I have been wearing glasses for myopia over 30 years but recently have had problems in viewing things close up. A went to see my optician (April 08) who told me that I now needed a second prescription to fix this and would need varifocal lenses.
I went away to look into what my options were and ended up getting the Quackenbush tomb which lead me to this site. Then I got inspired by sorrisiblue blog and have now decided to progress natural eye vision option on myself. So the next thing I need to do is to reduce my prescription but need advice on what to go for.
Current glasses from July 06
R -4.25, CYL:-1.00, AXIS:70, L -5.50 CYL:-0.25, AXIS 75.[/list:u]
April 08
R -4.00, CYL:-0.75, AXIS:70, L -5.50, CYL-0.25, AXIS: 75 Near +1.50[/list:u]
March 09
R -4.25, CYL:-0.75, AXIS 70, L -5.75, CYL DS Near +1.50[/list:u]
I had been palming for short while before the March 09 check and was diassapointed with the prescription. I read from sorrisiblue blog that sight can fluctuate during day . The test was at 3pm, I had been flying the previous 2 days for work and had to run to make the appointment and wonder if this contributed to the results on the day.
I guess that I should ignore the Near vision correction for these new glasses and address that separately.
Anyway I feel that my current prescription is to strong as I feel tension in side of my eyes and often can see distant object sharply. My eyes ache and tingle on occasions. I have started wearing my glasses less and my eyes feel better for it. I have just recently got pinhole glasses and will see how I get on with them.
So the question what would you suggest I reduce to. I work on computer all day and need them for that as I can't see screen without any. Pinhole glasses may be to much effort for work but OK for watching TV.
Rather than geting a "varifocal", you might consider getting a lens set for your near work.
The standard approach is to simply subtract 2 diopters from your prescription.
Current glasses from July 06
R -4.25, CYL:-1.00, AXIS:70, L -5.50 CYL:-0.25, AXIS 75.
April 08
R -4.00, CYL:-0.75, AXIS:70, L -5.50, CYL-0.25, AXIS: 75 Near +1.50
March 09
R -4.25, CYL:-0.75, AXIS 70, L -5.75, CYL DS Near +1.50
Thus you "near" lens would be about -2.25 diotpers and -3.5 diopters.
The "cyl" as little effect. If you wish to include it, then just take
1/2 the value and add it to the "spherical" part.
As recommended by Dr. Bates, it would be wise to down-load a Snellen
from i-see (for free) to know exactly your visual acuity. I think this
is what sorri is doing.
I really wish you the best of luck with this, and am glad to hear that my blog inspired you (that's why I bother to write it!) It was really hard to find the information about prescriptions you ask for when I started, so I kept those details in my blog (search for optometrist within my blog to find those posts). I can tell you first and foremost what I learned is that the prescription isn't that important to eyesight improvement so find the easiest way to reduce it slightly and then put your emphasis on not wearing those glasses as much as possible. Make it a goal to find a new activity each week that you can do without glasses and then stick to it!
The easiest thing for the prescription may be to go to the optometrist and ask for a prescription (without the cylindrical correction) that allows you to see 20/40. In daylight conditions, this prescription will be stronger than 20/40 actually, but it is a good base to work from, you know you are legal to drive (check your state/country conditions to be postive about that, it may be 20/30), and if you want a weaker pair, you could always get it from zennioptical.com by subtracting another 0.5 D to whatever the optometrist tells you is 20/40. It's trial and error, again, emphasis on just easing it a bit so you can still do your work safely and everything else without them. Then, get a separate pair of glasses for reading (NOT bifocals or verifocal) if you need them. Do this by asking the optometrist to give you the minimum correction necessary for you to hold a paper and read it from a relaxed distance. I'm curious, can you read without glasses by bringing something closer to you? Is there a clear distance somewhere between near and far without your glasses? If so, you won't even need to bother with reading glasses.
The next thing is not to expect that every time you go to the optometrist that you see a diopter improvement. Measure your improvement yourself with a Snellen chart and if after a year or two the optometrist confirms your improvement that is only icing on the cake compared to how happy you will be knowing for yourself that your vision without glasses has gotten better (remember, the optometrist is not giving you that information, usually they just test your eyes with glasses, very different).
Thanks for your reply. The next step in my plan was to just order a pair from Zenni Optical to see if that was more comfortable for me. I have a feeling that my eyes are after a weaker prescription even though I was recently tested for a slightly stronger one. Its actually a good idea though to go back to the optician and ask for a 20/40 pair. I was thinking of going to a different optician and getting a second opinion as I have been with my current one for 20 years. Here in the UK we can claim the cost back from our employer.
Your suggestion about just going without the glasses is a tough one and I need to work on that one. Thanks for the push though as I know you are right
I can read without glasses up to about 10 inches and feel I don't need near vision glasses. However I realize that reading caused me to become myopic in the first case yet I also read that it is good to practice reading small text. ??? When I read I move the book away from me until the letters start to become blurred. Does anyone know if this is the best way of fixing near vision loss or should I get a pair of reading glasses as advised by the optician. Any ideas ?
I know its a long road. However in the short time I have been practicing with the Snellen Chart I have already started to notice slight vision fluctuations.
Thanks for the inspiration for me to set off on this journey Sorrisi.
Quote:However I realize that reading caused me to become myopic in the first case yet I also read that it is good to practice reading small text
Hi Mike - regarding your above comment. I can only comment on my own experience. I had some stressful experiences as a child where I can pinpoint when I began to purposefully stare. After that point I used the stare to hide my emotions whenever I was frustrated. I'm pretty sure this is what ruined my eyes enough to get glasses at about age 10ish. Once I had my glasses, I would spend ages reading. My eyes sprialled to -8 D. But I wouldn't say it was a lot of reading that caused the myopia to get worse - it was reading with my strong minus glasses that did this! Glasses are prescribed for 20 feet and beyond, so if a child reads with minus lenses on from about 1 foot, they are using a prescription that is 20 times too strong for that situation. I think that is what causes the eyes to continue to get worse, not the reading itself. If you still feel that reading is what caused your eyes to get worse, then perhaps ammend that statement to: it was reading with strain that caused your eyes to get worse. these kind of thoughts slowly seep through and I think they are really important for changing bad habits to good.
In Aldous Huxley's book he has some excellent tips for reading without glasses in a way that doesn't strain the eyes. I think I wrote some about it in my blog, from memory, the point is really to slow down. Palm after each page, close the eyes at the end of each sentence for a moment to remember the last letter seen, and when going down to the next line, be sure to blink as the text moves from left to right (eyes are moving from the right side of the page to the left). If you're at work I guess you can simplify this to keeping your breathing deep (not shallow), a good posture, blinking, and taking a break every 10 minutes to shift to something else.
Best wishes, and I hope you take the challenge from the first message! (it can be something as small as eating breakfast without glasses for a start)
Mike,
I just want to echo all of Sorrisi's great advice. She's been a huge inspiration to me as well. I wore -10 glasses for decades & started slowly reducing my prescription 7 years ago, but didn't really do any Bates work nor go without glasses, which is why I think my progress has been so slow. I'm now reading the chart at least twice a day & doing nearly everything without glasses except for driving, when I need about -2 or -3 during the day & -5 at night. But even then I take my glasses off at every stop light & look around. Just walk across the room without glasses & notice how you feel. I used to feel anxious & scared without my "eye cages"; now I feel like I am in a cage & want to get them off my face as soon as I can! Be gentle with yourself, & accept what you see without judging it. Challenge yourself to go without glasses when you can -- you might like it more than you think, or not, but either way you'll learn something valuable. Good luck!
Mike,
Hi again; I forgot to say that if you can remember a younger age when you didn't wear glasses & how that felt, it may help you move back toward that freer state. I got glasses at age 5 & they got stronger & stronger all throughout my childhood & teen years, & I have nearly no memory of myself as a young child (very stressful chaotic home life which I know is why I started to close down). However I do have a few pictures of me at age 3 or so & as I imagine being that young child seeing clearly, I do believe it helps break up the myopia pattern. If you have actual memories to revisit that would be even better. You knew how to see clearly once!
I have been doing yoga for a number of years and feel like my eyes are crying out for weaker specs. I have been going without them recently and they definately feel better for it. My next step then is to get a weaker pair (thanks Otis for recommendation).
My master plan (at the moment) is to focus mainly on palming to fix my eyes. This is because I have recently discovered that I have innate ability to send healing energy to myself or others. I do a type of hands on healing where the energy comes out of my palms. I can feel the healing energy and I know it has an effect on other people (sends my wife to sleep). This to my mind seems to makes sense and is what palming is all about. I doubt though that Bates ever had a Reiki attunement The healing energy though is subtle so am not expecting any miracle fix and know it will take time.
Of course this will have to tie in with new corrected vision habits that I am now aware off (thanks to TQs epic tomb). Also have Snellen Chart which I am growing fonder by the day.
Quote:I also read that it is good to practice reading small text
Hi, Mike!
Well done for doing this natural vision improvement. It is so great it's more and more of us doing it. First, it is great for your general well being and then you are setting up example for the rest of the world to feel more comfortable of joining on this trip. Thanks to all others, for your work you are doing and for your sharing this with us. I am having all this communication also as a great help and inspiration, too!
I want to comment above. It is true, I tried it myself, and now am practicing every day, particularly when the vision looks to go worse. They are also recommending you go thru lines of small print, you can turn the text upside-down so you are not reading the letters, but just following the line. Going along the line be aware that you are following the white line, imagine the white whiter... Blink and breathe while doing this. Also, do not strain. After a half of page I can see my vision is better. I look around and back to some reading, even the normal reading I do can be of bigger font, but it is clear!
What it does, by my understanding of all this stuff, is that it stimulates the saccadic movements of the eye (the micro movement as I call them) which then clears the picture.
And, I also agree that it is not the simple reading only that reduces the vision initially. Then stress is having big role in this, taking out your energy, when we then use the rest of energy, which may be just a small amount of it, only to focus on most important near vision, to get the exam (reading), and we just switch off from the rest of the world, by the way loosing the flexibility of the eye as we are doing it every day and it becomes a habit. I don't know if this is true for everyone, but definitively is for me. I read about this in most of these vision books and web sites. This is mostly the case for myopic people, low in energy by constant straining. The workshop I have done with Leo Angart teaches myopes in pranic healing, there is an exercise to energise the eyes, so that may help as well.
Good luck and hope your vision gets better very soon!
I have noticed that when I practice on the Snellen after several minutes I start to see clear letters appearing after blinking. When this first happened I was amazed and it has really motivated me. However this clear image only last for a few seconds but then I feel a strain in my eyes so have to blink. The blink clears the strain and after a while the clear image may return again. This also has occurred whilst wearing my reduced glasses (-2 less in each eye so now -2.5D and -3.5D with no astig) when say working on a computer or at times during the day such as watching TV.
The stain that is causing me to blink also brings tears to my eyes. My eyes have been so dry for many many years after wearing glasses so its an amazing achievement to see tears again
I guess that I am doing something right here as I get to see the object that I am focusing on clearly - whereas normally it appears blurred either with or without glasses and my eyes now are more moist. I can feel the blink releasing the tension or strain that is causing my myopia. As a result of this I am also starting not to wear glasses whenever I can and yes as other people have reported it does feel so much better on the eyes to go without them.
I guess over time I will add other techniques but at the moment I am quite excited about getting these clear flashes in such as short time of doing this.
So does this approach make sense or have I missed something ?
Mike, congratulations on your progress. Yes, seeing clear flashes can be exhilarating -- know this is your natural vision. Let yourself blink naturally, every 2 or 3 seconds; not doing that might be part of why your eyes used to be so dry. Don't grab at the clear flashes, because as you've seen they'll come back & will get more frequent. Pay attention to how you've straining your eyes or forehead or whatever, since when you're aware of the strain, you can start to release it & also be aware of when it comes back & what you're doing to cause it. This work is all about relaxation & awareness. Keep up the good work!
Nancy
these kind of thoughts slowly seep through and I think they are really important for changing bad habits to good.
