Save your vision

1. Word from the author

I confess that in the first health-improving groups, we practically did not pay attention to vision problems. I was more interested in restoring the joints, heart and spine, getting rid of renal and hepatic colic, normalizing blood pressure. As they say – who hurts.

However…

There is a version that whales die not from old age, but because of the fading of vision. And not just whales. Whether we like it or not, the quality of life is directly related to the condition of our eyes. It is not surprising that over the years, the true value of vision for all people increases rapidly. And that’s understandable. Like it or not, hearing and vision are the two most important channels for perceiving the world. Without them, no human development would be possible. And it’s not only development that matters here, I have already mentioned the quality of life, and it is sight and hearing that allow people to simply enjoy life. Hearing is music, voices, a sea of all sorts of harmonies. Thanks to vision, we enjoy natural landscapes, paintings by great artists, fall in love, study, acquire professions, escape from dangers.

Nevertheless, it should be recognized: for the most part, we do not protect our eyesight. Improper sleep, nutrition, hard work behind the screen – everything has its own detrimental effect. So our wellness group began to think more and more about issues that had not bothered us before. The number of “bespectacled” people increased, and my own one hundred percent vision, which seemed to me unchanged, eventually began to acquire positive diopters. And then, as if on purpose, fate began to bring me together with blind people. It so happened that as part of the creative groups of actors and writers, I was increasingly invited to boarding schools for the blind and libraries for the visually impaired. Then I had to get acquainted with books published in Braille, and at the same time experience for myself what it is like to live in eternal darkness, on test walks (and we were blindfolded with dark scarves), relying solely on hearing and a cane. It is not surprising that my book “The Tower”, dedicated to a blind girl, was soon born, and I am sincerely glad that the book won the sympathy of many readers.

One way or another, but the topic of vision has ceased to be extraneous for me. And it was then that our wellness group began testing the most popular treatment methods. Fortunately for us, there were not so few of them. In any case, pretty soon we realized that the eyes are the front on which you can win very real victories…

2. Glasses or lenses – which is better?

The question is not as simple as it might seem. In any case, many ask them.

Yes, glasses and lenses have certain advantages. Glasses are simple and familiar, in some cases they are solid and pretty, and the same lenses are completely invisible, do not deprive us of mobility, and are comfortable to wear.

But both have their obvious drawbacks.

For example, glasses brutally rub the bridge of the nose, leaving an ugly mark on the skin. And they also tend to fall, break, get lost at the most unfortunate moments. With lenses of all kinds of troubles – no less. They need to be stored in special containers, changed regularly, and the procedure for putting them on requires accuracy and special hygiene. But the most important thing is that in terms of therapeutic prospects, neither glasses nor lenses give practically anything.

Causing rapid addiction, in most cases, glasses contribute to the deterioration of vision. In the case of lenses, we have a similar situation, to which serious risks of infection of the eyes with certain infections are added. The constant need to remove and put on eye films does not have the best effect on the microflora of the eye. Infections and inflammations are becoming common, and people have to put additional medicines in their eyes. As a result, vision deteriorates even more rapidly than when wearing glasses.

Of course, a lot changes, and every year presents us with glasses and lenses of new generations. These innovations seriously help people, but at the same time they still do not solve the main problem – they DO NOT restore vision. In addition, it should be recognized that the price of high-quality glasses and lenses is quite high.

Probably, you can give up on everything – wait for the development of a cataract, and then fork out for a surgical operation, resorting to a surgical operation and putting bifocal or even trifocal lenses on yourself. It would seem that the problem is solved, however, even here nature cannot be bypassed along a curve. Why? Yes, because these high-tech lenses require reverent care. Like the old natural lenses, they can become cloudy over time and require regular cleaning.

Probably, in the coming decades, medical scientists will learn how to produce natural lenses, or even grow entirely donor eyes. But how soon will this happen? And will it be available to everyone? You and I live in today’s real conditions, and we don’t want to wait long. Therefore, we have to choose from what is available. And since people manage to revive blood vessels and capillaries on their own, heal joints, restore the functions of the kidneys, heart and liver, then we are also capable of a lot in helping our eyesight. This is what we will talk about in the following chapters, where I will share the experience of people, without operations and drugs, who have achieved impressive results in saving their eyesight.

3. Theory and history

The debate about when exactly the people of the Earth began to understand how the human eye works does not subside even today. According to the famous Svyatoslav Fedorov, a Russian ophthalmologist, he was amazed when he got acquainted with the medical instruments of the ancient Egyptians. Many of the tools looked exactly like today’s scalpels, probes, saws, hooks, tweezers, and clamps. Actually, in medieval Europe, thanks to researchers like Leonardo da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius, a lot was already known about the human body.

Of course, not everything went smoothly, and the science of ophthalmology, which studies the anatomy of the eyes, did not immediately become a science. Discoveries were made by trial and error. Let us recall the sad operation performed on the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. In those days, they already understood what a cataract was, and even with terrible methods, they tried to treat it. With a special needle, which was called an “ax”, the healers of that time made a puncture on the eyeball. After that, the clouded lens was simply pushed out of its natural place, hiding behind the iris. Of course, this could not be called a cure, but instead of a complete fog, the patient really began to see something. Unfortunately, very little was known about sepsis in those days, and only in the second half of the 18th century, after the discoveries of Pasteur, Esmarch and Koch, doctors began to disinfect clothes and premises, and sterilize surgical instruments. Well, the great composer was out of luck. Shortly after John Taylor’s operation, he died. Another well-known composer, Georg Friedrich Handel, was also unlucky. Trickster Taylor managed to work with him. Fortunately, Handel did not die, but after the operation he became completely blind.

By the way, Taylor himself, out of harm’s way, went to Russia, where he did exactly the same – deftly “cracked down” on cataracts, earning very good money. However, life roughly punished him: in old age, Taylor himself became blind.

Nevertheless, science did not stand still, Taylor’s baton was picked up by Jacques Devial, who was the first to learn not to displace the affected lens, but to remove it from the eye altogether. Instead of a puncture, he already made an incision, using more skillful tools. In any case, the number of unsuccessful operations dramatically decreased. By the way, today’s ophthalmologists also work according to the Devial method.

Another iconic name is Hermann von Helmholtz (1821—1894), a German physicist, doctor, physiologist and psychologist. In addition to multiple discoveries in the field of physics, this unique scientist studied the features of human hearing and vision. In 1850, he invented the ophthalmoscope, a device for studying the fundus of the eye, and in 1851, the ophthalmometer, a device for determining the radius of curvature of the cornea. He also figured out how to measure the curvature of the lens of the eye, one of the first formulated the theory of accommodation of the eye. It is difficult to list all the achievements of this man, and it is not surprising that many research institutions have been given his name.

For us, it is more important to understand that it was Helmholtz who described in detail the work of the eye lens, which is a biconvex lens, around which the circular ciliary muscle is located. If the ciliary muscle is relaxed, the lens is flat and far vision works. If a person wants to see something up close, he strains the ciliary muscle, and she, in turn, compresses the lens, making it convex. The resulting image enters the retina, and then in the form of a picture is sent to the brain. In other words, Helmholtz believed that it was the eye lens that controlled the focusing of images. He also proposed to compensate for the insufficient work of the lens with external lenses – a biconcave “minus” lens for myopic and a biconvex “plus” lens for farsightedness. This is how glasses entered our lives.

The American ophthalmologist Professor William Horatio Bates (1860—1931) significantly supplemented the development of Helmholtz. Unlike most doctors, he declared war on glasses, explaining that most people who wear glasses need glasses with stronger lenses every year. He also tried to prove that the main role in focusing visible images is played not by the lens, but by the eyeball itself. That is, the process of accommodation (focusing the eye on sharpness) is controlled by six oculomotor muscles. And it is the violation of the work of these muscles that entails visual impairment: myopia, hyperopia, strabismus and astigmatism. As the main argument, William Bates cited the fact that the glasses do not allow the eye muscles to work. Well, what doesn’t work quickly atrophies.

Accordingly, Bates proposed to abandon the issued glasses, replacing them with weaker ones. And most importantly, he suggested using special exercises to normalize the work of the oculomotor muscles. In addition to restoring vision, according to Bates, this also prevents such dangerous diseases as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal dystrophy, the cause of which should be considered congestion in the eyes. Thus, not only vision is corrected, but the youthfulness of the eyes is also prolonged.

Over time, Bates gained a considerable number of students and followers, although official ophthalmology is in no hurry to adopt his methods. One of the reasons for this attitude can be called the fact that medicine was initially turned into a service sector – and services are very well paid. Glasses, lenses, eye surgeries – all this has long become a significant segment of today’s market. The second reason is our laziness. In fact, it is much easier to surrender to the mercy of doctors than to make certain efforts to restore one’s own health. And here the choice is already exclusively individual: there is no desire to work on yourself, open your wallet wider. If there is an understanding of the problem and due determination, have a little patience – and go!

4. Where do we start?

In fact, where is the best place to start? Immediately roll your eyes and look at the candles? Don’t rush. If you want maximum results, start with more distant approaches. In a hurry, readers risk missing out on a considerable number of important points.

As mentioned above, vision really largely depends on the work of the eye muscles, but to the same extent, vision depends on the elasticity and purity of the lens, on the condition of the retina, on the health of our spine, on the general tone in which the brain resides. Often the cause of poor vision lies precisely in these factors, and if you have already decided to restore vision, it is worth looking at the problem from a broader angle.

For example, the displacement of the vertebrae in the cervical and thoracic regions can seriously disrupt the blood supply to the brain or cause infringement of the nerve trunk. The result can be anything – and pain in certain parts of the body, and drops in blood pressure, and impaired blood supply to the brain, and the same vision problems. In this case, the exercises generously offered on the Internet may turn out to be ineffective or not give any result at all. As a result, having experienced disappointment, a person stops trying to heal and again turns to the usual means, namely, glasses and lenses.

In addition, according to many ophthalmologists, the process of visual impairment is most often associated not with a single cause, but with a whole list of them. Don’t over-complicate the simple, but don’t over-simplify the complex. Therefore, if there are problems with vision and there is a determination to correct the situation, it is worth conducting a competent analysis of the current situation. Ideally, if advice is given to you by a practicing ophthalmologist (not a dealer in lenses and glasses, but a really experienced doctor). If you have not met such a specialist, start helping yourself – but carefully and from afar. I’m talking about general physical fitness, including walking, running, swimming, gymnastics, yoga, massage or self-massage, thermal treatments and so on. Often this alone gives a long-awaited result. In addition to general strengthening of the body and increasing immunity, you will improve your eyesight. Why? Yes, because eliminate the cause that influenced the deterioration of vision. In any case, such a measure will never be superfluous. And only then you can add those very special exercises, which we will discuss below.

Now I will briefly list the most simple and effective things with which it would be worth starting eye treatment.

1. Start by following your sleep. Is the amount of time you sleep enough to fully rest your eyes? If we are talking about a short sleep (at 4-5-6 hours), if you sleep in fits and starts during the daytime, you should think about how to ensure a proper sleep regimen. It is recommended to sleep 8—9 hours and in the dark. Many doctors advise using a tight bandage over the eyes, because even through closed eyelids, morning or daylight penetrates without any problems, awakening the eye apparatus. If there is no complete twilight, then the production of melatonin, the most important hormone responsible for dozens of physiological functions, decreases, such as the regulation of fat metabolism, normalization of pressure, counteracting stress, and so on. Melatonin has a significant effect on the quality of sleep. Therefore, if you sleep in the light (even if not the brightest), your sleep will be of poor quality, and your eyes (your brain, body and nervous system) will not fully rest.

2. Bring physical activity into your life. The advice is far from new, but still relevant. Even the modern generation, seemingly knowing everything and everything, often suffers from the same physical inactivity. Meanwhile, the truth is simple: our body, consisting of joints, bones, muscles and blood vessels, was created by nature by no means for sitting and lying down. No wonder they say that movement is life. By depriving yourself of mobility, you turn off one of the most important life functions. What does it threaten? Stagnation, multiple failures of certain organs, a decrease in immunity, the development of all kinds of diseases. One misfortune pulls another, and a person, without noticing it, brings himself to an invalid state. And if, being healthy, he did not move because of his laziness, then, having turned into a sick person, he really loses the ability to move. A textbook example is the Russian hero Ivan Poddubny. A man of unprecedented strength and excellent health, already at an advanced age fell and broke his leg. Immobilized, for almost a year, Poddubny did not leave the house, and this was enough to finish off the body of the famous wrestler, leading to death. So declare war on hypodynamia! Forbidding your body to walk, run, swim, sooner or later you will wait for the body to take revenge on you. It will, in fact, lose the habit of moving, the endocrine glands will stop producing dozens of the most important hormones, depression will become a common occurrence, and after it, along with other diseases, dementia will come. It is worth mentioning the extra pounds. In fact, if you like to eat tasty food, then the body just desperately needs movement. Calories eaten must be burned and spent. Therefore, alternate sleep, rest and pauses with mandatory activity. Walking through the streets and parks, skiing, swimming, jogging, outdoor sports – choose what you like more, and this is guaranteed to increase the vital resource of all your organs – including vision.

3. Massage and self-massage. About the benefits of massage, extra words, perhaps, are not needed. Massage of the cervical-collar zone corrects the vertebrae, eliminates pinched nerve endings, stimulates blood circulation, and therefore improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your eyes and the entire brain. Usually used manual massage, this is the simplest thing we can do. It should be understood that a sedentary lifestyle has become dominant in our everyday life. We sit at home, we sit at work, we sit in transport and everywhere! Do not believe me, sum up your time spent in armchairs, on chairs, on sofas and all kinds of benches. I think you will be horrified.

By the way, according to doctors, it is considered dangerous to health and life if a person spends more than 3 hours a day in a sitting position. This is especially fraught with disastrous consequences if there are no active pauses. Now think about the regime that our children have to endure in schools! I’m not talking about office workers! Modern research has shown that more than 60% of people in the world spend approximately 4 to 8 hours a day in a sitting position. Moreover, it is in this position that people usually work with their eyes – they write, read, watch TV or on the screens of computers, tablets, phones. Usually the spine at this time is in an unnatural position. The neck is bent, the back is crooked, the muscles are overloaded. Does it affect the state of our vision? DEFINITELY AFFECTS! And here, in addition to the movement, which I mentioned above, massage or self-massage can provide significant assistance. It is not necessary to massage the entire body, it is enough to treat the cervical-collar zone. How this is done, it is better to learn from specialists, watch a video demonstrating the work of professionals. They will also suggest the simplest and most effective methods of self-massage (pinching, rubbing, pressing). Ideally, if you have a skilled massage specialist at hand. If there is none, you can resort to self-massage. This procedure is simple, and the benefits will be obvious. Breaking away from working with documents, watching TV or a tablet, in 5—10 minutes you are able to restore cervical blood flow, straighten the spinal column. Even short pauses dedicated to the massage of the neck and the base of the neck will give your head and your eyesight an opportunity to recover.

4. It is very useful to add a series of special exercises to the massage. I won’t talk about the classic forward and side bends, about the rotation of the body for a long time. Do not neglect these simple, but extremely useful exercises. You can do them in the morning, during breaks at work or not very late in the evening. Over time, bring the number of tilts (or rotations) up to 40—50 times, and the effect will be great! But here I am going to describe the exercises that affect only the cervical region: