Eye Health Universe! One Stop Eye Health Solution! Better Vision(Improve your vision Naturally) Universal Health

The brain and the eyes work closely as a team. The eyes have to first capture an image and focus on the shape, size, and colors. The mind needs to interpret that information which is seen and then store it for recall later. Images that we see daily take mere seconds to interpret and remember. New images take a little bit longer. The more focused the eyes are on an image the more strong the memory will become. When looking at new object, pay attention to the lines around it, the borders, colors, size, shape, and anything else that will make recall easier later. Of course, the more relaxed the eyes are the quicker the mind can process and memorize new objects.

*Improve eyesight today*

Improve your Vision - Natural Gateways

It has been said the eyes are the windows to the soul, but they also our windows to look out and observe the world. Eyes are important for seeing things, reading, working, and even communicating. The eyes are sensitive though, they work hard and they need time to rest and recover from the constant strain put on them.

Did you know that we can cure poor eyesight just by changing a few bad habits? We are extremely hard on our eyes and taking to the time to practice relaxation exercising can help us see more clearly. Even if you have worn glasses for years or are prone to eye problems and eye disease, learning to take the strain and stress away from the eyes can cure all that.

Strain and stress are the main factors affecting poor eyesight. Everyone is born with relatively good eyesight. Throughout our school age years we are taught bad habits that cause our eyes to strain too much. Sitting in a classroom, constantly staring at a blackboard, books, or paper all day leaves our eyes tired and stressed. There is no time between classes or subjects to relax the eyes and give them a few moments of rest. These habits carry over to our adult lives and we do the same thing at work day in and day out.

The body gives out signals when it needs rest. If we spend too much time on household chores the backs starts to hurt and the arms get tired. These signals tell us to take a break, lie down, or just relax for few minutes. Likewise, they eyes can tell you when they need a break as well. The head may start hurting, the eyes start to burn a little, or a slight twitch may develop in one or both eyes. These are signs that the eyes need to rest. So rest to improve your eyesight it's one way to do it.

Resting the eyes is as simple as finding a quiet place, relaxing the mind, and closing the eyes so they can re-energize. Bad eyesight doesn't have to happen. Easy ways to improve your eyesight can happen. We can take steps today to develop the habits that will increase our eyesight for the rest of our lives.

*Improve eyesight today*

The eyes are chalk full of tiny muscles. The muscles main job is to change the shape of the eyes. The eyes change shape so they can focus and move up, down, and side to side. As with any muscle in the body, without proper exercise and training the muscles can weaken as we age. Most people are forced into artificial lenses because the muscles are too weak to change the shape of the eyes.

The lens of the eye hardens with age forcing the muscles to work harder. The eye muscles can be trained to work no matter how hard the lens get. It is the muscles around the eye that control the shape of the eyeballs. Once you learn how to exercise and train these muscles it is easy to put them to good use and avoid the need to ever need glasses.

Almost all eye problems are due to mental strain and excess stress on the eyes. Alternates to glasses are everywhere. Learning how to relax the eye and the eye muscles is the best thing to ensure you will never need artificial lenses. Relaxing your eyes sounds difficult, but it is much easier than you think. We cause our eyes unneeded strain by looking at things that annoy or irritate us. Take some time out to focus your sights on pleasant things. Put photographs on or around the desk at work of things that bring joy and happiness. Look at these pictures when you are feeling especially frustrated or stress and concentrate on relaxing and calming down.

*Improve eyesight today*

Mental strain is the main cause of eyesight problems and ailments. If strain can be eliminated from the eyes, eye sight will improve naturally. Teaching the eyes to relax is an important factor in getting rid of vision problems. Unfortunately, outside stressors and strain cannot always be controlled. The only thing we can control is our reaction to outside sources, but those outside factors can really do a number on our eyes.

There are a number of things each day that can cause us stress. Some are within our power to chance, but most are not. Financial problems, heartache, family problems, death, illness, or weather are some of the stressful factors we face in our lives. We may be able to chance a financial situation, heartache, or a family issue, but it's hard to control the weather or a death.

One thing you always have control of is thought patterns. If negative thoughts are keeping your down, you are the only one who can change that pattern of thought. Dealing with your negative thoughts can actually solve many of the problems we once though were out of our control. Thinking more positive will cause less strain in the family and eliminate those problems. Positive outlook on life can make you feel better and leave you less susceptible to disease and illness.

It is human nature to look for outside sources and reasons for our own negative behavior. We tend to blame other people or the weather or the traffic for our negative thoughts. Although, these outside sources can initially make us angry or frustrated, we are the ones who decide to stay in the negative mind set. Negativity causes stress and strain in our lives and causes excess strain on the eyes. Improving eyesight is really just all in in front of you

*Improve eyesight today*

It has been said the eyes are the windows to the soul, but they also our windows to look out and observe the world. Eyes are important for seeing things, reading, working, and even communicating. The eyes are sensitive though, they work hard and they need time to rest and recover from the constant strain put on them.

The body gives out signals when it needs rest. If we spend too much time on household chores the backs starts to hurt and the arms get tired. These signals tell us to take a break, lie down, or just relax for few minutes. Likewise, they eyes can tell you when they need a break as well. The head may start hurting, the eyes start to burn a little, or a slight twitch may develop in one or both eyes. These are signs that the eyes need to rest.

*Improve eyesight today*

Resting the eyes is as simple as finding a quiet place, relaxing the mind, and closing the eyes so they can re-energize. Bad eyesight doesn't have to happen. We can take steps today to develop the habits that will increase our eyesight for the rest of our lives.

We are extremely hard on our eyes and taking to the time to practice relaxation exercising can help us see more clearly. Even if you have worn glasses for years or are prone to eye problems and eye disease, learning to take the strain and stress away from the eyes can cure all that.

Thoughts can actually affect our vision. When you are thinking pleasant, happy thoughts the eyes are more relaxed. Relaxed eyes have better focus and allow the eyes to make smooth movements. Negative thoughts cause the eyes to strain. Strained eyes tend to stare and the movements of the eye are jerky causing the eyes to hurt.
Forget about the negative stressors going on around you, and think about positive, pleasant things. Picture yourself relaxing on the beach, the waves lapping at your feet, a cold drink in your hand. Keep your thoughts focused on as many pleasant things as you can for the entire 15 minutes. When you open your eyes, you should feel more relaxed and the eyes more focused.
Listening to what the eyes are saying and relax them when they are tired. Taking time out to relax, will help your vision for years to come.

Age-related macular degeneration: A loss of central vision in both eyes.
Myopia (nearsightedness): Inability to see clearly at a distance. The eye is "too long" for the lens, so light isn't focused properly on the retina.
Hyperopia (farsightedness): Inability to see near objects clearly. The eye is "too short" for the lens, or certain eye muscles have weakened with age.
Strabismus: The eyes do not point in the same direction. The brain may then favor one eye, causing decreased vision (amblyopia) in the other eye.
Pterygium: A thickened conjunctival mass usually on the inner part of the eyeball. It may cover a part of the cornea, causing vision problems.
Scotoma: A blind or dark spot in the visual field.
Amblyopia (lazy eye): One eye sees better than the other, a problem of childhood development. The weaker eye may or may not "wander." The weaker eye is called the "lazy eye."
Astigmatism: A defect that causes an inability to properly focus light onto the retina. Astigmatism causes blurry vision that can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
Cataract: A clouding of the lens, which hinders the passage of light through the lens.
Conjunctivitis: Also known as "pinkeye," conjunctivitis is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva. It is usually caused by allergies, a virus, or a bacterial infection.
Glaucoma: Increased pressure inside the eye slowly reduces vision. Peripheral vision is lost first, often going undetected for years.
Diplopia (double vision): Seeing double can be caused by many serious conditions. Diplopia requires immediate medical attention.
Retinal detachment: The retina comes loose from the back of the eye. Trauma and diabetes are common causes of this medical emergency.
Diabetic retinopathy: High blood sugar damages blood vessels in the eye. Eventually, weakened blood vessels may overgrow the retina or bleed, threatening vision.
Stye: Bacteria infect the skin on the edge of the eyelid, creating a tender red bump.
Chalazion: An oil-making gland gets blocked and swells into a bump. Often confused with styes, chalazions are not caused by infections.
Hyphema: Bleeding into the front of the eye, behind the cornea. Hyphema is usually caused by trauma.
Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids near the eyelashes. Blepharitis is a common cause of itching or a feeling of grit in the eyes.
Corneal abrasion: A scratch on the clear part of the front of the eye. Pain, light sensitivity, or a feeling of grit in the eye are the usual symptoms.
Keratitis: Inflammation or infection of the cornea. Keratitis typically occurs after germs enter a corneal abrasion.
Retinitis: Inflammation or infection of the retina. Retinitis may be a long-term genetic condition or result from a viral infection.
Uveitis (iritis): The colored part of the eye becomes inflamed or infected. An overactive immune system, bacteria, or viruses can be responsible.
Dry eye: Either the eyes don't produce enough tears, or the tears are of poor quality. Dry eye can be caused by medical problems such as lupus, scleroderma, and Sjogren's syndrome.
Optic neuritis: The optic nerve becomes inflamed, usually from an overactive immune system. Painful vision loss in one eye typically results.
Black eye: Swelling and discoloration around the eye as a result of injury to the face.

As an added help you may want to consider using vitamins and learning how they play a big role in the improvement of your vision. Vitamins A,C, and E are the main vitamins responsible for keeping strong eye health. Antioxidants are very effective in treating many ailments associated with eye problems. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two major antioxidents found in many foods you may already consume. For example, Lutein can be found in yellow peppers, spinach, mangos etc. Zeaxanthin can be found in eggs, oranges,spinach etc. Stack up on these items regularly and you shall be on a healthy path to great vision.

1. Dark circles (Part I): Wrap some grated raw potato (either the yellow or white skin potatoes are fine) in a cotton cloth and hold against your eyes for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
2. Dark circles (Part II): If you find it too troublesome to grate the potato, you could slice the potato (at least 0.5cm thick) and keep them in the fridge. After at least 30 minutes, place two slices of potato on your eyes for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Puffy eyes (Part I): According to Letha Hadady, author of Healthy Beauty, drinking green tea and putting used green tea bags (after they have cooled) over your eyes will help reduce puffiness and inflammation.
4. Puffy eyes (Part II): If you do not wish to drink the tea, you could simply soak two chamomile tea bags in cold water and blot off excess water with a paper towel. Apply to your eyes for a few minutes. Chamomile is anti-inflammatory and will help bring down the puffiness in your eyes by constricting the small blood vessels.
5. Sagging skin around eyes: Use a clean paintbrush to apply a thin layer of egg white around your eyes until the egg white dries up. Next, you rinse off the egg white with warm water. The albumin in the egg white will help pull the skin taut.
6. Quick fix for tired and puffy eyes: Keep a spoon in the freezer and put it against your eyelids for a few minutes to reduce redness.
7. Get rid of the root problem of dark circles: The remedy is not food or kitchen-related. It is important to note that dark circles are caused by poor blood circulation around the eyes. Thus, you could do simple eye exercises to stimulate blood flow and ease fluid. Do these simple steps: Keep your head straight and roll your eyes in a circle from left to right. Then circle in the opposite direction. Repeat ten times on each side. Next, still keeping your head still, look up and down for ten times as well. Finish off by tapping gently on the skin around the eyes with your fingers.
8. Eye masks: If you do not have time for prepare anything of the treatments above, you could buy sheets of eye masks (or pads) and keep them in the fridge. The chilled masks give a nice cooling sensation when placed on your eyes.

Vision Testing
Visual acuity is usually measured with a Snellen chart. The Snellen chart displays letters of progressively smaller size. "Normal" vision is 20/20. This means that the test subject sees the same line of letters at 20 feet that a normal person sees at 20 feet. 20/40 vision means that the test subject see as 20 feet what a normal person sees at 40 feet. Another way of saying this is that a person with 20/40 vision has vision that is only half as good as normal - or, objects must be at half the normal distance for him to see them. A person with 20/20 vision is able to see letters 1/10th as large as someone with 20/200 vision. However, 20/15 vision is better than 20/20. A person with 20/15 vision can see objects at 20 feet that a person with 20/20 vision can only see at 15 feet.
Levels of Vision

20/20 - Normal vision. Fighter pilot minimum. Required to read the stock quotes in the newspaper, or numbers in the telephone book.
20/40 - Able to pass Driver's License Test in all 50 States. Most printed material is at this level.
20/80 - Able to read alarm clock at 10 feet. News Headlines are this size.
20/200 - Legal blindness. Able to see STOP sign letters.

EYE DISEASES
Q: How many people in the U.S. have cataracts?

A: Cataract affects nearly 22 million Americans age 40 and older. By age 80, more than half of all
Americans have cataract. Direct medical costs for cataract treatment are estimated at $6.8 billion
annually. [Source: Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related
Eye Disease in America. Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, 2008. :
http://www.preventblindness.org/vpus/2008_update/VPUS_2008_update.pdf]

Q: How many people in the U.S. have glaucoma?

A: Glaucoma affects almost 2.3 million Americans age 40 and older.
[Source: Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye
Disease in America. Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, 2008.
http://www.preventblindness.org/vpus/2008_update/VPUS_2008_update.pdf]

Q: How many people in the U.S. have age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?

A: More than 2 million Americans age 50 and older have advanced AMD, the stage that can lead to
severe vision impairment.
[Source: Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye
Disease in America. Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, 2008.
http://www.preventblindness.org/vpus/2008_update/VPUS_2008_update.pdf]

Q: How many people in the U.S. have diabetic retinopathy?

A: Diabetic retinopathy affects more than 4.4 million Americans age 40 and older.
[Source: Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye
Disease in America. Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, 2008.
http://www.preventblindness.org/vpus/2008_update/VPUS_2008_update.pdf]2
The number of people in the United States with diabetes is increasing. Nearly 26 million Americans
have diabetes. About 27 percent of those with diabetes-7 million Americans-do not know they have
the disease. Diabetes affects 11.3 percent of adults age 20 and older [Source: CDC 2011 National
Diabetes Fact Sheet Press Release. http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p0126_diabetes.html]
Duration of diabetes is a major risk factor associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy; in
other words, the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to develop diabetic
retinopathy. [Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology Retina Panel. Preferred Practice Pattern®
Guidelines. Diabetic Retinopathy. San Francisco, CA: American Academy of Ophthalmology; 2008.
http://www.aao.org/ppp]

Q: How many people in the U.S. have dry eye?

A: The prevalence of dry eye syndrome increases with age. An estimated 3.2 million women age 50 and
over and 1.68 million men age 50 and over are affected by dry eye syndrome. [Sources: Schaumberg DA,
Sullivan DA, Buring JE, Dana MR. Prevalence of dry eye syndrome among US women. Am J Ophthalmol.
2003;136:318-26. and Schaumberg DA, Dana R, Buring JE, Sullivan DA. Prevalence of dry eye disease
among US men: estimates from the Physicians' Health Studies. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127:763-8.]

Q: How many corneal transplants are performed in the U.S. annually?

A: A total of 42,642 corneal transplants were performed in the United States in 2010. [Source: Eye Bank
Association of America, Frequently Asked Questions.
http://www.restoresight.org/files/Eye%20Donor%20Month%20FAQs.pdf]
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND BLINDNESS

Q: How many people in the U.S. are visually impaired?

A: Among people age 40 and older, more than 3.6 million are visually impaired, defined as 20/40 or
worse vision in the better eye even with eyeglasses.
[Source: Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye
Disease in America. Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, 2008.
http://www.preventblindness.org/vpus/2008_update/VPUS_2008_update.pdf]

Just as our physical strength decreases with age, our eyes also exhibit an age-related decline in performance - particularly as we reach our 60s and beyond.

Some age-related eye changes, such as presbyopia, are perfectly normal and don't signify any sort of disease process. While cataracts can be considered an age-related disease, they are extremely common among seniors and can be readily corrected with cataract surgery.

Some of us, however, will experience more serious age-related eye diseases that have greater potential for affecting our quality of life as we grow older. These conditions include glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

After you pass the milestone age of 40, you'll notice it's more difficult to focus on objects up close because of presbyopia. This is a perfectly normal loss of focusing ability due to hardening of the lens inside your eye

For a time, you can compensate for this change in focusing ability by just holding reading material farther away from your eyes. But eventually you will need reading glasses, multifocal contact lenses or multifocal eyeglasses. Some corrective surgery options for presbyopia also are available, such as monovision LASIK and conductive keratoplasty.

As you continue to age through your 50s and beyond, presbyopia becomes more advanced. You may notice the need for more frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions. You may also find that a single prescription is no longer the best solution for all your visual needs. As an example, you may need one pair of eyeglasses for normal tasks and another that emphasizes intermediate ranges for working more comfortably at the computer.

Cataracts. Even though cataracts are considered an age-related eye disease, they are so common among seniors that they can also be classified as a normal aging change.

According to Mayo Clinic, about half of all 65-year-old Americans have some degree of cataract formation in their eyes. As you enter your 70s, the percentage is even higher. It's estimated that by 2020 more than 30 million Americans will have cataracts.

Thankfully, modern cataract surgery is extremely safe and so effective that 100 percent of vision lost to cataract formation usually is restored. If you are noticing vision changes due to cataracts, don't hesitate to discuss symptoms with your eye doctor. It's often better to have cataracts removed before they advance too far. Also, you do have options now for trying multifocal lens implants or accommodating intraocular lenses that potentially can restore all ranges of vision, thus reducing your need for reading glasses

Major Age-Related Eye Diseases

Macular degeneration. Macular degeneration (also called age-related macular degeneration or AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among American seniors

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), macular degeneration affects more than 1.75 million people in the United States. The U.S. population is aging rapidly, and this number will increase to almost three million by 2020.

Glaucoma. Your risk of developing glaucoma increases with each decade after age 40, from around 1 percent in your 40s to up to 12 percent in your 80s. The number of Americans with glaucoma will increase by 50 percent (to 3.6 million) by 2020.

Diabetic retinopathy. According to the NEI, approximately 10.2 million Americans over age 40 are known to have diabetes. Many experts believe that up to 30 percent of people who have diabetes have not yet been diagnosed.

Among known diabetics over age 40, NEI estimates that 40 percent have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, and one of every 12 people with diabetes in this age group has advanced, vision-threatening retinopathy.

Gary Heiting, OD
www.AllAboutVision.com