Getting to the heart of the matter in the wellness world can be a tricky endeavor. It’s like digging into a mixed bag of information, where solid data, ongoing research, and false claims are all jumbled together. When it comes to vision health, the mixed bag is particularly pronounced. You’ll find claims about naturally fixing your eyesight alongside true methods for improving eye health and even vision perception. One social media post caught a lot of attention by suggesting that your optometrist might be tricking you and that you can improve your vision without glasses, contacts, or laser eye surgery. Other theories propose that wearing a weaker prescription can train your eyes and enhance your vision.
Unfortunately, there is no natural cure for nearsightedness or farsightedness. However, there are elements of truth to the claims that you can improve your vision naturally. For instance, stress can increase the risk of certain health conditions that affect your eyes, such as heart disease and diabetes. A nutritious diet and regular exercise can also benefit your vision, just as they benefit your overall health. Additionally, certain eye exercises may be beneficial for some individuals, along with variations of the “20-20-20” rule to follow when staring at screens for extended periods.
Moreover, it is vital to remember that children, whose eyes are still developing, have a substantial opportunity to reduce the risk and severity of nearsightedness (myopia), which has become an epidemic and continues to grow.
So, can you fix your vision without glasses? According to Dr. Natasha Herz, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, it is not possible to heal or fix a nearsighted or farsighted eye. These conditions are caused by imperfections in the ocular anatomy that prevent the image from being focused perfectly on the retina. No medication or eye exercises can heal these imperfections. Essentially, nearsightedness and farsightedness are related to the shape and length of the eyeball, which cannot be naturally healed.
Macular degeneration, the leading cause of age-related vision problems and central vision loss, also has no cure. Treatment options currently available aim to slow down its progression, and certain supplements may help prevent it. It is essential to consult with a doctor instead of purchasing medications or supplements that promise to restore vision.
Now let’s delve into myopia control. The World Health Organization considers myopia, or difficulty seeing things clearly when they are far away, a public health issue. Research suggests that approximately half the world’s population will be nearsighted by 2050. While genetics play a role, the excessive amount of time spent looking at close-up objects, such as screens, may be a contributing factor.
For children, spending more time outside instead of indoors has been shown to reduce the degree of myopia or even prevent it. Whether this is solely due to having to focus on distant objects outdoors or if sunlight also plays a role in vision development remains unclear. Tech companies are aware of this issue, with Apple introducing features on their devices that remind users to maintain a certain distance from their faces.
In addition to increasing outdoor time, there are medical interventions known as myopia control that parents can explore to manage their children’s nearsightedness and reduce its progression. These treatments may involve special eye drops or contacts that subtly reshape the eye’s curve.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many options available once the eyes have finished developing. Although drops and contacts for myopia can sometimes be prescribed off-label for adults, they have not been proven effective for controlling or reducing myopia progression in adults. However, Tawna Roberts, an optometrist and professor at Stanford University’s Byers Eye Institute, suggests that as research progresses, lifestyle recommendations may be adjusted for adults in the future.
For most people, nearsightedness tends to stabilize in the early 20s, and the benefits of spending time outdoors versus engaging in close-up work diminish. However, further research is necessary to fully understand the progression and management of nearsightedness. As Tawna Roberts puts it, the absence of evidence does not mean evidence of absence.
What about age-related farsightedness? Is wearing reading glasses inevitable? As we age, the natural stiffening of the eye’s lens makes it more challenging to see up close, resulting in the need for reading glasses. Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology at Stanford’s Byers Eye Institute, discussed the use of reading glasses in an episode of Andrew Huberman’s podcast Huberman Lab. While it is uncertain whether wearing reading glasses accelerates dependence on them, there is no reason not to use them if you struggle to see. The goal is to provide the brain and retina with the sharpest visual signals possible.
Some eye exercises may help improve focus during near work in the early stages of age-related blurry vision. However, it is crucial to undergo a complete eye exam with a doctor to determine the cause of visual problems and assess overall eye health. While some individuals may benefit from vision therapy recommended by their eye doctors for certain eye muscle control issues, there is little evidence supporting the effectiveness of at-home exercises for most people. It is important not to rely solely on eye exercises and neglect proper eye examinations or potential eye health problems.
If you do choose to try focus exercises at home, don’t expect them to eliminate the need for reading glasses entirely. Eventually, you will likely need reading glasses, as it is a natural part of the aging process. However, there are special eye drops, called Vuity, approved by the FDA in 2021, which can temporarily act as reading glasses and aid in near vision.
Lastly, individuals who engage in a lot of near work, such as studying, writing, drawing, or screen use, may experience vision symptoms and seek “eye hacks.” This group is more susceptible to experiencing difficulties with eye teaming, a vision skill essential for focusing up close. Symptoms associated with focusing and muscle teaming anomalies include blurred vision, headaches, ocular discomfort, ocular or systemic fatigue, diplopia, motion sickness, and loss of concentration during tasks. Eye health experts recommend taking breaks from screens to allow your eyes to blink (as blinking reduces significantly when using digital devices) and lubricate your eyes. It’s also important to… (Retained from original content)
