Exercises To Improve Eyesight

Over the years visual acuity is lost. Glasses, contact lenses, or surgery are the only remedies for problems such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia (or “eyestrain,” which affects near vision), but some simple steps can be taken and natural to improve perception and prevent worsening.

Factors such as tiredness, bad habits, nutritional deficiencies, and even mood can influence the quality of vision.

You can train the brain to see better

A recent study by psychiatrists and psychologists at the University of Helsinki have been able to show in a study published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience that people with depression can see worse.

The explanation is that not only the eyes matter, because the brain has to process the information. According to the Finnish study, depressed patients appreciate less detail in what they see.

Brain involvement allows visual gymnastics like the one developed by ophthalmologist Rui Hiramatsu to improve acuity. Hiramatsu is the author of the book Improve your eyesight in 3 minutes.

Hiramatsu exercises consist of finding pairs of equal patterns (called Gabor patches) for 3-10 minutes each day. These patches contain fuzzy lines that force the brain to clear them. Daily practice involves a brain stimulus that has been shown to be effective in studies conducted at the University of California and the University of Kansas.

Hiramatsu explains that human vision works like a digital camera: on the one hand there is the lens (the eyes) and on the other the software (the brain) in charge of processing the light that reaches the sensor. The result is the image as we see it.

In this process of creating the image, the brain acts as those artificial intelligences that enhance the image obtained by the lens of the mobile phone: if it is blurred , it can add information by interpreting the image. What the Hiramatsu exercises with the Gabor patches do is train this ability of the brain.

If you suffer from any vision problems, the eyes capture blurry images that the brain rebuilds to make them as clear as possible.

Visual exercises are generally beneficial for the brain

Visual acuity exercises also have positive side effects, as they serve as a mental gymnastics that prevents the onset of dementia, strengthens memory and the ability to concentrate.

In addition to the Gabor patches, Hiratsu proposes another exercise to improve visual acuity: take a single-sided printout and try to read what it says by candling the blank side. You can practice three minutes once a day.

2 exercises to do with the eyes and improve vision

Eye exercises are recommended preventive and to treat problems such as visual fatigue, slightly blurred vision, sensitivity to bright light and amblyopia or “lazy eye.”

Change of perspective

This exercise is especially effective for people who suffer from presbyopia or who spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen. This is a very simple exercise, since it only consists of repeatedly looking into the distance (more than two meters away) and near alternately.

If you have a window, all you have to do is look outside and then at an object that is a foot or a half from you, such as your index finger. Repeat the change of focus about ten times.

It is advisable to do it every 20 minutes of work in front of the screen and keep the focus on the distant object for 20 seconds.

This exercise relaxes the ciliary muscle used for focusing.

Apply heat

The heat on the eyes increases blood flow and consequently the arrival of nutrients, which not only improves eyesight, but also relieves stress and headaches and shoulders.

If you can, apply heat twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If due to work you have to spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen, you have to read many documents, or if your hobby is reading, thermotherapy will be very good for you.

You can apply heat in three ways, choose the one you like best and best suits your needs.

• Dampen a towel lightly with hot water and place it on your eyelids. Remove it when it has cooled down. Of course, it doesn’t have to be so hot that it bothers you. You have to experience a pleasant sensation.
• Rub your hands against each other about ten times. Doing so will warm your palms. When you feel warm hands, pluck them up and put them over your closed eyes, exerting slight pressure. Hold them in that position for thirty to sixty seconds.
• You can purchase an eye mask designed to apply heat to the eyes. There are disposable ones, which heat up instantly when you remove the protective strip, and also reusable ones, which are heated in the microwave and can be used more than once.