Health & Fitness

The way our vision works is light enters the eye and it refracts on the retina. The light should refract (spread apart) evenly on the retina to allow the focus point of an object to be right by the cornea and lens of the eye. In a normal eyeball, the curvature of the cornea is the same length of the eye. However, people who have eye conditions, such as myopia or hyperopia will have trouble focusing on the objects they are looking at because of abnormal cornea curvature.

Nearsightedness is called myopia. This condition occurs when the curvature of the cornea is elongated and protrudes outward more than normal. Instead of the light refracting directly on the retina, it refracts in front of it. This causes the eyes to try and focus far away objects before the light actually reaches the retina. This is why people with myopia will see objects at far distances in a blur.

Farsightedness is called hyperopia. This condition occurs when the cornea is not curved enough, and the front of the eyeball is somewhat flatter than normal. When the light enters the eyes, it does not refract until after it passes through the retina. This causes the focus point to be behind the retina, and therefore close up objects will be blurry.

Statistics and Treatments
Nearsightedness is far more common than farsightedness. People who have either one of these conditions can also have astigmatisms as well. Presbyopia can also be mistaken for hyperopia. The most common treatments are corrective lenses, such as contacts or eyeglasses. Some people undergo eye surgeries, such as Lasik or photo-refractive keratectomy. Other alternatives are eye exercises, organized nutritional plans, or corneal rings.

There are several conditions which can cause blurred vision to occur. Most of the time there is a disturbance which interrupts the light pathway on its way to the retina. The optic nerves send image messages to our brains, and some conditions may interfere with this communication and can lead to blurry vision as well. When your vision is blurry or you are seeing abnormal spots everywhere you look, it is important to have a thorough eye exam to properly be diagnosed. Some causes may be very minor and can be treated easily and quickly before the problem gets out of hand.

If you let serious eye problems go on without proper diagnosis and treatment, they can become much worse over time and even lead to partial or complete blindness. Some of the eye conditions which may cause blurred vision can also have other symptoms to help them become more distinguishable. Refractive error conditions include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. For people with astigmatism and myopia, objects close up may appear clear, but far away objects will be blurry. The opposite is so for people who experience hyperopia.

One of the symptoms for presbyopia is blurred vision for near objects. This is a condition experienced mostly by people over 40, and it happens when the eye lens becomes less flexible. Cataracts mostly occur for older people as well, usually those over 50. A cataract is when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. The cloudiness blocks some of the light that must pass through to the retina, and this leads to blurry or distorted vision. Usually, patients will experience this in both eyes, and rarely only one.

Disease and Blurred Vision
Some eye conditions can be side effects of other diseases. For example, diabetic patients can experience diabetic macular oedema. The macula is part of the retina, and its job is to maintain our central vision capacity. This is the part of the vision you use to read, for example. Oedema means swelling, and therefore, macula oedema is the swelling of this part of the retina. Central serous chorioretinopathy is another eye condition where blurred vision is experienced. This condition also involves a swelling of the retina, but the swelling forms a dome shape. This is usually due to fluid leakage from under the retina.

Those who believe eyesight problems are caused by eyestrain and improper use of the eye muscles also believe that eyeglasses or contact lenses provide a crutch. They may help alleviate the vision problem, but they do not do anything to attack the cause of it and ultimately cure it. It is also suggested further by some, that correctional lenses may actually encourage a weakening of the eye muscles and make vision problems worse. When the eyes become dependent on eyeglasses, some of the eye muscles are no longer required to work on their own.

It is theorized that when the eye muscles are no longer attempting to contribute to the vision process or the communication between the brain and the eyes, they become very weak. Natural vision improvement methodologies promote a rejuvenation of these weakened eye muscles. Dr. William Bates is considered the pioneer behind these philosophies, as he was the first to publish the results of a long series of experiments to try and prove his theories on natural vision correction.

Dr. Bates and other ophthalmologists and optometrists who believe in similar theories suggest that the need for eyeglasses can be reduced and even eliminated with continuous eye muscle training. Our ability to see actually stems from the brain, and the back of the eye actually is connected to brain tissue. Mental strain can cause poor functioning skills of the eye muscles. If good habits are taught to the muscles through practice, it is believed vision can be improved.

Do Not Throw Away Your Glasses
It is not recommended to just toss your eyeglasses aside. Vision improvement does not happen overnight. Some programs suggest that as you notice slight improvements, you should get your prescriptions weakened so as not to lead to more damage. It is also recommended to keep your strong glasses for driving until you are completely comfortable with the weaker lenses.

Millions of people across the world experience vision problems, and are prescribed correctional lenses suitable to them. Some people have no problem wearing glasses or contacts, and have perhaps been wearing them all their lives. Others cannot wear contacts at all, and may dislike wearing glasses. What are the alternatives for these people? Most likely, an ophthalmologist would recommend Lasik or refractive surgery for the proper candidates.

There are actually a variety of eye surgeries that can improve vision and eliminate the need for correctional lenses. However, not everyone is a prime candidate for surgery. Also, surgery can be very expensive and may not be covered by eye health insurance. Also, not all surgeries are successful, they can have serious side effects and lead to discomfort, and some have very high risks involved.

Another alternative to glasses or contacts are vision therapy programs offered by ophthalmologists. These type of programs are most commonly available to young people or kids, but they can also be attended by adults. They involve the doctor using different techniques, tools and exercises to encouraged improved eyesight. Vision therapy, however, focuses mostly on behavioral studies of developing eyes, such as for children. This may not be a probable solution for everyone.

Home Eye Therapy as an Alternative
Another option is for patients to try the eye exercises suggested by holistic methodologists of vision improvement. These type of programs encourage the strengthening of eye muscles by simply doing a few short eye movement exercises a day. There are also relaxation techniques and vision training skills taught through these programs in order to reverse vision problems. Some of them are based on the Bates Method, which was developed in the early 1900s.

The causes of eye muscle pain are endless. There are numerous eye conditions and diseases which can lead to pain for the eye muscles. Any time the vision is impaired, due to an interruption of the light pathway as it tries to find its way into the retina, the eyes may try to compensate. This leads to eyestrain. Basically, the muscles are working overtime to reach the goal of clear sight. When people have trouble seeing, they may squint their eyes, for example.

Some serious eye diseases lead to extreme eye pain, and these conditions may require surgery and medication. Minor cases of eye muscular pain caused by refractive error can be relieved with the help of prescription correctional lenses, such as eye glasses or contacts. Some people with refractive errors, such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or presbyopia, may choose to have Lasik or refractive surgeries.

Some theorists believe that the muscles in the eyes are just like the muscles in the rest of the body, in that they need to be worked out on a regular basis to stay strong. These theories suggest eye exercises to help strengthen the eye muscles. Some eye conditions, such as the refractive errors listed above, may cause only some of the eye muscles to be used on a regular basis, while others are not used and become weaker.

Working out the Pain
Eye exercises may help train the muscles to work more naturally to prevent eyestrain which leads to eye muscle pain. Nearsighted people may experience pain in the eye muscles while trying to focus on faraway objects. The pain may go away when they put on their glasses, however, eye exercises may help reduce the need for glasses or eliminate it altogether.