Has anybody ever had any success aleviating irlen syndrome (scotopic sensitivity) type symptoms using the bates method? Could these symptoms if not relieved by irlen lenses perhaps be more attributable to eyestrain etc?
Irlen symptoms include;
visual distortions eg writing appears to move, jump, vibrate, distort in some way, especially when of a high contrast,
poor depth perception,
limited field of vision,
sensitivity to light,
patterns such as stripes etc are uncomfortable to look at, may appear 'odd'
I would think that the Bates Method may at least help with the symptoms. The way I see it is that you can never go wrong with the Bates Method so if you try it and it doesn't work there is no harm done.
I agree with eukreign. Most or all of those are functional problems, and relearning the correct way of using the eyes goes a long way.
Eye discomfort and headaches associated with any intensely visual activity are classic symptoms of eyestrain.
Depth perception is usually better with glasses off, even if your vision is very blurry without glasses. That's partly due to the way glasses contract the depth of field because of the way they work.
A limited field of vision, or poor peripheral vision, is associated with practically anyone who wears glasses, with their way of seeing that puts so much strain on central vision and relatively ignores the periphery.
If stripes appear odd, it might be a symptom of astigmatism, which is just another consequence of eyestrain.
Light sensitivity can be reduced and is generally associated with not being outside in the sun enough and becoming deficient.
So really it sounds to me like classic stuff that i've experienced or other people have experienced and gotten over.
Dave
Site Administrator
"Half of our funny, heathen lives, we are bent double to gather things we have tossed away." - George Meredith
I did wonder as I am receiving only very limited benefit (if any) from using irlen lenses. These benefits were greater whne I first started using them but this could be attributable to placebo.
My main compalint regarding my vision is the fact that I have a very limited field of vision/poor 3D imaging - this results in the outside world looking like a 'photograph' ie it is flat and featurless and I have trouble 'seeing' the whole picture at once, symtoms are most noticalble when oustside especially when looking at panoramic views. I miss not being able to see the world as it is!
I have been using the bates method for about a month now and am beggining to appreciate how much strain my eyes were under. I have overr the years just got used to my eyes being tired and aching all the time. It would seem that I have a tendancy to 'knot' my eye muscles when under stress or when I am thinking about my vision or just through habit. I have managed to relax my eyes for a percentage of the day and I am now very aware now when I am knotting them up so tend to go strainght into palming when this happens. My vision however is so far little improved?
Gary Wrote:My main compalint regarding my vision is the fact that I have a very limited field of vision/poor 3D imaging - this results in the outside world looking like a 'photograph' ie it is flat and featurless and I have trouble 'seeing' the whole picture at once, symtoms are most noticalble when oustside especially when looking at panoramic views. I miss not being able to see the world as it is!
It is a very common mistake to try and see "the whole picture at once". Healthy eyes CANNOT see the whole picture at once:
Quote:Shift your glance constantly from one point to another, seeing the part regarded best and other parts not so clearly. That is, when you look at a chair, do not try to see the whole object at once; look first at the back of it, see that part best and other parts worse... shift your glance from the back to the seat and legs, seeing each part best, in turn. This is central[ization].
- William H. Bates, M.D., Better Eyesight, September 1927
Quote:INITIALLY, CENTRALIZATION IS NOT OBVIOUS
People usually think about what they see, not how they see.
When asked, many people with normal vision will tell you they see everything clearly - simultaneously. Of course, this statement is incorrect. The principles of normal sight may not be obvious even to those who have normal sight! People with normal sight see objects clearly, of course, but only one at a time. They "shift constantly", as Bates stated, from one clear point to another clear point.
One reason people with normal sight think they see everything simultaneously clearly is because they have the memory of the objects they saw clearly before. For example, a person with normal sight could be noticing many objects in a room. Each individual object is clear, one by one. While seeing a chair, she knows that when she saw the door in her peripheral vision is still just as clear as the chair she is currently noticing.
Another reason people with normal sight, and even more so those with imperfect sight, think the peripheral vision is clear is because they want it to be clear: "If everything is perfectly clear simultaneeously, then I am better protected." It is an illusion of security.
There is a lot more, but that is all I had time to type up from "Relearning to See" by Thomas R. Quackenbush. I would really recommend you get his excellent book and read it.
