My Story – How Eye Exercises Improved My Eyesight
This is the story of how I improved my eyesight following a laser eye surgery which was not completely successful. I did it without the use of any fancy equipment, special glasses, contact lenses or further surgery. I did it all in my own home with eye exercises.
And I’m convinced that, with commitment, you can do it too.
How I Became Nearsighted
When I was 13 years old I started having difficulty seeing what my teacher wrote on the blackboard in school. My mother took me for an eye exam and I was diagnosed as being nearsighted.
“You’re going to need glasses…” my optometrist said.
I was horrified by this news since I thought they would make me look ugly and that other kids would make fun of me.
My prescription then was -0.5. As you may guess, my eyesight got steadily worse and I required higher prescription almost every year. My glasses kept getting thicker and over time I also developed astigmatism. My eyesight was deteriorating, and so was my self esteem.
I didn’t know it a the time, but wearing glasses did nothing to improve my natural vision. They were a crutch – an artificial fix.
And worse, they actually made my vision deteriorate even more because the lens power actually increased the near point stress I put my eyes under.
The Science of Bad Eyesight
I’m not just saying this to scare you. It’s a fact you need to know. Scientific journals have published multiple claims that wearing corrective minus lenses really does make your eyesight worse:
The Problem with Corrective Lenses
First suggested by the pioneer of vision training, Dr William H Bates, MD, prescription lenses can seriously overpower and overstress the visual system.
This produces the all-too-common trend that once you are prescribed with glasses, your vision only ever deteriorates with time.
It’s tragic when children and teenagers are prescribed glasses, because their eyes are still developing. Optometrists don’t tell people about the effects that corrective lenses will have on their immature visual systems – they simply slap on a pair of glasses and send you on your way. Problem solved, they say.
But the problem isn’t solved – it’s merely disguised.
And it’s made worse when optometrists commonly over-prescribe. They figure your eyesight will deteriorate anyway, and your eyes are overpowered even more by this unnecessary focusing power which you use your entire waking day.
Here’s another hidden truth about corrective lenses. If you are nearsighted, you should never wear your glasses or contacts when reading or at the computer.
For a start, mild-to-moderate myopics shouldn’t need to. It’s perfectly possible to see the computer screen close up if you are “near sighted”. The clue is in the name. (You’re just used to having suped-up power vision from your glasses.)
Secondly, the lens correction serves to double the near point stress on your myopic visual system. Which is why you may sometimes feel like you’re going cross-eyed at the end of a long day on the computer.
Why do our optometrists never warn us about this?
Discovering Eye Exercises
Even though the eyes officially stop maturing at the age of 20 – my vision was still getting worse every year. I now strongly believe this was because I wore overpowering glasses, all the time, even at the computer or when reading books.
At 25 years old, I needed corrective lenses of -5.50/-5.00 diopters (technically considered “moderate myopia” but getting close to “high”) which translates to about 20/400 vision. So I had the same visual acuity at 20 feet, as healthy people have at 400 feet.
I also had moderate astigmatism: a common condition where your cornea becomes shaped like an oval because of the underlying visual deterioration.
With the two vision problems combined I could see clearly only as far as a foot in front of my face – everything else was a blur. My day to day life was becoming increasingly difficult and I was completely dependent on corrective lenses.
At the time I did not know that my eyesight could be improved naturally. I thought that my only options were to wear glasses and contact lenses for the rest of my life, or to go for an eye surgery. So I started looking into LASIK. I knew many individuals who were very pleased with their eyesight following a laser eye surgery so I decided to take my chances despite the many potential risks associated with surgery.
In early 2012 I went to a reputable clinic to undergo LASIK. Regrettably, my surgery did not provide me with the results I hoped for. At first my vision did seem clear, but within 3 months after surgery I found myself squinting a lot. I went to get my eyes checked and was saddened to find out that I yet again had a prescription of -0.5 as well as some astigmatism. Unfortunately I also developed side effects of glare around bright lights (night driving became difficult) as well as eye dryness for which I had to use eye drops every day. My doctors offered to do another surgery but I refused not wishing to cause any more harm to my eyes. I also did not wish to wear glasses since I knew they would likely cause my vision to steadily get worse.
I began researching ways to improve my vision naturally – through eye supplements, foods, and most importantly better vision habits. Fortunately I came across this website and discovered how eye exercises can improve vision naturally, and was encouraged by ample anecdotal evidence from other people in the same boat (or worse).
I decided to give it a shot. What did I have to lose?
About Vision Training
Through my research, I learned that vision exercises were developed by English eye doctors in the early 20th century. A new field of study emerged known as Orthoptics, which is used around the world today to help patients with eye muscle problems to achieve better vision naturally.
Vision therapy uses a number of different strengthening and relaxation eye exercises designed to improve eyesight naturally. Over time (days and weeks), they can increase your ability to focus better on near and far objects, while also reducing the dreaded near point stress that modern day living creates.
Treating the Myopia Epidemic
In China, a massive 76% of lower middle school students are already nearsighted. Education officials now see to it that Chinese students perform eye exercises twice a day in order to tackle the myopia epidemic.
You too can take measures to improve your vision (and your children’s vision). Whether you’ve been wearing glasses for decades or have just been diagnosed with myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or aging vision, it’s never too late or too early to start taking care of your natural vision.
It’s no coincidence that Australia and New Zealand – two nations that revere the outdoor lifestyle and whose kids spend a lot more time playing sports outdoors – have among the lowest occurrence of myopia in the developed world. They spend less time playing computer games and more time outside focusing far away.
Are Eye Exercises a Magic Cure?
Is vision training a magic cure? Don’t get too carried away – natural vision improvement does take time and daily effort, at least for the duration of the course. Generally, the further your eyesight has deteriorated overall, the longer it will take to restore your 20/20 vision (or close) so if you have only mild to moderate vision problems, it may only take 30 days to make a full recovery.
The good news is many people, no matter how severe their eyesight problems, tend to notice initial improvements within the first few days – and their first significant reduction in lens prescription within a few weeks. This is on a par with laser eye surgery, which has a recovery period of about six weeks.
Now let me show you how it’s all done…
