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| Various | Inner Vision | Links |
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Raw
Health Talk - Interview on Tropic Wave Radio. 18 March 2008 Listen to a recording of this radio interview. You'll hear Roe Gallo talk with Esther about her work as natural vision educator. Get tips on improving your vision! Free to listen. Approximately 1 hour. Go here to listen. |
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Windows
on the Mind Once scorned as nervous tics, certain tiny, unconscious flicks of the eyes now turn out to underpin much of our ability to see. These movements may even reveal subliminal thoughts. As you read this, your eyes are rapidly flicking from left to right in small hops, bringing each word sequentially into focus. When you stare at a person’s face, your eyes will similarly dart here and there, resting momentarily on one eye, the other eye, nose, mouth and other features. With a little introspection, you can detect this frequent flexing of your eye muscles as you scan a page, face or scene. But these large voluntary eye movements, called saccades, turn out to be just a small part of the daily workout your eye muscles get. Your eyes never stop moving, even when they are apparently settled, say, on a person's nose or a sailboat bobbing on the horizon. When the eyes fixate on something, as they do for 80 percent of your waking hours, they still jump and jiggle imperceptibly in ways that turn out to be essential for seeing. If you could somehow halt these miniature motions while fixing your gaze, a static scene would simply fade from view. And yet only recently have
researchers come to appreciate the profound importance of such "fixational"
eye movements. For five decades, a debate has raged about whether the
largest of these involuntary movements, the so-called microsaccades,
serve any purpose at all. Some scientist have opined that
microsaccades might even impair eyesight by blurring it. But
recent work in the laboratory of one of us (Martinez-Conde) at the
Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix has made the strongest case
yet that these minuscule ocular meanderings separate vision from
blindness when a person looks out at a stationary world. |
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Economic
Impact of Vision Problems in the U.S. Estimated at $51.4 Billion CHICAGO (April 18, 2007) – Prevent Blindness America today released a new report estimating the costs associated with adult vision problems in the United States at $51.4 billion. The Economic Impact of Vision Problems: The Toll of Major Adult Eye Disorders, Visual Impairment, and Blindness on the U.S. Economy provides both the costs to the individual and their caregivers, and the impact on the U.S. economy of vision conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, diabetic retinopathy, primary open-angle glaucoma, refractive error, visual impairment and blindness. Read the rest of
this Press
release These numbers are an indication of the enormity of the problem of vision deterioration. I've heard estimates that more than 80% of the population in the USA has vision problems. Our eyesight challenges seem to be getting worse, not better, despite well over 32,000 optometrists (according to the AOA website) currently in practice in the United States alone. What is wrong with this picture?!? Optometrists
advise us to have regular, preferably annual, eye exams, so they can
prescribe compensating lenses at the earliest sign of vision
deterioration. However, the obvious tendency is for vision to
get worse, not better, when glasses or contacts are worn.
Glasses are a nuisance, contacts are not much better, and in general
most users of compensating lenses are not satisfied with having to use
these crutches for the rest of their lives. Out of despair
people turn to laser operations in large numbers, while cataract
sufferers wait for the 'ripening' of their cataracts so they can have
lens replacement surgery. Dr William H
Bates, MD, discovered that eye-strain is the major cause of vision
deterioration and he set out to find the solution. He concluded
that the tension on the muscles around the eyes could be released by
simple relaxation techniques, and that applying these techniques
resulted in a speedy return to clear vision for most people. His
methods are still taught today, even if few teachers have a thorough
understanding of how to apply it. Still, the key to reducing the
cost and number of vision problems IS available. Those who have
eyes to see, will find it... |
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Court
Orders Vision Improvement Technologies to End Sales of "See
Clearly Method" Kit The Court order resolves a consumer fraud lawsuit filed last year by Attorney General Tom Miller, which alleged that the company could not substantiate claims that the "See Clearly Method" improved people's vision so much that they would no longer need glasses or contact lenses. The "See Clearly Method" was a kit of manuals, charts, videos and audio-tapes demonstrating eye exercises and other techniques, such as focusing eyes using special charts or props, facing a bright light with eyes closed at a distance of a few inches, covering eyes with hands for sustained periods, and applying hot and cold wash cloths over closed eyes. The company sold tens of thousands of the kits for about $350 apiece. "The company made dramatic claims for its product that it could not substantiate," Miller said. "They represented that consumers who used the method could quickly and easily free themselves of having to wear glasses or contact lenses. They used illegal tactics including exaggerated claims of effectiveness, false implications of scientific validity, and misleading consumer testimonials in advertising," he said. "We also alleged that a
so-called 'risk-free' 30-day trial period was deceptively presented
and ended up forcing many consumers to pay hundreds of dollars apiece
for a product that they wanted to return because it did not help
them," Miller said. |
Harder you look, the less you see 30 September
2006 BBC
NEWS
Usually when we attend to something performance is
better. But not always" ~ Researcher Marisa Carrasco Dr Carrasco explained: "Usually when we attend to something performance is better. But not always. "If, for example, you are monitoring a screen and all the time you attend to a particular location on that screen then you are not going to be sensitive after a while. "It's really paradoxical because you would think you are doing your best by focusing your attention." Evolutionary advantage Professor Peter McOwan, professor of Computer Science at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "These results show a fascinating new kind of attentional illusion - the longer you 'look' the less you 'see'. "Discovering and examining illusions like these will really help us understand how human perception works. "Visual attention helps us decide what's important, and understanding how this works in humans may allow us to build smarter computer vision systems that know what to look for." The researchers stressed that their findings
should not be any cause for real concern in everyday life. |
| Natural
Eyesight Improvement by Esther 'Joy' van der Werf (This article was first published in Living Nutrition Magazine, October 2005) Seeing, like breathing, is something we do without much conscious thought. However, some of us have stopped breathing fully - now breathing shallowly instead, and some of us have stopped seeing effortlessly - now straining to see instead. Somewhere along the line, something interfered with our natural habits, and we started on a downhill slide. Can you remember a time when your vision was perfect? What happened when it began to deteriorate? Were you doing lots of reading or close up work? Did you go through a stressful period? Was there an accident? When I ask these questions many people discover a link between the beginning of their vision problems and a major change in their life. For one person it was a neck injury, someone else went through divorce, yet another had a hard time living up to expectations during college, and one person realized his vision problems began when he got a job involving long hours working indoors without windows. Tracing the initial cause may help us understand the current problem and can be the first step toward healing our eyes. Improving my own vision Can your eyesight improve too? Vision fluctuates No eye exercises Relaxing your eyes - moving versus staring Blinking Breathing The above will help you set your first steps on the path to natural clear vision. For more information on natural eyesight improvement please visit www.VisionsOfJoy.org, where you'll also find suggestions of books on eyesight improvement, links to many other similar websites, dates of eyesight improvement classes and a list of natural vision conferences and events worldwide. Enjoy you path to clarity. |
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Study Offers New Evidence
That Leafy Green Veggies Protect Eyes and Prevent Damage to the Lens
of the Eye "The dose of UVB radiation we used on the cells is about the
same amount a person receives when they get a mild tan," says
Bomser. Adding lutein and zeaxanthin to the cells reduced signs of
ultraviolet damage by 50%-60%. Vitamin E reduced the same signs of
damage by 25%-32%. This study provides new evidence that these antioxidants, which are
found in plants such as spinach, kale, and collard greens, can indeed
help prevent cataracts by protecting the eyes from the damaging effects
of ultraviolet sunlight. |
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Heavy Computer Use
Linked to Glaucoma Dr Marc Grossman's Note: The reason why computer users may have increased
risk of glaucoma is very possibly due to the excess strain on the
eyes due to prolonged focusing for long periods of time on the computer.
This may overtime increase intracular pressure (IOP) resulting in
glaucoma. |
| Lifestyle
Blamed for Rise in Myopia in East Asia (Thanks to Dror Schneider for submitting this.) LONDON (Reuters, Wednesday July 7, 2004) - A rise in myopia, or nearsightedness, in east Asia is due to lifestyle changes and not genetics, a science magazine said on Wednesday. Genetic variations that make people more susceptible to myopia were thought to be the cause of the increase in the vision problem in countries such as Singapore and Japan where cases have risen sharply. But Ian Morgan, of the Australian National University in Canberra, said there is no evidence to support the genetic theory and added that the rise in myopia is due to lifestyle changes, particularly hours spent indoors reading or in front of a computer or television. "Children now spend much of their time focusing on close objects, such as books or computers," New Scientist magazine said. "To compensate, the eyeball is thought to grow longer. That way less effort is needed to focus up close, but the elongated eye can no longer focus on distant objects." People with myopia have difficulty seeing objects at a distance, or reading signs but can do close-up tasks and read. The magazine said the rate of myopia in India is about 10 percent but that 70 percent of 18-year-old men of Indian origin in Singapore have myopia. Morgan and Kathryn Rose, of the University of Sydney, also cited a study in Israel which found that 80 percent of teenage boys studying in religious schools that emphasized reading texts had myopia, compared to 30 percent in state schools. "As kids spend more time indoors, on computers or watching telly, we are going to become just as myopic," said Morgan. |
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Dave, for sending this article and for your humorous approach! ~ EJvdW) From: David Kiesling, of www.iblindness.org Subject: Study: Not all kids with glasses need them See the article below. Does it make you want to just pound your head against the wall? Or, at least, shake your head and marvel at the utter hopelessness of their approach? I don't know what they think the reason is for all the misdiagnoses, but the answer is staring them in the face and they don't see it. So what do you think? Will they actually start thinking that vision
changes over short periods of time? Or will they conclude that it
was the work of improperly wielded power of Refractollo, God of Measurement,
and move onto finding a relationship between glaucoma and some obscure
chemical? Dave A study out today finds that up to 20% of children with normal eyes who undergo comprehensive vision exams may be prescribed glasses they don't need. In an article published online in the Journal of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, researchers examined the records of more than 100,000 preschoolers who were screened through a statewide program in Tennessee. More than 3,600 children were referred to specialists for follow-ups because of suspected disorders, such as lazy eye, according to the study. About one-quarter, or 890, were found to have no eye problems. Yet nearly one in five of these children were prescribed glasses. Some health professionals were more likely to misdiagnose kids than
others, said Sean Donahue, lead study author and an associate professor
of ophthalmology, pediatrics and neurology at Vanderbilt University
School of Medicine. Optometrists prescribed glasses 35% of the time;
general ophthalmologists, 12%; and pediatric To Donahue, that suggests that optometrists and ophthalmologists who usually treat adults may not have as much expertise with children. Many youngsters are slightly farsighted, he said, although most will grow out of the condition without glasses. (emphasis added by EJvdW) While many doctors recommend that preschoolers should be screened for vision problems, experts disagree about the best approach. Kentucky requires that youngsters undergo comprehensive eye exams before beginning school. Donahue said states should think carefully about such expenses before following Kentucky's example. Given the high level of misdiagnoses, Donahue said, such laws could be expensive. Glasses cost about $150; exams add another $100. Instead of forcing all preschoolers to get a formal exam, he said, kids could be screened by doctors, teachers, nurses or others, then referred to eye specialists for further examination. Susan Taub, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Northwestern University, said she is concerned that many children suffer from undiagnosed eye disorders, which can cause permanent damage or hurt their ability to learn. Doctors still do not know which tests or technology work best, Taub said. "This does need further study," she said. "We don't want kids to fall through the cracks." |
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(Story from BBC NEWS, Published: 2004/06/14 23:18:30 GMT) Fruit 'helps prevent eye disease'Eating fruit could protect against an age-related eye disease which can cause blindness, research suggests. Researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston followed the progress of over 118,000 people for between 12 and 18 years. Those who ate three or more servings of fruit a day were 36% less likely to develop age-related maculopathy than people who ate less than 1.5 per day. The study is published in the Archives of Ophthalmology. Age-related maculopathy, or age-related macular degeneration, is
the leading cause of blindness in people over 65. The condition is
caused by the deterioration of the macula, a part of the light sensitive
layer in the eye called the retina. The cells either break down, or
the tissue is damaged by the growth of blood vessels under the retina.
There is a treatment for the condition, but no cure. Diet survey Women completed questionnaires about their diets up to five times over the follow-up period (in 1980, 1984, 1986, 1990 and 1994), and men three times, in 1986, 1990, and 1994. They also reported their vitamin and supplement use once every two years. Over the follow-up period, 329 women and 135 men were diagnosed with early stage ARM, and 217 women and 99 men with neovascular ARM, a more severe type of the condition. While three or more portions of fruit a day was found to significantly cut someone's risk of developing neovascular ARM - a severe form of the disease, eating more vegetables did not appear to hold any benefit. Bananas and oranges were strongly linked with protective benefits. Researchers also found that levels of antioxidant vitamins or carotenoids - compounds responsible for the red, yellow and orange pigments found in some fruits and vegetables - were not directly related to ARM risk. Food versus supplements They suggest other constituents of fruits with potential health benefit include flavanoids, fibre, folate and potassium. Catherine Collins, a dietician based at St George's Hospital in London,
said the study findings made sense because certain substances found
in fruit had specific benefits for eye health. She said the beneficial
link with fruit may have been clearer in this study because people
did not eat enough of lutein-rich vegetables such as spinach for them
to have a noticeable effect. She added: "There are substances
in foods which give you extra benefits |
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