. Just one-fifth of that amount, about 100 mg per day, may be enough to slow or stop the process of macular degeneration. The amino acid chelate form of zinc is very well absorbed and probably good to look for. That, or eat a lot of mollusks (oysters in particular). Zinc deficiency in America is the rule, not the exception. Most of us don't even consume the small US RDA of 15 mg per day. Zinc deficiency is especially prevalent in older persons. The signs of too little zinc in the diet are, curiously enough, a weak immune system, poor wound healing, loss of taste and smell, psoriasis-like skin lesions, prostate problems, rheumatoid arthritis, and senility.<br /><br />Have you visited a nursing home recently? The idea of zinc supplementation certainly hasn't. Instead of beta carotene supplements, I would prefer carrot juice. Yes, it contains a great deal of beta carotene: probably 40,000 I.U. or more per average glass. But it also contains dozens of other carotenes, not just the beta form. Freshly made from your own juicer, raw carrot juice tastes good and provides many other valuable nutrients. All health nuts drink carrot juice, so you are in good company. Even a single carrot a day reduces a person's risk of macular degeneration by 40 percent. Evidence suggests that more is indeed better. We've all known since we were toddlers that "carrots are good for our eyes." What's weird is that nearly one in four of us doesn't even eat a single serving a day of any vegetable. That alone would account for most of the 10,000,000 cases of macular degeneration in this country. In addition to carrots, really intense consumption of fresh, raw foods may help much more. I know of a person whose degeneration of the retina was very severe and sadly she had lost much of her sight. In desperation, she began a nearly 100% raw food diet. She ate mostly salads and a jar or two of home-grown sprouts a day. I won't say that she loved doing it, but she loved the results. Over a period of a year or so, her ophthalmologist confirmed improvement. Not only was she no longer losing her sight, she was actually gaining it back. Her recovery was remarkable and, medically speaking, impossible. A blind man was once belittled for claiming he got his sight back. The man said, "One thing I know, that though I was blind, now<br />I see." (John 9:25, RSV) That is what matters.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">REFERENCES AND RELATED READING</span>:<br />Carper, Jean Food: Your Miracle Medicine, HarperCollins, 1993, pages 438-439. Cheraskin and Ringsdorf, Psychodietetics, Bantam, 1974 Hoffer and Walker, Orthomolecular Nutrition, Keats, 1978 Copyright C 1999 and prior years Andrew W. Saul. From the books QUACK DOCTOR and PAPERBACK CLINIC, available from Dr. Andrew Saul, Number 8 Van Buren Street, Holley, New York 14470.</span></div>Sugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09708769047160404863noreply@blogger.com0