Optician

More Tips to Improve Eyesight

Reduce the Wearing of Glasses

Most, if not all, natural vision improvement products will tell you to wear glasses as little as possible, or event to not wear glasses entirely. The reason for this is that glasses provide a temporary fix and do not improve your eyesight over the long term. Glasses will make your eyesight worse over time, which is why many people need stronger prescriptions each time they visit their optician.

Get Some Bilberry Extract

Bilberry is one of the best things you can take to improve your eyesight naturally, and you should start noticing results in under a month. The best type of bilberry to get is the standardized extract, ideally at 160mg. Although anything over 100mg should be good.

Avoid Sugary Foods

Sugar is bad news for the eyes – the more sugar you eat, the worse your eyesight will become. Sugar can come in the form of natural and artificial sugar.

Distance Focus Exercises

Since most people are short sighted (can see objects better when they are closer) one of the best exercises you can do to improve your eyesight is to refocus the eye by looking at near and far objects. You can do this using the finger method described in tip number 2 of our first tips article.

Use an Eye Exercise Program

Download an eye exercise program, or get any bates method book from Amazon and do the exercises daily. Go through each level in the program slowly, and only move up to a higher level when you find the exercises easy to do. This will give you a regimen to strengthen the eye muscles in your eyes.

Refocus Constantly

Whilst you should set aside some time to do eye exercises daily, it is a good idea to refocus your eyes throughout the day by making an effort to look at objects which are in the distance. Most of the time you are looking at objects which are very close to you. So take advantage of the times when you can look at things which are further away. At the same time avoid staring for long periods at computer or TV screens. If you have to look at a computer or TV for long periods, try to occasionally look at something in the distance.

Improve Your Hand To Eye Coordination

Exercise is great for general health, but for eyesight try sports that improve this. Martial arts are great, badminton is also excellent. Play games that work on this too. It is another great excuse to have fun!

Twitching eyelids

One of the most irritating things to suffer from is a twitching eyelid. They can persist for months for some people, and becomes annoying and can even make a person self conscious. For some people it is intermittent, or it may affect them only once.

What is an aye twitch and why does it happen?

An eyelid twitch is an involuntary spasm of one of the small muslces. There can be many causes of this, becuse of tiredness, too much caffeine, or stress. Some nutritional deficiency such as calcium and magnesium can also be a factor. There has also been some evidence to it being a genetic trait, so you may be more susceptible if your parents or grandparents regularly suffered from it.

Is it serious

In most cases the twitch is not serious and can be simply alleviated by small changes to the diet, reducing stress, more rest, relaxation, sleep, or reducing caffeine.

If there is a more pronounced degree of twitch, such as the eyelid becoming forced to close entirely or the symptoms last for more than a few days, the cause may relate to an irritation to the cornea or conjunctiva. If this is the case a visit to your optician or doctor may be advisable to determine if this is the case and further treatment or investigation may be needed.

If you believe stress is the cause for the twitching, it is vital that you assess your stress level and try and find ways of either reducing the stress you are exposed to or finding better ways of managing the stress you do receive as eyelid twitching is only a minor side-effect of stress and the other possible reactions going on in your body may be a lot more serious including high blood pressure, altered mental state and an increased risk of damage to your heart.

In most cases, the twitching can be relieved by simply allowing yourself more time to rest and unwind. Try getting a few more hours sleep or changing your routine so that your can get a little more sleep each night.

In many cases sleep is enough but if the twitching continues it could be that you are drinking too much tea or coffee as caffeine has also been identified as a risk. Switch to decaffeinated products or even better, exchange the tea or coffee for herbal teas or drinks that induce sleep and benefit in both ways.

Your computer monitor and your eyesight

With rising numbers of people using computers a definite increase in the numbers of people with tired eyes and eyestrain has occurred. There is no scientific link between using computers and permanent eye damage, however you do not need a scientist to prove the fact that using a monitor for any great length of time results in tired, red, and sometimes dry eyes.

There is also something called Computer vision syndrome, which is a common eye condition amongst computer screen users. Symptoms can range from tired eyes to blurred vision. If you do experience any of the following symptoms you could have computer vision syndrome. If you find it difficult to focus on distant objects after using a computer, you have headaches, eyestrain or dry eyes you need to take extra care when using a monitor to avoid getting computer vision syndrome. It is also best to visit your optician for an eye test to rule out anything more serious.

Here are some tips to help with tired eyes:

  • Take breaks. Focusing on the screen for long periods can lead to computer vision syndrome so it is important to take regular breaks. You should rest your eyes every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen. You can also use the 10-10-10 rule, every ten minutes focus on something at least 10 feet away for at least 10 seconds.
  • Adjust your monitor settings and position. You should adjust your computer so that the monitor settings are comfortable for you. The brightness and contrast can be adjusted so that you are not straining your eyes. Try using a larger font size or using the zoom option on the page layout to make it easier on your eyes. The screen should also be kept clean using special wipes. Your health and safety manager at work will be able to help you ensure the screen is positioned correctly. The screen should be at least at arms lenght away from you, and also new research has discovered that the verticle centre of the monitor should be at eye level.
  • Check the lighting around the computer. There should not be any bright sunlight reflecting onto your screen. Using an anti-glare screen which is fixed onto your monitor is a good idea to reduce any glare and will block any reflections.
  • Blink frequently. Remember to blink at regular intervals. When you are concentrating for a long time at a computer your blink rate slows down. Some people also find that they get dry eyes when using computers. This is one of the symptoms of computer vision syndrome but it can be relieved by using eye drops. Ask your optician for advice if you get dry eyes. Those who wear contact lenses may be more prone to dry eye.
  • Have regular eye tests. Experts recommend that adults should have an eye test at least every two years. An eye test will check your eyesight and will also look for signs of eye disease. Other health problems may also be detected during an eye test.

If you use computers for work you may be entitled to a free eye test, paid for by your employer. Under European legislation employees who use VDUs are entitled to an eye test when they begin using VDUs and at regular intervals throughout their employment. If you experience eye problems which may be a result of using VDUs then you will be entitled to a free eye test. If you then need to wear glasses your employer must pay for a basic pair of glasses or you can pay the difference for a pair of your choice.