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There are two eye-exercise programs that are of interest to me, one incorporates the Bates Method which uses different techniques to improve various aspects of vision, including regaining the ability to adjust between near and far viewing.  The other exercise program, Vision Therapy, is a more comprehensive and sophisticated program than the exercise program available years ago.  Patients in this program receive neurological training or rehabilitation and the focus is not just on the eyes, but on the brain and body as well.  In particular, Vision Therapy emphasizes getting the patient to receive information more effectively and quickly, and to react appropriately.

It is equally important to remember the value of good nutrition and supplementation.  If you are going to go with an exercise program, you will improve your odds for success by supplementing appropriately.  Here are some excellent supplements: Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are carotenoids and support the macula; N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) which promotes the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant for clear eyes; and Astaxanthin which supports your ability to shift your vision between near and far distances.

Strabismus, known as ‘wandering eyes’ or ‘crossed eyes’, is a condition where the eyes are not properly aligned.   Adults who have this condition are usually told that it is too late to correct it. Common symptoms include double-vision, loss of depth perception; a pulling sensation around the eyes; difficulty reading; and seeing overlapping or blurred images, leading to confusion. It is almost impossible for those who have strabismus to make eye-to-eye contact because of the horrible twisting sensation in the eyes. This in turn has a devastating impact on social interactions, whether professional or personal.

This condition may be constant or it may occur only for sometimes, the rest of the time the eyes may be straight.

When the eye turn happens all the time, it is called constant strabismus, but when the eye turn occurs only some times, it is called intermittent strabismus. Intermittent strabismus usually appear when the person is ill or in a stressful condition.

Generally the causes of strabismus are genetics, inappropriate function of the “fusion center” of the brain, problems with the controlled center of the brain, injuries of the muscles or nerves. But most cases of strabismus are due to the control system: the brain.

In children, you may notice deviation in the eyes.  A child would not pay attention to the image from deviated eye, and only focuses at one image that comes from one eye only. In adult strabismus, the image from either eye cannot be ignored, therefore he has double vision. This condition can be very irritating because it may interfere his activities.

You may ask at what age strabismus treatment no longer should be tried. The answer is everyone at any age deserves an opportunity. Although treatment at young age is ideal and can give a better result, a study has shown that patients over the age of 50 who were never treated for their strabismus experienced a spontaneous improvement.

How can you treat strabismus?

Constant strabismus has to be treated as soon as possible. If artificial glasses or patching do not work, eye surgery needs to be considered. Most of eye surgeons prefer to give surgery and generally other treatments are not their options.

When the eye turn occurs some of the time, treatment can be performed with judicious patching, special glasses and vision therapy. Glasses / contact lenses or eye surgery are not always necessary to improve your eyesight.  There are other effective methods to have good vision in simpler ways than you can imagine such as eye exercises.

Until recently, insurance carriers would not cover surgery for strabismus, as they viewed it as merely cosmetic. Fortunately, things are changing, with more insurance carriers regarding the surgery as reconstructive.

Fortunately, again, our options for treating strabismus are expanding. For one thing, eye-care professionals are now saying that you’re never too old for corrective surgery. This surgery involves either shortening the muscles on the outside of the eye, if the eye is turned inwards; or shortening the inner muscles of the eye if it points outwardly. Typically, the operation is performed as an out-patient and the patient resumes his normal routine within just a few weeks.

In this post, we are going to throw some light on how to improve your eyesight naturally using vision therapy. Although it is possible for many vision problems to be cured by using contact lenses as well as eyeglass corrective lenses, some others might require a different type of therapy. One such therapy happens to be the vision therapy which is actually prescribed and supervised by an optometrist for treating any issue with visual processing as well as visual skills.

It is possible to successfully cure eye movement disorders, vision related learning issues, lazy eye, ineffective eye teaming, double vision and visual processing issues by undergoing vision therapy. A person affected by these ailments can show symptoms such as fuzzy vision, poor comprehension as well as re-reading lines. Furthermore, vision therapy happens to be a highly efficient way to enhance sports performance and improve eye-hand synchronization.

By implementing vision therapy, the brain will be able to control the following:

i. eye teaming

ii. eye alignment

iii. eye movements

iv. eye focusing abilities

v. visual processing

Specialized computer and optical equipment such as prisms, therapeutic lenses, and filters help to create visual-motor stamina and expertise. The visual skills of the patient are usually strengthened during the closing phases of the treatment and these are made automated by integration with cognitive and motor skills.

Adults who are suffering from the following ailments are usually benefited by vision therapy:

1. Visual difficulties induced by stress

As compared to the past, our lifestyle during this present century demands much more from our eyes. Our present population, particularly the adults, makes use of their near vision at the residence as well as at work on a regular basis. One of the quickest developing health problems at present happens to be the Computer Vision Syndrome (C.V.S.). Severe headaches, eye strain, and other visual issues that are triggered by the ecological strains on our vision system can be cured successfully with vision therapy.

2. Inadequate binocular coordination

Individuals will be able to develop the coordination of both the eyes with the help of vision therapy. The failure of the eyes to work collectively can affect the functions of various locations. Unlike the eye surgical treatments, patching and glasses, much better treatment is offered by the vision therapy courses for the lazy eye or turned eyes. In case a person is infected with such ailment, it is imperative to undergo vision therapy treatment without making any delay.

3. Enhancement of sports vision

It is possible to succeed in sports with the help of powerful visual ability. In fact, you cannot be a good sportsman in case your eyes are not able to instruct your body and hands regarding your actions. Proper vision therapy will be able to correct your vision as well as athletic visual abilities. Your visual response time, eye teaming, eye-hand synchronization, visual response, tracking, as well as visualization abilities are going to be enhanced significantly by undergoing vision therapy.

4. Visual treatment for special adult populations

Various neurological conditions or any injury to the nervous system like traumatic brain injury, developmental delays, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and so on can damage the vision significantly. However, it is possible to successfully take care of all these conditions by going through vision therapy.

Is the concept of vision therapy new?

In spite of being a powerful optometric specialty, vision therapy is actually a product of orthoptics which was first unveiled by the medical professionals during the late 1800s. However, the number of doctors who were imparted with the training of orthoptics gradually decreased since much more attention was given to surgical procedures, treatments, and eyeglasses. Nevertheless, during the mid-1900s, the optometrists successfully introduced the vision therapy.

Is it possible to perform the therapy on your own?

Patients who have tried this therapy on their own without any guidance were not able to get the desired results. The vision therapy courses require regular supervising as well as watchful guidance. Moreover, it is not possible for any individual to perform any unsupervised usage of the specialty computer courses along with other specialized instrumentation which is used during this therapy.

How long will this therapy last?

After the completion of the course, the positive aspects of vision therapy are going to be perpetual. Once properly trained, the effective usage of the eyes, as well as correct focusing, are going to function normally. Moreover, self-monitoring routines are recommended when every single therapy course is completed.