Natural cures for Astigmatism

Astigmatism

Overview
Astigmatism is a very common condition of poor eyesight that is characterized by the cornea of the eye becoming oval or football-shaped, rather than round, which is normal and required for good eyesight. The word astigmatism itself come from the Greek a, meaning "without," and stigma, meaning "point". In cases of astigmatism, light rays do not form a single point of focus as they enter the eye, causing the eye to focus on two points instead of one.

Symptoms of Astigmatism
Because rays of light become distorted as they enter the eyes of people with astigmatism, the most common symptoms of this condition are blurred vision, as well as eye pain, fatigue, and headaches. In addition, straight lines may appear wavy or crooked, and lines going in one direction may seem clearer than lines going in another direction (such as horizontal lines compared to lines that are vertical).

Causes of Astigmatism
The primary cause of astigmatism is a distortion of the cornea, causing it to become oval in shape, losing its natural roundness. Poor posture and a tendency to tilt the head for long periods of time (a tendency for many violinists) can also be significant contributing factors.

Shortcomings of Conventional Astigmatism Treatments
The main conventional treatments available for astigmatism are corrective prescription lenses or surgery. Both are not without shortcomings, however, and can potentially result in serious complications.

Corrective Prescription Lenses—Corrective lenses in the form of glasses or contact lenses are the most commonly prescribed conventional treatment for astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness. While they can certainly improve symptoms caused by all three of these vision disorders, they can also worsen them as well, and usually do over time, by leading to long-term dependency on lens wearing due to decreased sensitivity of the eye muscles that result from wearing corrective lenses. Other side effects of corrective lenses include increased sensitivity to artificial light, and loss of depth of perception.

Contact lenses can cause additional problems, including a significant increase in the risk of developing microbial keratitis, an infectious condition characterized by inflammation of the cornea.

Surgery—In recent years, surgical procedures to correct astimatism and far- and nearsightedness have become popular. The two main types of surgeries for this purpose are Lasik surgery and photorefractive keratomy (PRK). Lasik surgery is conducted using an extremely thin blade, with which the surgeon cuts a flap near the top of the cornea. A laser is then employed to burn away part of the cornea, after which the cornea flap is reattached. PRK also reshapes the cornea using a laser, without the need for first creating a cornea flap, but usually requires a longer waiting period before patients experience improvements in their vision.

Though many patients report improved vision after undergoing Lasik and PRK surgeries, both procedures can cause the following side effects:

* Free radical damage caused by the laser that can result in an unhealthy thinning of the cornea and damage to its structural integrity.
* Chronic dry eye due to a diminished capacity to produce tears.
* A sensation of halos around lights.
* Impaired visual acuity.
* Tear in and detachment of the retina.
* Holes in the macula (the central region of the retina), which lead to macular degeneration.
* Damage to the optic nerve.



Natural Cures


Ayurveda: According to Ayurvedic theory, most vision problems are due to digestive disorders. Emphasis is given to regular eye exercises, as well as the use of the herbs amla, licorice, and triphala, and a diet rich in organic, whole food with abundant quantities of antioxidant rich vegetables such as carrots and spinach.

Bates Method: The Bates Method was developed at the beginning of the 20th century by Dr. W. H. Bates, M.D. (1865-1931), a prominent American ophthalmologist, to improve sight and restore natural habits of seeing, which Dr. Bates believed became impaired through strain, tension and the resulting misuse of the eyes. The aim of the Bates Method is to teach people with vision problems such as astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness how to get the eyes and mind working together harmoniously to significantly improve eyesight.

The Bates Method is not a medical treatment, but a method of re-education that involves both active learning and the receptive awareness of how to appreciate what we see, such as the appreciation of a detailed painting, a beautiful garden, or a classic cathedral. Dr. Bates believed that healthy eyesight is the result of a relaxed state of mind and body in which the individual feels a direct contact with the surrounding world through his or her five senses. Poor eyesight, he believed, is the result of tension, feeling isolated from the outside world and locked into a pattern of psycho-physical tensions, such as worry, anxiety, rigidity, day-dreaming, boredom, confusion, impatience, and so on.

The Bates Method is taught via a student-teacher relationship in which the student is shown how to relax the eyes, then the body, and then the body and eyes together. As the relaxation progresses, the mind, eyes, and body begin to focus together more harmoniously, allowing eyesight to improve naturally by itself, along with the overall health of the eyes.

Biofeedback Training: Biofeedback training has been shown to be helpful for improving a variety of vision disorders, including astigmatism, near- and farsightedness, and night blindness. Traditional biofeedback training helps patients become better able to relax the muscles of their forehead, thus reducing pressure of the eyeball and overall eyestrain.

A specific biofeedback instrument for improving poor eyesight is the Accommotrac Vision Trainer®, developed by optometric physician Joseph, Trachtman, O.D., Ph.D., of New York City. This device works by measuring how clearly and effectively the retina perceives images. As patients change their focus, the Accommotrac transforms the visual images they are viewing into sound. This enables them to become better able to detect and control their changes in focus, thus also improving their control over the eye muscles themselves. Treatment sessions are typically scheduled once a week for an hour each time. The Accommotrac has been shown to provide significant improvements in refractory vision problems, including astigmatism, near- and farsightedness, and night blindness.

Diet: Emphasize a diet of organic, whole foods, with a daily abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose from a wide variety, focusing on those foods rich in antioxidants. These include red, orange and purple bell peppers, carrots, celery, dark-green leafy vegetables such as chard, kale, collard, spinach and richer colored green leaf lettuces, parsley, tomatoes and yellow squash. Fruits high in anti-oxidants include berries, especially raw or juiced Acai berries, Goji berries and dark colored berries, purple and red grapes, plums, cherries, mangos, melons and citrus fruits. For a sweet treat or to help curb chocolate cravings, enjoy the anti-oxidant rich unsweetened cacoa. Mixed with natural sweeteners such as raw honey or agave syrup, cacoa is a scrumptious alternative to the typical refined sugar in conventional chocolate products.

Organic egg yolks are also recommended because they are rich in carotenoids, an important class of antioxidants. It is best to eat soft, rather than hard cooked egg yolks to preserve the heat sensitive valuable carotenoids. Soft boiled, poached, sunny side up, or raw eggs are best. Raw eggs may be eaten if they come from a reliable organic source and are washed prior to cracking. Samonella travels on the shell of the egg and enters the egg from the outside, so washing eggs with hot sudsy water minimizes exposure.

Avoid all processed and fried foods, sugar and sugar products, refined, simple carbohydrates, alcohol, and unhealthy hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Milk and dairy products should be consumed sparingly, and preferably raw and organic. Avoid conventional flesh foods and overcooked/grilled meats. In addition, test for food allergies and sensitivities and eliminate those foods that test positive.

Also be sure to drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day, at least half your body weight in ounces, to help flush out accumulated debris in the eye drainage channels. Proper hydration is also essential for maintaining the suppleness of the eyes` lenses. Fresh raw green juices are also an important addition to one`s daily food plan. See the recipe section for green juice suggestions.

Eye Exercises: The following eye exercises are useful for preventing and reversing most types of vision problems.

* Rest your eyes for five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, relaxing your gaze and staring into space.
* Blink your eyes regularly. This reduces eyestrain.
* Take regular breaks throughout the day to breathe deeply for a few minutes, coupled with neck and shoulder stretching. This helps to ensure that your eye muscles receive adequate amounts of oxygen.
* To further reduce facial tension, yawn in an exaggerated fashion. Doing so helps to stretch and relax your facial muscles.
* Cover your eyes with you palms for five minutes and breathe deeply. Do this every one to two hours.
* Spend 20 to 30 minutes each day rapidly switching your focus from near to far. An easy way to do this is to hold your finger six to eight inches from your eyes. Focus on it for a moment, then focus on an object in the distance. Keep changing your focus from near to far. This is an excellent way to exercise your eye muscles.
* Roll your eyes all the way up and down in a full circular motion for five minutes, three to five times a day.
* Pin a sheet of reading material to the wall and read it from two feet away (or closer if you need to). Each day, step further away from the wall. With regular practice, you will eventually be able to read the same material from across the room. If you are nearsighted, reverse this process, starting as far away from the sheet of paper as you need to be, then slowly moving closer each day until you are able to read it standing only a few inches away.

Herbs: The following herbs can help to prevent and slow the progression of astigmatism: bilberry, curcumin, gentian root, grapeseed extract, ginkgo biloba, and pine bark extract (pycnogenol).

Juice Therapy: Drink 16 ounces of carrot juice and/or carrot juice combined with freshly juiced celery, cucumber, parsley, and spinach in two divided doses (eight ounces per serving) each day.

Lifestyle: Make it a point to sit up straight in a relaxed manner, and to avoid unnecessarily tilting your head for extended periods of time. In addition, avoid eyestrain by refraining from working at a computer terminal or reading for long periods of time, especially in bed. Also refrain from watching television or movies in the dark, as well as spending prolonged periods in darkness.

Nutritional Supplementation: Useful nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, lutein, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), riboflavin, selenium, taurine, zeaxthanin, and zinc.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): According to TCM theory, most vision problems are due to diminished liver function. To restore healthy liver function, TCM practitioners combine acupuncture with dietary changes and traditional Chinese herbs, such as ginkgo biloba and ginseng.

Alternative Professional Care
The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for preventing and treating cataracts: Acupressure, Acupuncture, Behavioral and Syntronic Optometry, Bodywork (Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, Reflexology, Rolfing, Shiatsu, and Therapeutic Massage), Craniosacral Therapy, Chiropractic, Detoxification Therapy, Environmental Medicine, Magnetic Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, and Osteopathic Medicine. (See Glossary for descriptions of these Alternative Therapies.)
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