Came across these in an old file. It is a summary of bits and pieces from all sorts of health books. Do not do these unless you are able to decide for yourself they are ok for you. We don’t know your health and can’t make suggestions for you.
Good Behaviour for Eyes
We really see with our brain not our eyes! Vision is a complex process involving more than visual acuity.
Other fatigue symptoms that usually accompany eyestrain include headaches irritability and tension in the back of the neck and the shoulders.
· Don’t use mobile phones – they have been linked to a three-fold increase in eye cancer.
· One-day wear contact lens in the worst eye.
· Dr Goodrich’s: Natural Vision Improvement (books and tapes)
· Trifocals are bad for backs and posture especially as computers.
· Robert-Michael Kaplan: Seeing Without Glasses: Improving Your Vision Naturally; and The Power Behind Your Eyes.
· Nutrition for eyes – Vitamin A (a deficiency in Vitamin A can result in an inability to see in poor light (night blindness)) lutein zinc (also needed for night vision) bilberry (vaccinium myrtillus) (helps against visual fatigue reduces eye irritation and aids the eye’s adaptation to darkness) eyebright (euphrasia officinale) marigold (tagetes erecta) (relief for inflamed and sore eyes).
· Other herbs known to be good for eyes are cayenne pepper golden seal root (to kill infection and bacteria) bayberry bark and red raspberry to promote growth of healthy eye tissue.
· Smoke can cause eye problems. Take care around tobacco smokers and fires.
· Rinse eyes and eyelids and hair roots with silver colloid on a cotton bud to kill bacteria.
· Wear protective eye goggles when doing work which could damage eyes – where bits of stuff or chemicals sprays or droplets or insects could fly into eyes. (ex. Cleaning the bottom of the boat!!)
· Have a trained person perform Reiki on eyes. Wonderfully refreshing.
· Close eyes for 3 minutes after putting in eye drops otherwise blinking eyelids will pump out most of the medication.
· Blink eyes vigorously. Close the eyes as tightly as possible then open them as wide as possible. Do this 10 times. Take a few deep breaths and start over again. Do 5 sets of these hard blinks. Great if bored anxious or fatigued or listening to someone or storing new information or making a decision blink. Blinking is healthy.
· Activities which are hard on eyes include driving at high speeds speed-reading long hours of reading nocturnal living smog and air pollution movies rapid adjustment of focusing and direction working at computer screens.
· Don’t wear rimless glasses – they can concentrate the sun’s rays deflected through the top edge into eyes or onto skin.
· Get spectacles prescription correct. And if new glasses feel uncomfortable after 48 hours the prescription was probably wrong.
· Have a check for glaucoma regularly.
· Don’t wear dark glasses at night.
· Glasses that adjust to become dark outside weaken eyes’ natural ability to accommodate to light and they can become supersensitive to light.
· Cataracts may be caused by toxic acid crystals settling in the lens of the eye. Another view is that excessive exposure to bright sunlight can cause them. Vitamin C deficiency is also implicated in cataract formation. Vitamin D also combats cataracts.
· Wear sunglasses in bright sunlight.
· Carotenoids reduce the risk and severity of cataracts.
· Eye troubles and defective teeth have a definite relationship. The network of facial nerves blood vessels lymph glands and the jawbone can transmit inflammation from infected teeth to the eyes. Infections can spread from the mouth to the eyes. So use good dental behaviour! Headaches and pain in the eyes have frequently been found to originate in poor teeth.
· Refresh eyes with oxygen. Stand straight with feet apart and take a long deep breath and hold that breath. Now bend the knees and drop the head as close to the floor as comfortable. While the head is in this position blink the eyes squeezing them hard with each blink. Close eyes with great pressure then open them wide. Hold the breath for 10-15 seconds while opening and closing eyes with great effort.
· A safe and simple eyewash can be made from a saturated solution of boric acid 1 part in 25 parts of distilled water.
· Use a big magnifying glass rather than struggling with poor small print.
· When reading at night-time use a good light. 82% of 56 elderly patients visual acuity improved just by increasing the wattage of existing lights. Keep the light from behind. Use a 100 watt globe to read by and a 40 watt globe to watch TV by (what is the equivalent now with fluorescent lights?).
· Avoid glare. Place a mirror on the desk. If the light source is visible in it the glare is in the offending zone.
· To reduce jet-lag look at a strong bright light after arriving at destination.
· Bright light can also reduce seasonal depression related to darkness and cloud-cover. Seeing in poor light demands more effort.
· Never look directly at the sun or even its reflection.
· Sun eyes in the morning by seating comfortably facing towards the morning sun with eyes closed and let the sun shine on eyelids. Now cover the left eye with the left palm so no light can enter cupping the palm so it does not press upon the eye. Breathe deeply swing the head and elbow blinking the right eye several times at the sun. Then cover the right eye and blink the left eye. Do these exercises 10 times at a sitting. Never stare at the sun. Never sun-bathe both eyes at the same time. Don’t stay in the sun too long as it is bad for the skin (but great for vitamin D).
· When going from light to dark step to one side on entering and pause for a few minutes to let pupils enlarge.
· Older people have much poorer eyesight. Turn lights on to have as much light as possible to see where walking. Trips can lead to broken limbs immobilization and rapid deterioration. Multifocal glasses also have the reading section at the bottom and make tripping a danger for seeing our feet and going down stairs.
· Palm eyes: Cover both eyes with cupped hands the heel of the palms resting on the cheekbones fingers crossed over forehead. Be careful not to let the palms touch the eyeballs. When all light is excluded close the eyes lightly and make sure there is no tightness in the eyelids brows or fingers. Keep your spine and back straight and be sure that you are comfortable and relaxed. Do not bend the neck. Palm the eyes for at least 15 minutes. Palm after sunning or to relieve strain from any cause.
· Get sufficient sleep.
· Without moving the head or the body look up at the ceiling then look straight down to the floor. Do not rush. Take time making the eye muscles do all the work. Do this exercise 10 times.
· Without moving the head or body shift the eyes slowly from side to side looking as far to the right as possible then as far as possible to the left. Take time. Go very slowly. Do this 10 times.
· Without moving the head or body shift your eyes to the right upper corner of the room then to the lower left corner of the room then to the left upper corner and right lower corner. Do this 10 times. Go very slowly and make the eye muscles do all the work.
· Imagine there is a very large hoop in front. Let the eyes travel over the rim of the hoop making a complete circle to the right. Do the same thing to the left. Do not move the head. Do 10 times in each direction.
· Get a long skewer from the kitchen and hold it at right angles pointing away from face pointing at your nose. Look at the far end of it then slowly move your sight along it until you get to the close end then back. Make sure to see every point on it. Do 10 times and rest in between. Take care not to get poked.
· When doing eye exercises do them to a rhythmic motion. Do them to relaxing music.
· Do eye exercises first thing in the morning to give them a good start to the day then also at night to let go the strain of the day.
· Close eyes and picture a circle sliced into eight segments like a pie. Now slice the pie with eyes still closed. Start at the centre and move the eyes upward to the right and back to the centre cutting out the first slice. Repeat with the second slice to the right and so on until all eight segments are cut out. Then repeat with a ‘new’ pie moving to the left. Now do a hard blink and open eyes wide.
· Orthoptics are visual exercises to correct eye malfunctions.
· Alcohol tobacco coffee tea sugar carbonated beverages are claimed to be bad for the eyes.
· Have liver once a week. It is very high in Vitamin A.
· Kale pumpkin carrots silver beet sweet potato apricots parsley mustard greens tomatoes sunflower seeds … are high in carotenoids.
· Carotenoids are great for bringing back the eyes’ ability to see colours vividly.
· The optic nerve is a cranial nerve. Eight of the 12 important cranial nerves are used directly or indirectly by the eyes.
· B vitamins are needed for good nerve functioning.
o Vitamin B1 (thiamine) (15mg per day up to 50 to 300 mg) – sources: peanuts whole grains (especially rye and corn) wheat germ brewer’s yeast rice husks raw honey vegetables milk pork.
o B2 (riboflavin) helps prevent photophobia and bloodshot eyes. 5mg to 50 to 300mg needed daily – sources: liver kidney natural cheese and most B1 sources.
o B6 (pyridoxine) is a great natural tranquilizer – good for tense sore twitchy eyes. Daily needs 2mg to50 to 300mg. Sources: cabbage wheat germ whole rye whole corn egg yolk organ meats fish of all kinds.
o B7 (niacin) is essential for healthy eyes and strong eyesight. Deficiency produces double vision inflammation of the eyelids clouding of the cornea pellagra. Daily needs 20mg to 50 to 200mg. Sources: Whole grain corn whole wheat wheat germ whole barley whole rice peas cowpeas.
o B12 (cobalomin) prevents anemia. Dull watery prematurely aging eyes are symptoms of B12 deficiency. Smoking depletes B12 rapidly. Daily needs: 5micrograms to 50 to 500 mcgms. Sources: Grapes natural grape juice parsley dates egg yolk prunes apricots blackberried pure natural blackberry juice watercress.
· Vitamin C to provide the collagen (glue) which holds your cells together and prevents hemorrhages and prevents ‘old-age vision’ and guards against eye spots (floaters). Daily needs 100mg to 500 to 1000mg. Sources: Citrus fruits berries fresh pineapple sweet green and red capsicums cabbage greens peas onions rose hips acerola berries. Vitamin C is easily destroyed by cooking so eat these foods raw or juiced.
· Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin. Daily needs: 400 USP. Sources: Sunshine fish liver oils unsaturated fats milk butter eggs.
· Vitamin E (tocopherol) the great oxygenator. Daily needs 100 IU to 800 IU. Sources: Wheat germ wheat germ oil whole grains green leafy vegetables organ meats.
· Vitamin K the anti-hemorrhagic vitamin. Sources: Spinach cabbage cauliflower carrot-tops tomatoes orange peel.
· Bioflavonoids (vitamin P) and rutin to strengthen capillaries nourish muscles and nerves and take away waste products. Sources: White part of grapefruit and citrus fruits between the pulp and the skin the white core of capsicums.
· Organic minerals:
o Phosphorus. Sources: organ meats (liver kidney heart tripe tongue sweetbreads) cucumbers peas soy beans greens preferably eaten raw in salads (kale mustard greens spinach watercress) rye and whole wheat grains cereals and bran nuts and natural cheese.
o Iron. Sources: Molasses raw wheat germ meat prunes dates raisins whole grain wheat whole brown rice rice bran all green leafy vegetables nuts of all kinds leeks eggs organ meats lamb.
o Iodine for thyroid. Insufficient iodine can cause opacity or clouding of the lens swelling of the eyelids and involuntary movements of the eyes from side to side. Sources: Kelp sea foods pineapple cranberries coconut green leafy vegetables grown near the ocean.
o Potassium. Sources: Apples apple cider vinegar bananas honey. Daily: 1 tspn apple cider vinegar and 1 tspn honey in warm water.
o Calcium: Helps clear up excessive winking or watering conjunctivitis and photophobia. Sources: Milk cheese yoghurt eggs fish nuts seeds dark green leafy vegetables artichokes cabbage carrots cauliflower cucumber cereals oranges figs prunes raisins dates.
· Protein
· Take a brisk walk outdoors in the fresh air.
· Use good posture in sitting standing walking and lying in bed and at computer screens.
· Drink water. Keep hydrated.
· Boredom and worry can produce eye strain. Have a break and a change of topic. Relax.
· Colours:
o Greens and blues are relaxing and cooling
o Orange and red are cheerful and warm
o Red exciting and hot.
o Pink is happy.
· If you consistently have eye problems check for infections in the teeth. Also stimulate the kidney and stomach reflex points.
· Tepid water splashes are excellent for those who read sew or do close work. Special eye cups are available from chemists and may be used for eye irrigations with cold tepid or hot water.
· Compresses may be hot cold or iced. Use thin folds of cotton or a linen handkerchief of a freezable coldpack shaped for the eyes or a lavender wheat bag for putting in the freezer or microwave for the eyes. Only use thin compresses on the eyes. Thick ones become warm too quickly. Change cold compresses every 5 minutes especially if there is any inflammation. Hot compresses should be as hot as you can tolerate.
· Splash eyes with cold water each morning.
· For dirt and abrasions remove the dirt and then wash out with sterile salt solution (distilled water and salt) and apply a cold compress immediately.
· Sty: Generally caused by staphylococci. Bring to a head by applying a hot moist compress of sterile gauze for 10 minutes. Wash with silver colloid. Repeat several times a day and sterilize hands with silver colloid afterwards. Check teeth for possible infection. Add Vitamins A C and D to diet.
· Pink Eye (Acute Catarrhal Conjunctivitis): Highly contagious and usually caused by pneumococci or staphylococci. Wash with silver colloid. Apply a sterile gauze cold compress for 15 minutes daily. Use only personal towels. Keep the eye free of discharge.
· Blepharitis (Inflammation of the eye lid margins): Usually caused by staphylococci. Wash with silver colloid. Hot compresses twice daily help during the acute stage. Irrigate with cold water and apply a fresh sterile gauze cold compress every minute for one hour every day during the non-acute stage.
· Macular degeneration: Zinc selenium vitamin E calcium glutathione eyebright bilberry Vitamin B2.
· Dry eyes: Essential fatty acids from flax oil borage oil or fish oils. Murine eye drops.
· Exercises: Two main groups of muscles should be exercised the muscles which move the eyeball and the muscles which control irises and lens. Also use muscles related to eye socket eyelids and face.
o Open yeyes as wide as possible as though amazed hold for 7 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10 times.
o Make a full swing from the hips look at tips of fingers at end of each cycle looking first at one hand then the other.
o Face the sky with back to the sun place open fingers of both hands a few inches in front of eyes and rapidly rotate hands back and forth while blinking eyes for one minute.
o Palming (another version) Rub you hands together until they are warm place palms gently over closed eyes shutting out all light. Hold for a moment then remove palms open eyes and blink once or twice. Repeat as often as desired.
o Imagine eyes are like a clock. Look as far up a possible then as far down as possible then across to the left and then to the right. Repeat 5 times and then reverse direction.
o Hold a pencil at arm’s length vertically. Look with both eyes first at the pencil and then past the pencil to focus on a distant object but keeping the pencil in line of sight. If using both eyes see two pencils. (If not you really need this exercise!) When able to see two pencils try to hold it for at least 1 minute. This exercise helps overcome bad visual habits and re-establishes binocular vision.
o Hold two index fingers up at arm’s length. Look with both eyes past the fingers and focus on a distant object. If normally seeing with both eyes see four fingers. After seeing four fingers move fingers together until second and third fingers overlap so to see only three fingers. Hold as long as possible and repeat when desired.
o Suspend a ball 2 inches in diameter with a string attached from a hook in a doorway or on the ceiling or hung from a tree branch outdoors. Lying a few inches directly beneath the ball swing it gently from side to side and watch it gently without moving the head. Now swing the ball in large circles and watch it until it stops without moving the head. Now stand up shorten the string so the ball is parallel to the eyes and watch it swing to and fro without moving the head.
o Droopy brows make us look tired and sad. Sit with face relaxed including jaw and teeth and looking straight ahead. Raise eyebrows up as high as they will go while keeping the rest of face still. Hold the raise for a count of 5 lower and repeat for 1 minute.
o Hooded lids are ageing and ‘close up’ eyes. Sit as above. Place middle fingers of both hands on the outer edge of both top lids (feel the bone at the edge of the socket to locate). Keep a medium pressure with the fingers. Now squint lower lids up hard and as you do so to feel a strong muscle contraction under fingers. Do this small movement rapidly 10 times relax then repeat the 10 pulses plus the relax for 1 minute.
· Look at current style magazines for tips on eye make-up and colours to suit skin eye and clothing colour.
· Dark rings under eyes: Try Vitamin A
· Put a couple of drops of Murine in eyes. Especially good for dry eyes in older people.
· Make sure glasses prescription is up-to-date. Get non-reflective plastic lenses and some of the great new extra light-weight metal frames.
· Beauty magazines recommend twice-daily eye-packs of cold used herbal tea bags slices of cucumber or potato placed on each closed eye for a few minutes to reduce puffiness.
· Acupressures Potent Points for eyes:
o Page 90-92
o Third eye p133
· Reducing salt intake can reduce sag in eyelids.
· Sagging eyelids can be a sign of thyroid deficiency. Get doctor to check thyroid function and if necessary take a daily supplement of thyroid hormone.
· Ask self the following questions and check visual skills to find the answers:
o How well can I use both eyes together?
o How quickly can I judge left from right?
o How well do I see objects in space?
o Am I able to shift focus from near to far quickly and easily within fractions of a second?
o How retentive is my visual memory?
o How easily can I change my point of view?
o Are my visual skills equal to my age and my needs?
o How well do I check out for the absence of eye disease and acuity on an eye chart?
o Am I able to get out the good ideas formed in my mind and act on them or do they get blocked by an inefficient visual system that blocks creativity?
o Might visual problems be making me cranky or rigid in outlook or causing me to seem less intelligent than I am?