Have you ever wondered if there was any validity to this whole concept known as "eye exercises"? There are a lot of websites out there on the internet that tout eye exercise programs, products, free downloads, and more.
But, are they really serious? Although many can make grand claims about potential results, the truth of the matter may be more real than not.
In fact, if you were to conduct a search of all known studies and trials on the subject, the results might just surprise you.
As you can imagine, the field of vision research is constantly conducting studies to evaluate all aspects of poor vision so that we can better understand how the eye functions in its environment (and even whether or not the environment affects the function of the eye to begin with).
 By "environment", I'm talking about how you use your eyes...
are you constantly looking up-close to read the paper, the computer, a book, or manual; or are you spending most of your time outdoors looking at things greater than say, 20 feet away from you? At the same time, do you wear glasses or corrective lenses while reading or outdoors? All these factors contribute to your overall "visual" environment and will have an effect on your clarity of eye sight.
 Of course, whether or not your eye changes to its environment has always been a point of discussion/debate by those in the research communities as well as the field of practice.
A growing body of evidence and clinical research shows that not only is the human eye affected by its environment, but the majority of vision refraction problems are more the direct result of visual environmental stress, and less the result of genetic patterns.
 This is great news because the old model of the eye's behavior also must change to match what is observed.
Have you ever been told that your vision problem is genetic and that there is nothing you can do to prevent nearsightedness? I believe that most of us have been told this at some point or another by an eye doctor.
This old model of the eye being a static, genetically controlled organ is slowly dying.
The new model of the eye and its behavior is becoming more the accepted model in optometry schools around the world.
 These new studies are uncovering and dispelling many myths that doctors and patients believed in the past.
Refractive errors are no longer being viewed as "errors", but rather, adaptations of the human eye to its average "near" or "far" environment.
 I wanted to provide you with this rather late study that concentrates on graduate level students in medical school and the relationship between environmental near-work and degree of myopia (or nearsightedness) development.
 It is enlightening because there are two things that we can actually conclude from this medical study.
Â
Kennedy Center, National Eye Clinic, Hellerup, Denmark.
PMID: 18385044 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Â People who spend most of their time pouring over books or doing computer work unknowingly create a hostile visual environment for their eyes.
Even though you may not feel any strain in your eyes, they most assuredly are under great strain, referred to clinically as "nearpoint stress".
This stress causes your eyes to change in order to reduce the offending stress.
This change by your eyes can be thought of as an adaptation of your body to its environment, very similar to a mountain climber adapting his or her body to a high altitude environment.
But, are they really serious? Although many can make grand claims about potential results, the truth of the matter may be more real than not.
In fact, if you were to conduct a search of all known studies and trials on the subject, the results might just surprise you.
As you can imagine, the field of vision research is constantly conducting studies to evaluate all aspects of poor vision so that we can better understand how the eye functions in its environment (and even whether or not the environment affects the function of the eye to begin with).
 By "environment", I'm talking about how you use your eyes...
are you constantly looking up-close to read the paper, the computer, a book, or manual; or are you spending most of your time outdoors looking at things greater than say, 20 feet away from you? At the same time, do you wear glasses or corrective lenses while reading or outdoors? All these factors contribute to your overall "visual" environment and will have an effect on your clarity of eye sight.
 Of course, whether or not your eye changes to its environment has always been a point of discussion/debate by those in the research communities as well as the field of practice.
A growing body of evidence and clinical research shows that not only is the human eye affected by its environment, but the majority of vision refraction problems are more the direct result of visual environmental stress, and less the result of genetic patterns.
 This is great news because the old model of the eye's behavior also must change to match what is observed.
Have you ever been told that your vision problem is genetic and that there is nothing you can do to prevent nearsightedness? I believe that most of us have been told this at some point or another by an eye doctor.
This old model of the eye being a static, genetically controlled organ is slowly dying.
The new model of the eye and its behavior is becoming more the accepted model in optometry schools around the world.
 These new studies are uncovering and dispelling many myths that doctors and patients believed in the past.
Refractive errors are no longer being viewed as "errors", but rather, adaptations of the human eye to its average "near" or "far" environment.
 I wanted to provide you with this rather late study that concentrates on graduate level students in medical school and the relationship between environmental near-work and degree of myopia (or nearsightedness) development.
 It is enlightening because there are two things that we can actually conclude from this medical study.
Â
- The first is that these medical students are becoming more and more nearsighted the longer they are "face in the books".
In fact, these students went from a 37% myopia (or nearsighted) prevalence to a whopping 43% incidence rate.
Their overall prescription went from -0.
50 Diopters to -0.
74 Diopters in just two (2) years of study (a diopter (D) is a measurement of the refractive power of the lens needed to correct the eye back to 20/20)! - Second, the axial length of their eyes increased by 0.
13mm (this is evidence of the eye adapting to the near visual environment).
This may not seem like a significant change, but you must realize how sensitive the eye is to such a small change in distance light must travel to the retina...
this 0.
13mm equates to almost a 0.
25 D change in refractive error, or a person going from 20/30 to 20/40 vision.
Â
Kennedy Center, National Eye Clinic, Hellerup, Denmark.
PMID: 18385044 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Â People who spend most of their time pouring over books or doing computer work unknowingly create a hostile visual environment for their eyes.
Even though you may not feel any strain in your eyes, they most assuredly are under great strain, referred to clinically as "nearpoint stress".
This stress causes your eyes to change in order to reduce the offending stress.
This change by your eyes can be thought of as an adaptation of your body to its environment, very similar to a mountain climber adapting his or her body to a high altitude environment.
SHARE
