A critical aspect of health care that does not get as much attention as other major areas such as heart health and diabetes control is vision care in America. Vision conditions in America are increasing significantly, therefore, requiring the use of glasses for vision correction. As a matter of fact, according to the Vision Council of America, more than half of all American adults, estimated at about 64% of people, wear eye glasses. It is no surprise that eye glasses are the most common form of vision correction for most adults. This is not only due to the fact that they provide clear instant vision once you put them on, but they may also enhance your physical appearance by making you look smarter. However, while traditional eye glasses correct vision problems instantly, the problem with this particular method of vision correction is the fact that it is only a temporary fix.
This is due to the fact that the underlying cause of your vision conditions; mental stress and eye strain, are never directly addressed. As a result, while your eyesight with glasses is clear, your natural eyesight without glasses remains imperfect, blurry and unclear. If glasses corrected the root causes of bad eyesight, there would come a time when your natural eyesight would become so clear that you would eventually be able to wean yourself off of them and develop the ability to see clearly with your natural eyes.
When you put your glasses on what happens is the fact that the glasses do all of the focusing for you, thereby creating a relationship of dependency that leads to weaker eyes and stronger prescriptions. According to the American Vision Institute, when glasses are used for reading, it brings the reading material into closer focus, thereby creating near point stress on the eyes which is a primary cause of Myopia. This in turn leads to stronger lenses, which in turn intensifies near point stress. Therefore, glasses only correct the symptoms (blurry vision), but make the underlying cause (near point stress worse).
An experiment conducted by Dr. Earl Smith of the University Of Houston College Of Optometry proves this point. Monkeys were chosen for this scientific study and were fitted with glasses used to treat their Myopia. The experiment discovered that the monkeys eye’s adapted to the lenses and their Myopia worsened.
What was rather significant and concerning about this scientific research study is the fact that it provided reliable evidence that glasses actually worsen Myopia. What is also interesting regarding the validation of this study, is the fact that monkeys and humans have very similar visual systems that function in an identical way.
Considering the fact that near point stress, mental stress and eye strain are primary causes of eyesight problems, the solution lies in the practice of eye relaxation techniques that relax the eye muscles and relieve eye strain. The eyes like any other part of the body, requires exercise in order to be strengthened so that they function in a healthy way.
Some people may ask the question what if I have high Myopia? what do I do to see clearly in the meantime, until my vision improves sufficiently to see clearly and go about my daily activities?
Well, glasses, specifically, weaker prescription lenses, should be used, but only when absolutely necessary in cases such as driving and other activities to ensure safety. But they should be used as little as possible. For example, if you don’t need them for an activity take them off. Consequently, as a remedy, eye exercises should be done consistently, in conjunction with relaxation eye techniques, designed to wean yourself off of them.
Many cite claims that genetics is the main cause of eyesight problems; however, this is not true for most cases of nearsightedness. For example, the National Eye Institute identifies near point stress associated with excessive close up work like reading as the main cause of Myopia and not necessarily genetics. As a matter of fact, statistics indicate that less than 2 percent of the population is born with deformed eyes. Eye exercises can in most cases reduce, and even in some cases, eliminate Myopia.
Here is a quote from the National Eye Institute concerning the positive effects of vision training otherwise known as eye exercises: “Many patients are convinced that their myopic progression was slowed or reversed by various forms of vision training. ” (Eye exercises).
Near point stress and mental stress are the primary causes of eyesight problems. While eye glasses help us to see instantly, they only correct the symptoms (blurry eyesight), while worsening the underlying cause of vision conditions (near point stress). Conclusively, due to the fact that vision conditions are not necessarily inherited, such eye problems can be corrected by the diligent and consistent practice of easy to perform eye relaxation techniques that release stress and tension in the eyes. Additionally, eye exercises increase the focusing power of the eyes, leading to natural vision correction.