When I was three years old I fell down some stairs.
A vein must have burst as one of my eyes turned red.
My parents brought me to an ophthalmologist who, as she looked at me, screamed: "Oh my god, he has an ulcer behind the eye! He needs to get to the hospital immediately!"
So my parents brought me to the next hospital that had an eye clinic.
When they told the doctors what the ophthalmologist had told them the doctors started laughing and shaking heads as the diagnosis was nonsense.
As they examined my eyes they diagnosed that I was farsighted and had strabism. Only on the left eye (the strabism).
I was operated and every doctor who has examined my eyes since then said that the surgeon did an excellent job.
After the operation I had to wear an eye patch for a few weeks.
Sometimes on the right eye, sometimes on the left.
As my right eye was the stronger one I wore the eye patch more on this side.
Then I got my first glasses.
I'm wearing glasses for about 20 years now.
My eyesight hasn't decreased for years.
On the left eye I have: + 1,75
On the right eye: ~ 1,00
Actually I don't know my diopters so I'll go to an ophthalmologist next week to have them measured.
In September I have an appointment at the strabism ambulance where I've been operated years ago.
An interesting information about this ambulance is that they have a vision school who's goal is to prevent the development of weak-sightedness(amblyopia) or manifested strabism in little children (infants?). I assume they are using the Bates Method for this.
I'll ask them.
Ok, after my vast introduction I have a few questions:
1. I have a very dominant right eye. What can I do?
I know that I can use fusion exercises and eye patches to get my left eye working respectively get both eyes working together, but my problem is that my left eye is weaker so I assume that the activation of the left eye becomes irrelevant as long as my eyesight is uneven.
Which leads to my next question:
2. Can I and how can I train a single eye?
As my eyes are of unequal strength I would like to train only my left eye until it's equal to my right eye.
Basically I think that the inequality of my eyes is my only problem.
If I take my glasses off for a few hours my nose becomes the focus of my left eye.
How can I train my left eye only?
3. Otis' method:
I have read about Otis' method using minus-lenses for farsighted eyes.
I'd be interested if I, with my unequal eyes, could use this method too and, as my eyesight is quite good in relation to others here, which strength the minus-lenses should have.
I consider talking to the doctors at the strabism ambulance about Otis' method and asking them for making a little study with me as test person.
As they have a vision school I think they will be more open to this.
If they neglect it I could still go to an optometrist every week or make a weekly appointment with an ophtalmologist.
By the way, I made the Snellen test.
I was able to identify the letters until 20/20.
At 20/20 I misread one of the five and it took like twenty seconds to identifiy the other four as the letters were very blurry.
That's it for now. Your input is welcome.
Alex
PS: As English is not my mothers tongue there are maybe some grammatical mistakes or sentences that make no sense to you. I would appreciate if you advise me of those.
Quote:If you can read 20/20 (judge, or read 1/2 the letters
correctly) you pass this tough visual-acuity standard.
Isn't the aim of eyesight improvement to be able to read letters clearly even at 20/15?
Quote:The methods I advocate (including) Bates -- apply
to a person who is nearsighted (and you are
not nearsighed.)
I'm a bit surprised about this statement as I read a thread namend "Farsightedness" where the user "Bifocal" used your method to improve his eyesight.
Quote:I also had Strabismus -- and the Bates-type
of visual training truly saved by
two-eyed vision.
Could you outline your visual training program for me?
I have a book about the Bates Methods but there are no informations about how long each exercise should be done and if multiple workouts a day would be recommended.
I would like to do a morning and an evening/night workout as I think the first would have the side effect of preparing my eyes for it's "work" and the second would serve as a relaxation and, as it's done before sleep in which the healing happens and new information is processed and integrated, would improve the effectiveness of the vision training.
Quote:The taring was difficult -- and like a child
I "fought" the training. But that is
a bad habit of a child.
What do you think about using an eye patch for this?
Wouldn't it "switch off" the stronger eye and aim the minds focus on the weaker one?
As I wrote my primary target is to strengthen the sight of my left eye so that it has the same diopters as the right one, through which the strabism would be abrogated.
As I wrote my primary goal is to get my eyes even, my secondary goal is to improve my eyesight as good as possible. I don't see it as necessary to be able to read the 20/15 line clearly but if I should be able to do it one day I'll appreciate it.
Quote:If the child works with Bates and clears to
20/30 or better -- then he can reasonably
NOT wear a minus lens.
Why?
Quote:But that is why I would have the child
"do Bates", monitor his Snellen, can
clear his visual acuity to pass the REASONABLE
DMV standard.
What is the DMV standard?
Does it have to do with driving a car without glasses?
And to pass it would you have to be able to read the 20/40 line clearly or would it be enough to be able to identify it?
To come back to my prior post:
Could you outline your visual training program for me?
I have a book about the Bates Methods but there are no informations about how long each exercise should be done and if multiple workouts a day would be recommended.
And what can I do to train only my left eye?
Would an eye patch be helpful?
I did some things with my eyes as a young child -- which
I judge created:
1. Strabmusmis and
2. Incipient nearsightedness.
I take the "blame" for the consequences -- if that helps.
Quote:Could you outline your visual training program for me?
I have a book about the Bates Methods but there are no informations about how long each exercise should be done and if multiple workouts a day would be recommended.
And what can I do to train only my left eye?
Would an eye patch be helpful?
The result of my "bad habits", was that one eye would
wander, when I would "day dream", i.e., one
eye would role-out, and I would be seeing
with only the right eye.
Obviously my parents were concerned. So I
was taken to an ophthamologist, who was
also concerned.
The result was that I received:
1. Visual training.
2. Eventually a muscle "cut".
My parents PUSHED the eye-training. Initially
(like all small children) I "resisted", but after
some time I got into it. After the muscle
"cut" I began to realize how serious that
eye training was for me.
So I then began to work with the concept.
Today, I "control" my eye fusion, and, only
on occassion do I let eiter eye "drift".
But the muscle "cut" was a waste of time (in my
opinion), except to "scare" me into truly working
on the eye training.
I do not know if any of this applies to you -- but
that is why I support second-opinion methods
and Daivd's excellent site.
As I understand you, in your case the bad eyesight was caused by psychological factors and not through physical damage of the eye.
I wonder, if my eye problems could also have a psychological source.
As the left eye is connected to the right half of the brain, the "emotional" part, I ask myself if there's not a "reason" why I only have strabism on the left eye.
And as my eyesight hasn't decreased since the beginning the cause must be something I can't remember.
But that's probably just pseudo-psychology.
I'll just try the exercises and next month I'll ask the doctors at the strabism ambulance about everything that comes to my mind.
I took a look at David's site.
I found the studies about eyesight improvement very interesting and motivating.
Quote:Could you outline your visual training program for me?
Are you going to focus on the Bates method to cure your eyesight? or are you going to wear eye patches do exercises and wear an opposite lens that Otis endorses. You'll have to decide that because it seems as if you are a little mixed with your thoughts.
Quote:I have a book about the Bates Methods but there are no informations about how long each exercise should be done and if multiple workouts a day would be recommended.
It doesn't tell you how long to do each exercise because the Bates method is not some eye improvement program, it is a concept. The amount of time you should devote to the Bates method to get results is different for each person. You should try some techniques to determine which ones give you the most benefit and allow you to achieve the most relaxation.
Quote:And what can I do to train only my left eye?
Would an eye patch be helpful?
From what I have understood, your other eye isn't amazing either. The idea of the Bates method is that all visual defects are caused by mental strain. Once you remove mental strain, the visual defects will subside as well - including your farsightedness and strabismus. I would start by looking at Dr. Bates' book available for free here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iblindness.org/books/">http://www.iblindness.org/books/</a><!-- m -->
Quote:Are you going to focus on the Bates method to cure your eyesight? or are you going to wear eye patches do exercises and wear an opposite lens that Otis endorses. You'll have to decide that because it seems as if you are a little mixed with your thoughts.
I want to use the Bates Method to improve the eyesight of my left eye until it is even with the eyesight of my right eye.
I can easily read any book or magazine without glasses (the letters are only slightly less sharp and smaller) but my problem is that after half an hour, an hour or so my left eyes focus turns from straight ahead to the right.
If I could get rid of the strabism I could get rid of the glasses.
For further improvement I would then use the Bates Method for both eyes.
I asked about Otis' method because I see it as an alternative to the Bates Method and wanted to know how I could apply it to my uneven eyes.
I want to buy new glasses but I don't know what kind of glasses I should buy.
The ones I need (according to the optometrists opinion),
glasses with minus-lenses (-0,25 or -0,5),
or glasses that have a little less diopters than I need.
In another forum I read that you should wear weaker/stronger glasses than you need (0,5 diopters less/more), except for driving, as a kind of support of eyesight improvement (using the Bates Method).
Quote:It doesn't tell you how long to do each exercise because the Bates method is not some eye improvement program, it is a concept. The amount of time you should devote to the Bates method to get results is different for each person. You should try some techniques to determine which ones give you the most benefit and allow you to achieve the most relaxation.
I understand this.
But a benchmark would be helpful at the beginning.
Quote:From what I have understood, your other eye isn't amazing either. The idea of the Bates method is that all visual defects are caused by mental strain. Once you remove mental strain, the visual defects will subside as well - including your farsightedness and strabismus.
I think + 1,00 is quite good, especially in relation to most other "Batesians" I've read of.
Do you mean that improving one eye only is impossible?
Quote:I would start by looking at Dr. Bates' book available for free here:
I already have the book, but it's a pain to read.
That's why I borrowed a book from the library with a simpler explanation of the method.
Alex wants to improve Wrote:I want to use the Bates Method to improve the eyesight of my left eye until it is even with the eyesight of my right eye.
For further improvement I would then use the Bates Method for both eyes.
You can't do that with the Bates method. The Bates method doesn't work like that because it is a holistic method. If you remove the underlying strain, your eyes will move towards clear sight at all distances and eventually they will be of relatively equal focus. His technique works generally for most visual problems.
Quote:I can easily read any book or magazine without glasses (the letters are only slightly less sharp and smaller) but my problem is that after half an hour, an hour or so my left eyes focus turns from straight ahead to the right.
Perhaps someone here can point to a location in the book where he talks about strabismus. I never really paid much attention to that condition because I didn't have it, so I can't remember what Dr. Bates said about it.
Quote:If I could get rid of the strabism I could get rid of the glasses.
Glasses come off first. It's like saying "I'll pick up the pen when I learn to write".
Quote:I want to buy new glasses but I don't know what kind of glasses I should buy.
The ones I need (according to the optometrists opinion),
glasses with minus-lenses (-0,25 or -0,5),
or glasses that have a little less diopters than I need.
Why did your optometrist suggest you wear minus lenses for farsightedness? Are you far-sighted or near-sighted?
Quote:In another forum I read that you should wear weaker/stronger glasses than you need (0,5 diopters less/more), except for driving, as a kind of support of eyesight improvement (using the Bates Method).
Bates strongly suggested disposing your glasses completely. Wearing weaker lenses is generally for those who cannot live without glasses (i.e.those who wear -8D glasses. Even then, it hinders their progress considerably.
Quote:Do you mean that improving one eye only is impossible?
Not impossible, but I wouldn't recommend this approach. As you practice the Bates method your eyes would move towards perfection. Part of this is balancing your eyes.
When Bates's patients had amblyopia, a loss of vision in strabismus not caused by a refractive error, he had them cover one eye and work with it in the exercises until both eyes were temporarily about equal, then work with both eyes together, and do the same thing each session. But when it's just a refractive error causing the difference, I don't think he had patients work with one eye separately. A Bates teacher reading this might have more current advice.
Strabismus is caused by the same basic thing as farsightedness - strain resulting in chronic tension. A simple demonstration of this is locking your eyes in a stare might bring on strabismus, whereas when your eyes are moving it may go away. Or you might palm for a while and when you open them and don't do anything at all with your eyes, an observer might notice that your eyes are straight, until you make an effort to see, at which time the eye turns in.
David
Site Administrator
"Half of our funny, heathen lives, we are bent double to gather things we have tossed away." - George Meredith
Quote:You can't do that with the Bates method. The Bates method doesn't work like that because it is a holistic method. If you remove the underlying strain, your eyes will move towards clear sight at all distances and eventually they will be of relatively equal focus. His technique works generally for most visual problems.
I understand . . .
I thought I would be able to concentrate on one eye too.
Quote:Perhaps someone here can point to a location in the book where he talks about strabismus. I never really paid much attention to that condition because I didn't have it, so I can't remember what Dr. Bates said about it.
I have looked it up myself. I'll read it after answering you.
Quote:Glasses come off first. Wink It's like saying "I'll pick up the pen when I learn to write".
I'd love to take off the glasses but as I wrote before, after half an hour, hour, maybe more (depends on the "work" my eyes have to do) my left eyes focus turns from straight ahead to right, like it was trying to ask my right eye: "Hey, how's it going over there?"
Quote:Why did your optometrist suggest you wear minus lenses for farsightedness? Are you far-sighted or near-sighted?
I'll explain it:
I want to buy new glasses but I don't know what kind of glasses I should buy.
The ones I need (according to the optometrists opinion), => the glasses the optometrist would prescribe me after testing my eyesight.
glasses with minus-lenses (-0,25 or -0,5), => Otis' method
or glasses that have a little less diopters than I need. => Method of an other forum.
I just don't know for which glasses I should go.
But if Bates completely neglects glasses and I want to use his method, but at the same time need the glasses due to my strabism . . . ???
I guess I should simply go for the ones the optometrist gives me.
Quote:Not impossible, but I wouldn't recommend this approach. As you practice the Bates method your eyes would move towards perfection. Part of this is balancing your eyes.
As I read fusion exercises are for balancing the eyes.
But how can the eyes be balanced if one is weaker, which causes the strabism (I think) as the mind tries to balance the eyes itself to correct the imbalance caused by the weaker eye?
My knowledge of the eye physics and visual perception in general is very low at the moment, but wouldn't it make sense to see the reason for (my) strabismus in the unequality of my eyes?
To cite myself:
Quote:How can the eyes be balanced if one is weaker, which causes the strabism (I think) as the mind tries to balance the eyes itself to correct the imbalance caused by the weaker eye?
Palming would get the eyes parallel, yes, but a twenty minute nap would do so too.
The reason for this is that, if the eyes are closed they don't focus on anything so the brain is not forced to optimize the focus of the unequal eyes which leads to strabism.
But you have much more experience and knowledge in this, so you can probably explain where I'm wrong.
I saw that Bates offers some exercises to cure strabismus in his book.
I'll give them a try.
The more I read about Bates (and assuming that his methods really work), the more I wonder or better said the more I'm appalled that his methods are not common knowledge and the number one therapy for eyesight issues.
Alex wants to improve Wrote:Palming would get the eyes parallel, yes, but a twenty minute nap would do so too.
The reason for this is that, if the eyes are closed they don't focus on anything so the brain is not forced to optimize the focus of the unequal eyes which leads to strabism.
But you have much more experience and knowledge in this, so you can probably explain where I'm wrong.
This is a common perception. But it makes it sound like this is what the brain does automatically, without your intervention, as something other than yourself. It's a big cop-out nowadays, blaming the brain because it's too complicated for anyone to explain and therefore can be safely held responsible.
What's really going on is YOU force pressure on your eyes to cause the strabismus. You go into a habitual mode of "trying" to see, without even realizing it, or without realizing that what you know as "seeing" is really you putting in the unnecessary strain. It's amazing how it works - it's like someone who has a sore face every time they put on their hat, and as you watch them, they slap their face every time before they put on the hat. When you point out that they have a habit of slapping themselves before putting on the hat, they will strongly and consistently deny that they would do such a thing, and yet, as you watch, they keep doing it. It's exactly like that.
David
Site Administrator
"Half of our funny, heathen lives, we are bent double to gather things we have tossed away." - George Meredith
I think Dave is exactly right. When I start working with new clients, we might waste 3-4 sessions just debating whether or not the person is straining to see. Until a person concedes that, there is no possibiity of progress. With kids, there is no debate. You tell them what to do and they do it, consequently they improve much faster in general.
I had strabismus starting at age 3, and there is absolutely no question it was the result of straining to see. The tricky part is, when you relax the strain you will initially see blurrier, double, or your double vision will get worse. But hang in there for a few seconds, observe some swings (long or optical) and the eyes will fuse on their own with no conscious input. Without the swings it is likely to get locked on a point and then the autofocus thing doesn't happen.
Getting to the point where a person trusts this automatic fusion to happen has something to do with a person's ability to say, "OK, everything i thought I knew might be wrong..."
It's like saying "I'll pick up the pen when I learn to write".
