Can we improve our eyesight naturally?
(by Magda Kudlewska 2c)

Are you tired of wearing glasses and disappointed that your prescription continues to get stronger every year?  It doesn’t have to be that way. Apparently, it is possible to improve your eyesight. As Jake Steiner says, it’s possible to reduce your myopia naturally.

More than ever, we are using our eyes to stare at small type and images on computer screens, televisions, and phones – which leads to eye fatigue and an increase in age-related eye problems. Because of too much work, your eyes are becoming myopic. (e.g. too much time studying, using your phone or playing video games). Usually you get prescribed glasses without addressing the cause of the problem (near work activities). That’s why, despite wearing glasses, your eyesight is getting progressively worse. But there are people who believe that you can reduce your myopia just by yourself.

There are many methods, but there is no perfect one. Everyone must check for themselves what works best for them.  In my opinion, there are two main methods to improve your eyesight: The Bates Method and Reduced Lens Method.

The Bates Method is mainly based on various eye exercises. Its name comes from William Bates, an ophthalmologist, who conducted eye research in 1920s. He also wrote a book ‘The Cure of Imperfect Sight by Treatment without Glasses”. There are many popular techniques of exercising your eyes. One of the most popular is shifting. Shifting is about moving or rotating your eyeballs from one direction to another. You look to your rightward corner and then you shift your gaze gradually to the opposite direction. Another effective exercise for the eyes is zooming. You make an object zoom for your eyes, so as to shift the focus of your vision.

The other main method of improving your eyesight is Reduced Lens Method. This method focuses mostly on working with a Snellen chart (the same one you usually see in the ophthalmologist’s office). To put it simply, you should read the letters on the chart from a distance where you start to see letters blurry. Apparently, by following the letters with your eyes, your brain begins to recognize them (even though they are a little blurry) and you begin to see them more clearly over time. But, beside that, there are few more things which can help you improve your eyesight. First, work no longer than 2-3 hours before taking a break. If you want a better eyesight, you need to do the opposite of what caused the problem. Less time in front of computer is key to your success. Don’t use your distance glasses, when you are reading or using the computer. This habit is usually the cause of the progressive myopia. What is important to your eyes important is also the quality of light, like the quality of food is important to your body.

These are the main things you can do to take care of your eyesight. If you still don’t believe that you can change your eyesight naturally, you can always go to endmyopia.org and click the tab called “results”. There are stories of many people who took this challenge and are very happy with the results. I hope that from now on, you will take care of your eyes and remember that your eyes are not broken.