i haven't worn my glasses for about one year, since Dec 2006. At that point, my eyesight was about 5.25 diopters in one eye and 4.75 in the other, which is pretty myopic. Ever since then, i have had clear flashes everyday; not as often as i would like, and annoyingly they usually go away after i blink.
1. I noticed one particular aspect of my clear flashes was that they seemed strange, especially at night. At night, say when i was on the street looking at the street and traffic lights, the light from the, uh, street lights appeared smudged. Around the glass bulb of each lamp i could see a large, roughly round area of blurred light.
However, when i have clear flashes at night, i can see the light bulbs etc clearly, but the halo/blurry thing around the light remains there. This is especially evident when looking at digital words, such as the digital numbers on a clock in darkness.when i have a clear flash, i can read the numbers easily, but the surrounding blurriness remains. This could be attributed to how i have especially large pupils. i was wondering anybody else experienced this, and whether it is possible to, over time, eliminate this problem?
2. I recently had my eyes tested some months ago, first by machine then by an optometrist. The machine gave me a reading that indicated i had barely improved my eyesight. I was quite discouraged. However, the manual testing by the optometrist, where he gives you test glasses and asks you to read a screen, gave me a reading of 4.00 diopters in both eyes. Which is an improvement. Could anyone explain this discrepancy to me?
This made me think about the conventional belief about myopia, and how it is caused by elongation of the eyeball. I assume that conventional opticians have got some element of truth here, and if so, does the Bates method actually shorten your eyeball? Bates method focuses on correcting bad mental habits, and it is logical to assume that this will manifest itself also as physical changes in one's visual system. i asked my optician regarding my improvement, and she said that this was due to changes in my cornea, rather than the length of my eyeball. Any thoughts on this?
3. Often i find myself spacing out, where i just 'stare' straight ahead and daydream, but i'm virtually unaware of whatever i'm looking at. I find this habit quite relaxing. Is this considered what Bates called "staring", and hence causing strain? Should i try to stop myself every time i begin doing this?
4. Lastly, i will be entering my country's army for 2 years, starting Jan 2008. As such, it is sadly necessary for me to have effectively prefect eyesight through glasses due to activities like rifle shooting, etc. Will this greatly hinder my progress? I was hoping i would at least be able to improve my eyesight to around 1.00 diopters, as wearing glasses of high prescription is very uncomfortable now, and even after 5 minutes of wearing reduced prescription glasses, i find my without-glasses-eyesight has greatly deteriorated (temporarily). This doesn't look possible, though. But before i resign myself to wearing full prescription glasses ( i will be making my new pair in the coming weeks) , is there anything tips/help that anyone could give me regarding this?
It is good that you can function with no minus lens on your face. A -4 diopter lens would indicate
a Snellen of about 20/280. The definition of "legal blindness" starts at 20/200. ???
Quote:2. I recently had my eyes tested some months ago, first by machine then by an optometrist. The machine gave me a reading that indicated i had barely improved my eyesight. I was quite discouraged. However, the manual testing by the optometrist, where he gives you test glasses and asks you to read a screen, gave me a reading of 4.00 diopters in both eyes. Which is an improvement. Could anyone explain this discrepancy to me?
Personally, and confirmed by ODs -- the "machine" is not accurate. I would also plan
to check your own Snellen as the most accurate measurement you can
ever have.
I know it is discouraging at 20/200 -- to do so -- but in the final analysis, your
Snellen will confirm your vision-clearing.
For your #3 question, I was reading in one of my books that 'spacing out' isn't good. It's staring and bringing strain. I've read that you want to practice central fixation, and shift your gaze from one object to another. I have a strong feeling that staring and spacing out is how I became near sighted. I just think of when I first realized I needed glasses, and what I was doing at the time. I was basically staring at the computer constantly and diffusing my vision.
I have heard many, many office fibs in my life -- and this is one of them.
No, the OD does not "lie" -- but they do not tell scientific truth either.
Quote:This made me think about the conventional belief about myopia, and how it is caused by elongation of the eyeball. I assume that conventional opticians have got some element of truth here, and if so, does the Bates method actually shorten your eyeball? Bates method focuses on correcting bad mental habits, and it is logical to assume that this will manifest itself also as physical changes in one's visual system. i asked my optician regarding my improvement, and she said that this was due to changes in my cornea, rather than the length of my eyeball. Any thoughts on this?
She has no more a "clue" about this than YOU DO.
Tragically, it is SOOO easy to impress a person with a minus lens (the first minus) and ignore
Bates advocacy -- the the minus "wins" at that point.
This is a long story as you can imagine.
But Bates was very correct about that first minus. You wear it, and you can
COUNT on your refractive STATE going down at a rate of -1/2 diotper per year.
Bates thesis (i.e., the 1913 study) showed that it could be REVERSED (before the minus)
if these preventive methods (including Bates and plus) were STARTED before
you eyes "adapt" to that wretched minus. :'(
1) That seems to be fairly common. I am able to palm my way to a clear flash with reasonable regularity, but the clear flash is weird and distorted, featuring many letters in a circle around where the letter should be. I think that until you improve further, you may continue to get distorted images, but don't worry about them.
2) Remember that vision is not static thing. It responds VERY rapidly to strain placed upon it I talked with David about this: The optometrist's office is about the worst possible conditions for your vision. I would count on your vision being MUCH better than what the optometrist prescribed for you.
Of course your optometrist said it was because of changes in the cornea. To admit that it isn't would be to admit their entire practice is a sham. The Bates method promotes the theory that instead of the cornea accommodating, the entire eye does. In your current myopic state, strain in the muscles has caused your eye to become stretched. Curing the myopia will require a return to the natural, relaxed state.
3) Bates stated that those pursuing the cure had a habit of thinking they were relaxing when they were straining and thinking they were straining when they were in fact relaxing. So I would try not to do it.
4) Review the vision standard for your job. Some army jobs require different standards. You may be able to get away with a reduced prescription and if you can't make sure to get a optometrist to prescribe glasses that just BARELY qualify you for the vision standard. Frankly for the reasons covered in answer 2 these glasses will probably also be too strong, but not as strong as they would have been.
nicked Wrote:2. I recently had my eyes tested some months ago, first by machine then by an optometrist. The machine gave me a reading that indicated i had barely improved my eyesight.
This lead me to wonder, where during Bates' time he uses a retinoscope to accurately measure refractive errors, what does the modern optometrist uses? Shouldn't the modern machines be more accurate than the technology available 100 over yrs ago? Can it measure eyeball elongation? How would the eyes that had gone through refractive correcting surgery(eg. lasik) look like under these machines? If Bates' method improve vision by changing the cornea rather than changing the shape of the eyeball, wouldn't it be the same as undergoing lasik surgery? Are there any evidence or scientific that Bates' methods change the shape of the eyeball?
I have learned to totally DISTRUST any measurement made by and optometrist. I trust them to look
for and find a "true" medical problem (for loss of visual acuity), but beyond that pont I regard
them as incompetent to make an accurate measurement of your refractive STATE. it
think if you are old enough and wise enough (and know what you are doing) you can
do a far better job of it.
Quote:This lead me to wonder, where during Bates' time he uses a retinoscope to accurately measure refractive errors, what does the modern optometrist uses? Shouldn't the modern machines be more accurate than the technology available 100 over yrs ago? Can it measure eyeball elongation? How would the eyes that had gone through refractive correcting surgery(eg. lasik) look like under these machines? If Bates' method improve vision by changing the cornea rather than changing the shape of the eyeball, wouldn't it be the same as undergoing lasik surgery? Are there any evidence or scientific that Bates' methods change the shape of the eyeball? Regards, Petal
For instance, I promote the REJECTION of the minus lens (for the same reason that Bates did) and advocate second-opinion
preventive measures.
One friend, who was wearing a -4 diopter lens (for the previous 2 years), talked to me about this
subject.
He checked his Snellen, and found it was about 20/70 (not great, but not a -4 diopter prescription either).
After working with the preventive methods, he was up to 20/40. (Passes most DMV tests -- which
was his interest.) After some more work over several months, he went in and passed
the Maryland DMV visual acuity test.
This is either:
1. And incredible over-prescription or,
2. These preventive methods actually do work.
Conclusion:
What ever else you might do -- read your Snellen and stop relying on an OD to
do it for your. ???
I know what you're talking about with the center appearing clearly and a halo of blur. I've noticed it at night too. I'm not sure why it happens, maybe one eye only seeing clearly.
Bates's theory on the myopia eye length issue was that the extrinsic muscles co-contrated to lengthen the eye, and that the change was not permanent but merely held in place with chronic tension. The issue can make for a long discussion. Anyway, people have found that it certainly is not permanent and is only a very stubborn chronic disorder.
Spacing out like you describe is absolutely fine, and in fact I'd recommend doing it as often as possible if it involves memory of the senses like mental pictures or sounds.
As far as the army, I think you already know the answer.
Dave
Site Administrator
"Half of our funny, heathen lives, we are bent double to gather things we have tossed away." - George Meredith
I agree with Dave. Spacing out is ok. I see many people with perfect eyesight do it. Plus you don't notice your eyes while thinking about something else; even though you think you are staring at one point, your eye in fact could be shifting around very quickly (saccadic eye movements).
Quote:Well you can still correct your vision without having neither an eyeglass nor contacts early last year I undergo Lasik surgery for my astigmatism and like the concern of other people im not comfortable in wearing contacts because my eyes are sensitive for infection so my friend recommend me for Lasik exam in my2020 have you heard that? The exam includes a complete evaluation of the internal and external health of the eyes. They create a detailed map of the eyes and perform all of the visual tests necessary to prepare for LASIK. And the nice thing with Lasik-1 is they use the latest, most advanced technology to thoroughly determine your eligibility for LASIK. I donât know if you already heard a Dr. Stephen B. Wiles, he is one of the surgeons and I can say one of the best in the world. Anyway just try to have a schedule exam for a FREE VIP LASIK your first step in achieving improved vision. Hope that one help you. Good luckâ¦
Quote:Well you can still correct your vision without having neither an eyeglass nor contacts early last year I undergo Lasik surgery for my astigmatism and like the concern of other people im not comfortable in wearing contacts because my eyes are sensitive for infection so my friend recommend me for Lasik exam in my2020 have you heard that? The exam includes a complete evaluation of the internal and external health of the eyes. They create a detailed map of the eyes and perform all of the visual tests necessary to prepare for LASIK. And the nice thing with Lasik-1 is they use the latest, most advanced technology to thoroughly determine your eligibility for LASIK. I donât know if you already heard a Dr. Stephen B. Wiles, he is one of the surgeons and I can say one of the best in the world. Anyway just try to have a schedule exam for a FREE VIP LASIK your first step in achieving improved vision. Hope that one help you. Good luckâ¦
Please BAN this person for posting such replies.
I second this motion. This is a blatant advertisement, not to mention lasik is a terrible procedure.
Quote:Well you can still correct your vision without having neither an eyeglass nor contacts early last year I undergo Lasik surgery for my astigmatism and like the concern of other people im not comfortable in wearing contacts because my eyes are sensitive for infection so my friend recommend me for Lasik exam in my2020 have you heard that? The exam includes a complete evaluation of the internal and external health of the eyes. They create a detailed map of the eyes and perform all of the visual tests necessary to prepare for LASIK. And the nice thing with Lasik-1 is they use the latest, most advanced technology to thoroughly determine your eligibility for LASIK. I donât know if you already heard a Dr. Stephen B. Wiles, he is one of the surgeons and I can say one of the best in the world. Anyway just try to have a schedule exam for a FREE VIP LASIK your first step in achieving improved vision. Hope that one help you. Good luckâ¦
Please BAN this person for posting such replies.
I second this motion. This is a blatant advertisement, not to mention lasik is a terrible procedure.
lasik is one of the worst things you can do to your eyes....I get sick just THINKING of lasik and how horrible it is...cutting your cornea with a lazer...just awful. I agree that this person should be banned.
and let me first say I'm not going to do Lasik surgery and I don't support it.
If I understand what ogledecipher says correctly, this means you could book your first appointment and get a free map of your eye. Does anyone know what this involves? Are they only mapping the cornea or do they map the volume of the eye? Anyone see what I'm getting at here?
Why not get a free mapping (if there's no obligation to actually do the surgery), before doing Bates method. And then do it again, after success with the Bates method? There would be a very nice piece of valuable scientific information showing what has actually changed when the eyesight has improved. I've been wondering how I could get someone to measure the length of my eye, this sounds like a nice free way (and what better way than with such poetic justice?)
The only problem would be you might have to get the "after" mapping done when the vision is still less than perfect, otherwise you aren't exactly a good candidate for laser eye surgery...
and let me first say I'm not going to do Lasik surgery and I don't support it.
If I understand what ogledecipher says correctly, this means you could book your first appointment and get a free map of your eye. Does anyone know what this involves? Are they only mapping the cornea or do they map the volume of the eye? Anyone see what I'm getting at here?
Why not get a free mapping (if there's no obligation to actually do the surgery), before doing Bates method. And then do it again, after success with the Bates method? There would be a very nice piece of valuable scientific information showing what has actually changed when the eyesight has improved. I've been wondering how I could get someone to measure the length of my eye, this sounds like a nice free way (and what better way than with such poetic justice?)
The only problem would be you might have to get the "after" mapping done when the vision is still less than perfect, otherwise you aren't exactly a good candidate for laser eye surgery...
I'm guessing that the eye map is a corneal topography, a computer scan recording the curvature of the cornea. In theory, proven in this fashion, it might hold more weight, but if I was a optometrist I would just say that you used Ortho-K lenses.
On another note, we sure do have a real first class winner here folks. I never actually visited the site the first time. A first class lasik surgeon for 895? Holding your eye exam and the operation on the same day? No need to spend any more time on them.
