Eye Yoga: Can eye exercises really prevent or delay the need for glasses?

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Contents

Step by step Why do we need glasses?Recommendations to consider

A woman wearing glasses in the foreground — Some people believe that certain exercises can free us from wearing glasses, but experts are skeptical.

Paul McCartney recently told the newspaper era Practice eye yoga to avoid people who wear glasses.

The former Beatle revealed in an interview that he learned about eye exercises in India a few years ago and has been practicing them ever since.

The singer believes that by exercising the eye muscles, he can reduce the need to wear glasses. McCartney demonstrated some of these techniques on YouTube.

So what is eye yoga? Is it really possible to exercise your eyes without wearing glasses?

Paul McCartney wore sunglasses to the event — Singer Paul McCartney claims that practicing eye yoga has helped him avoid wearing glasses.

Step by step

Different types of eye yoga have been practiced for thousands of years. One example is Trak Kriya, originally from India, a form of yoga that is believed to aid in the development of higher states of consciousness and spiritual awakening.

The Sanskrit word “tratak” means “to gaze” This involves staring at an object, such as a candle flame, without blinking until tears come to your eyes..

More recently, in the late 19th century, Dr. William Bates, a New York ophthalmologist, published Bates’s Method for Improving Vision Without Glasses, in which he argued that eye exercises could avoid the need for glasses.

Doctors believe any eyeglass correction can be overcome with exercise Involves eye movements and visualization techniques such as looking at an eye chart, focusing on the outline of a letter, blinking frequently, visualizing the letter with your eyes closed and imagining it to be darker and clearer.

A tear fell from the woman's eye — So-called eye yoga involves exercises such as trying to look at an object closely for a long time without blinking until you cry.

A website dedicated to Bates’ eye exercises still promotes his work.

However, Bates’ theory is premised on the fact that the eye changes shape during movement and focusing. It is physiologically wrong.

A 2018 study in the International Yoga Journal compared visual acuity (the smallest print you can see) and refractive error (the prescription for your glasses) in groups who practiced the Bates exercise, or “trakat,” for eight weeks.

The conclusion of the study is None of the exercises had any effect on refractive error or visual acuity.

The Bates method has been rejected by ophthalmologists not only because of a lack of evidence, but also because it may be harmful and promote “solarization” (staring at the sun), which is dangerous and overexposes the retina to the sun.

To understand why eye yoga or Bates theory exercises cannot correct vision, it helps to understand the eyes and vision. How we see.

A woman squinting her eyes — In the 19th century, some doctors even recommended exercises such as cross-eyed exercises to strengthen the eyes.

Why do we need glasses?

When the light rays are not focused on the retina, glasses are needed. When the focus is in front of the retina, it is nearsightedness or myopia. When the focus is behind the retina, it is farsightedness.

Astigmatism occurs when the curvature The front surface of the eye looks more like a rugby ball than a spherewhich results in blur at all distances.

yes Presbyopia is a normal aging process The lens of the eye becomes more rigid and less able to focus on close objects, which is why most people need reading glasses in middle age.

Part of the focusing of the eye is achieved through the cornea (the front surface of the eye). But the sensitive focusing structure is the lens, which becomes more bulbous or convex when focusing on close objects and becomes flatter when focusing on more distant objects.

The size of the pupil and the convexity of the lens are controlled by the ciliary muscles and ligaments inside the eye. In contrast, the muscles involved in eye movement are located on the outside of the eye (extraocular muscles).

While the inner and outer eye muscles work together to some extent (reading involves convergence and focusing), moving the eyes to different gaze positions does not affect the shape or size of the eyes or their focus. There is no point in using eye exercises to change the mechanism of refraction.

A man is examined by an ophthalmologist — Regular visits to your eye doctor are essential to ensure good eye health.

However, orthoptists (specialists who diagnose and treat defects in eye movement and problems with overall eye function) often prescribe specific exercises for certain conditions.

One example is “convergence insufficiency,” where people experience double vision at close range because of difficulty moving their eyes inward. It may be helpful to practice gentle toe adduction with a pencil, in which the eyes follow the pencil as it slowly moves toward the nose..

When adults who are too young to wear reading glasses have trouble focusing at close range, they may be able to improve this problem by focusing on small letters or words and slowly moving them toward their nose.

It is also normal for adults to find searching increasingly difficult as they age.

When we were children, we often looked up to meet the gaze of the adults around us. But eye muscles get tired if you don’t exercise them, so unless you have a job or hobby that requires it, Like billiardsAs you age, holding your head up may become uncomfortable.

However, while these exercises can help improve some aspects of vision, there is a lack of evidence to support that exercises can significantly slow the onset of presbyopia.

A man playing billiards — Hobbies such as billiards help strengthen the muscles that allow you to look upward.

Recommendations to consider

It’s understandable that people want to take care of and improve their eyes and vision. Eye yoga won’t hurt your eyes as long as you only do it for a few minutes Then look off into the distance to relax your muscles. But other lifestyle changes can help us do even more.

Regular appointments with an optometrist (usually annually for children and every two years for adults) to check eyeglass prescriptions, eye pressure, and retinal and eye health ensure that early signs of diseases such as glaucoma can be detected and treated.

Taking regular breaks from screen time can help reduce dry eyes.

It is recommended to follow the 20:20:20 rule: Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and look 20 feet (6 meters) away.

Being outdoors is good for your eyes, and children who spend time outdoors are less likely to develop myopia.

A man resting his eyes in front of a computer — Experts say taking regular breaks from working the computer and getting outside can help keep your eyes healthy.

There is some evidence that a Mediterranean diet and green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach can help protect against macular degeneration.

A diet rich in omega 3 can help relieve dry eyes.

sleep well It is also recommended to wear good quality sunglasses when exposed to the sun.

If you suffer from dry eyes or use screens for long periods of time, Massaging the Meibomian glands can help avoid discomfort.

A simple way to do this is to apply a warm compress to your eyelids, then gently massage downwards to draw the oil produced by the eyelids to the surface of the eye, making the eyes more comfortable.

It’s also good to read in good light and, if possible, read large amounts of text on a computer rather than a phone.

Eye yoga will not change or eliminate the need to wear glasses, but there are other ways to care for your eyes and vision.

*Charlotte Codina is an orthotist with extensive experience in several hospitals across the UK and a professor at the University of Sheffield.

*This article was originally published on The Conversation and is reproduced here under a Creative Commons license. here If you want to read the original.