Vision Problems

THE THREE COMMON vision problems I’m asked about are cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. These are covered individually on pages 70, 158, 236 respectively. There are also three other conditions-presbyopia, night blindness, and spots or floaters-that are so common that sooner or later most of us have to deal with one or more.

PRESBYOPIA

Presbyopia is the change in the flexibility of the eye that comes with age. When we’re young, the lens can readily focus on things that are far away and then quickly assume a more rounded shape to focus on things up close. As we age, the muscles that pull the lens still work fine but the lens itself, like much of the rest of our bodies, is less flexible. To compensate for this, we wind up holding reading materials or close work farther and farther away in order to see clearly. When your arm is no longer long enough to enable you to read, it’s time to get some reading glasses.

Are glasses inevitable? There are people who never need to get reading glasses, but they’re in the minority. Most people begin to notice the effects of presbyopia in their forties. That’s why ophthalmologists recommend that you get a complete eye exam in your early forties if you haven’t yet had one.

Most people believe that the degeneration of their eyes is a genetic inheritance. To some degree this is true, but there is also an important nutritional component. Poor nutrition will accelerate the deterioration of your eyes. Once you’ve developed presbyopia, you can’t reverse it with improved nutrition, but it’s possible that you can slow down its progress.

The vitamins and minerals that are most closely associated with proper functioning of the eye are vitamins A and zinc. In some parts of the world, vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness, particularly in children. A deficiency of vitamin A can increase night blindness (see below), a common problem as we age, as well as accelerate the deterioration of the lens.

Vitamin E is also required for proper eye functioning. It works with vitamin A, and a deficiency seems to accelerate the damage if vitamin A is lacking.

Studies have also shown that the B complex vitamins are important for their effect on the health of the optic nerve.

A note on buying reading glasses: The American Academy of Ophthalmology has recently reported that buying the glasses you see in drugstores is acceptable. They are cheap ($10 to $15 versus $100 to $200 for prescription glasses), safe, and effective. There’s a chart mounted on the display case that will help you select the right power. Just be sure that you’ve had a professional eye examination before you buy them to rule out any problem that over-the-counter reading glasses can’t correct. For example, if the vision in one eye differs from that of the other, which is common, these glasses won’t help you.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR PRESBYOPIA

TO SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF PRESBYOPIA, TAKE THE FOLLOWING IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY BASIC VITAMIN MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS:

• Vitamin A: 10,000 I.U. daily.
• Zinc: 50 mg. daily.
• Vitamin:E: 400 I.U. daily.

IN ADDITION: In the early 1900s, ophthalmologist William Bates developed a method for improving vision that eschewed the use of glasses. In his book, Better Eyesight Without Glasses, he described his techniques, and for a while his methods were extremely popular. They have since fallen into disuse, primarily because there are so few trained technicians to work with people on the techniques. I mention them here, as they have been shown to help many people improve their vision to the point where glasses are unnecessary.

Bates believed that nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are the result of tension unconsciously placed on the muscles controlling the eye. To be effective, sight, like the other senses, must be used passively: Straining to see distorts the lens and thus creates vision problems. To correct this unconscious strain, you must learn to totally relax your eyes and allow yourself to see without strain. Bates created exercises that included palming the eyes to totally exclude light, then exposing the eyes to bright, comfortable light-body movements that promote relaxation and memory and imagination. For more information on this you can write to Eyesight Training, 123 Lake Street South, Suite #106, Kirkland, WA 98033.

NIGHT BLINDNESS

Night blindness is an inability to see in dim light even though your vision is normal in bright light or daylight. Most commonly, night blindness is a specific symptom of a vitamin A deficiency, which can usually be corrected by supplementation.

If you’ve experienced night blindness and you’re over forty, or even in your late thirties, you should have your eyes examined to be sure that you aren’t in the beginning stages of glaucoma.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR NIGHT BLINDNESS

• Have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist to be sure that you aren’t developing glaucoma.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• Vitamin A: 10,000 I.U. daily. In addition, eat foods rich in vitamin A, including carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, egg yolk. chicken, fish, and dark vegetables like broccoli.

FLOATERS AND FLASHERS

Floaters and flashers are tiny dark specks or spots that appear before your eyes. Like presbyopia, they usually occur when you’re at least forty. Also like presbyopia, they signify the aging of the eye: The spots are caused when the fluid that fills the inside of the eyeball begins to thin out. As the fluid thins, it can trap bits of protein between the thinner and thicker fluid, causing the shadows on the retina that create spots before your eyes.

Spots, floaters, and flashers are not dangerous and they shouldn’t concern you unless you suddenly see many of them or they suddenly increase in size. If they persist, you are being warned of a potentially serious problem such as retinal detachment and you should consult with an eye doctor immediately.