My eyes are very weak ( -9.00 ) and they seem to get worse every year even by a little bit. I’m 14 years old, almost 15, and want to improve my vision. I used to wear glasses but now have worn contacts for the last 3 years. What are some natural methods to improve eyesight? Also, I’ve heard that putting a little bit of honey in your eyes everyday can improve vision. Is this true?
And if there are no natural methods then any methods are fine. I just need a solution.
1. September 2010 at 11:45 am
You are experiencing the same thing that has happened to billions of people since glasses became a widely used method to "correct" nearsightedness (also known as myopia or shortsightedness). Glasses for myopia can be extremely harmful to the eyes unless they are used properly.
When you have an eye test they ask you to read the letters on a chart which is 20 feet away ( 6 meters ) and that’s correct because a myope has problems with distant things and the more distant a thing is, the blurrier the vision. But who spend all their time looking at things that are so far away ? No one, and that’s why the glasses usually given to myopes are excellent to see distant things but are definitely too strong for everyday use. Here’s explained one of the main reasons for declining eyesight : wrong glasses. It’s true that a myope can read a book with his/her glasses on but only because the eyes make an effort to compensate those glasses which in that specific circumstance are too strong. That effort is called over-accommodation and it’s the real cause of myopia. A young person who has perfect eyesight can easily become myopic if he/she spends most of the time looking at things that are too close. Constant over-accommodation leads to myopia. When one becomes myopic, the use of wrong glasses (i.e.. too strong for a specific task) leads to over-accommodation and to more myopia. For instance many boys/girls keep books too close when they read/study. It’s not necessary, it’s just a bad habit that may ruin their eyesight over the years
A considerate eye doctor/optometrist/optician should always tell their young patients that glasses are not to be used unless they are necessary. When a myope can see fairly well without them, they must not use them. For example many young myopes do not need glasses for reading and writing, because for such a small distance their natural eyesight is more than enough. With your high prescription is obvious you always need glasses, but not always your current glasses. The keyword is "undercorrection" i.e. weaker glasses. Your current glasses are too strong for many activities such as reading books, using the computer, watching tv and so on .
If you have older glasses they are probably weaker. Use them whenever possible. The weaker the better,provided they allow you to see clearly enough without staying too close to what you’re looking at
Do not use your current glasses to stay at home or going out for a walk, use undercorrections instead. In other words, use your current glasses as little as possible, only when it’s strictly necessary. It’s always better to see a tad blurry than to see perfectly, because a little blurriness stimulates your eyes, while the full correction makes them weaker and more dependent on glasses.
Always remember: the shorter the distance , the weaker the glasses.
Every myope should have at least 3 pair of glasses with different power. One which fully corrects myopia and two undercorrections. Of these two undercorrections, one should be very weak and should be used for near work. A second undercorrection would have to be a bit stronger and should be used for medium distance (staying home, watching tv, etc.).. The full correction should be used only when strictly necessary.
If the doctor gives you new and stronger glasses, take them but use them as little as needed, i.e. when you really need a very good eyesight. Whenever you can, use weaker glasses (or no glasses for near work if your myopia is moderate). That’s extremely important if you want to avoid further worsening of your eyesight. Even when using weaker glasses always remember to stay as distant as possible from what you are looking at. In fact it’s useless to wear undercorrection or no glasses if you stay closer than necessary to what you are looking at.
Your situation has probably many causes. I suggest you to check what you eat.
A diet rich in sugar and carbohydrates is known to make eyesight worse. As well as stimulating the production of insulin, diets high in refined starches such as sugar and cereals also stimulate production of a related compound called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Too much IGF-1 stimulates excess growth of the eyeball during its development. This affects the development of the eyeball, making it abnormally long and therefore nearsighted, because nearsightedness is exactly that: eyes are longer than normal. You have to absolutely avoid sweets and drinks that contains sugar; reduce dramatically the consumption of white bread , crackers, biscuits, pasta, pizza and so on. Eat more vegetables and fruit.
If you spend most of your day at home, that’s also bad . The eyes need to look at something very distant and with a lot of natural light, and you can’t do that at home. Go out as much as possible , with glasses that are a bit weaker than full-prescription
1. September 2010 at 11:45 am
I don’t know about the honey, but I really don’t think there is a solution if not Lasik surgery, but since you’re young I don’t know if you can. My eyes are very weak as well and I’m your age.
1. September 2010 at 11:45 am
Im 14 too xD. There are not realy any ways of makeing your eyes better, apart from glasses/contacts. i have the same problem as you do, my eyes keep getting worse! but i wear my glasses at all times because i cant realy see without them. i think your eyes stop chaingeing when you stop growing so i hope they are not too bad by that time.
Yes, sergery is an option but there are high risks, and you may be too young. i personaly whouldent have it at all. also, im nto sure if this will help, but search for something to keep your eyes ‘healthy’. i know thats not realy to do with vision, but it CAN help with vision.
Oh yea, and goodluck
1. September 2010 at 11:45 am
Your vision usually stabilizes at about 18 years of age, at which time your visual acuity will stop changing. Once your vision has totally stabilized, you might consider Lasik surgery. If you have the surgery prior to total visual stabilization, you will only have repeat the surgery. Lasik surgery is considered cosmetic surgery, so it is not covered by insurance and can be quite expensive. There are also many risks inherent in this surgery. If you decide to have it done when you are older, be sure you do your home work. Check out all the possible permanent side effects, thoroughly check out the Lasik surgeon you choose and ensure that you are a good candidate for this type of surgery. Not everyone is, and this can lead to disastrous results.
There really are no proven natural/herbal remedies or exercises to improve vision. Do not put honey in your eyes, it could cause more harm then good. The honey along with exercises and special foods etc. are mostly myths and there is no Scientific proof that any of it works. You should speak to your ophthalmologist or optometrist about your vision concerns. I am sure he/she will answer all your questions, so you will not worry so much or try unproved and possibly dangerous remedies.
In order to maintain good eyesight, do not smoke and try to avoid second hand smoke, eat a healthy diet with lots of red, yellow and green vegetables and see an eye specialist every few years.