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I have previously created posts in other threads about starting to use something called the Bates method for restoring natural, 20/20 vision. I reached a major milestone yesterday, and I decided that what I've learned probably deserved a separate post, since many people are concerned about all of the issues with myopia. There is also a strong positive benefit for people with DES in practing the Bates method, which I'll explain.
First, my major milestone: I passed the driver's vision exam yesterday without glasses! I am now free to drive without glasses or contacts. That's right... nada between my eyeballs and the road. (Can you tell I'm still excited?)
Now, the boring details, which I'll keep as short as possible.
Four years ago, both my eyes were 20/100. Then, brain surgery caused trauma to the facial nerve and the nerve that controls the muscle that attachs to the ouside of my right eye (lateral rectus muscle). Consequences: severe double vision and an inability to blink. I was able to return to work after surgery by coating my right eye in Lacrilube 24/7. The Lacrilube stopped the unbelievable pain and also blocked vision out of my right eye, getting rid of the double vision. (It caused other problems, but that's a different post.)
Six months later I started regaining nerve function. Lo and behold, not using my right eye for six months allowed it to return to normal, spherical shape and 20/20 vision. I had a new problem with strabismus because the muscle that pulled my eye to the left was stronger than the muscle that pulled it to the right (after 6 months of no use), but an optometrist "fixed" that problem by giving me a prescription for eyeglasses with a plano lens on the right and a strong prism.
Over the next couple of years, my right eye began sliding back into myopia as I started using it the way I always had. At my last refractive exam, my left eye was still 20/100, but my right eye had degraded from 20/20 to 20/50.
I bought a copy of Relearning to See by Thomas Quackenbush in November, on the same life-changing visit to Amazon.com that brought me The Dry Eye Remedy by Robert Latkany.
Two months later, my vision is 20/50 in my left eye and 20/30 in my right eye. I had previously reduced my need for a prism from a 5 to a 2. That, too, has improved further, and I use relaxation techniques when I notice my right eye wants to over-correct.
What's the link to DES? The three components of the Bates method, sketching, blinking and breathing, are great for dealing with dry eyes as well. "Breathing" is shorthand for using relaxation techniques to eliminate stress that leads to eye strain. "Blinking" is, well, blinking! Blinking frequently and softly to lubricate the eye surface and support relaxation.
"Sketching" is more difficult to explain in a few words, and I wouldn't want anyone to think they can skip reading the book, learning about why this works, and implementing the techniques correctly.
But the consequence of sketching is that you never stare (even for a moment) at anything. You are constantly shifting the central point of your focus, which helps the muscles that control the shape of the eye (and therefore visual acuity) relaxing and contracting as needed, instead of getting frozen into an persistent state of tension.
Bottom line: I wouldn't have believed this was possible if I hadn't gone through the accidental discovery following surgery. Now that I know how it works, I think anyone can reduce their prescription this way. Even if you don't think you can get to 20/20 vision, the techniques are beneficial.
Additional point: I have also learned from posts elsewhere on the Internet that optometrists frequently overcorrect vision. That is, they write a prescription for a stronger lens than the patient requires. One optometrist who was concerned about this practice recommends that everyone keep a Snellen eye chart at home and test your own vision before a refractive exam. If the prescription is stronger than your own test indicates, you should question the examiner. This is especially important for children, where the consequences of an overly strong lens are more severe.
One caveat: If you've had refractive surgery, using the Bates method will reduce your visual acuity, since restoring the spherical shape of your eye will not be compatible with the prescription that's etched into your cornea. Quackenbush says he won't accept students who've had refractive surgery for that reason.
My next goal is 20/20 vision and zero strabismus. And you can be sure you'll hear about that when I get there.
First, my major milestone: I passed the driver's vision exam yesterday without glasses! I am now free to drive without glasses or contacts. That's right... nada between my eyeballs and the road. (Can you tell I'm still excited?)
Now, the boring details, which I'll keep as short as possible.
Four years ago, both my eyes were 20/100. Then, brain surgery caused trauma to the facial nerve and the nerve that controls the muscle that attachs to the ouside of my right eye (lateral rectus muscle). Consequences: severe double vision and an inability to blink. I was able to return to work after surgery by coating my right eye in Lacrilube 24/7. The Lacrilube stopped the unbelievable pain and also blocked vision out of my right eye, getting rid of the double vision. (It caused other problems, but that's a different post.)
Six months later I started regaining nerve function. Lo and behold, not using my right eye for six months allowed it to return to normal, spherical shape and 20/20 vision. I had a new problem with strabismus because the muscle that pulled my eye to the left was stronger than the muscle that pulled it to the right (after 6 months of no use), but an optometrist "fixed" that problem by giving me a prescription for eyeglasses with a plano lens on the right and a strong prism.
Over the next couple of years, my right eye began sliding back into myopia as I started using it the way I always had. At my last refractive exam, my left eye was still 20/100, but my right eye had degraded from 20/20 to 20/50.
I bought a copy of Relearning to See by Thomas Quackenbush in November, on the same life-changing visit to Amazon.com that brought me The Dry Eye Remedy by Robert Latkany.
Two months later, my vision is 20/50 in my left eye and 20/30 in my right eye. I had previously reduced my need for a prism from a 5 to a 2. That, too, has improved further, and I use relaxation techniques when I notice my right eye wants to over-correct.
What's the link to DES? The three components of the Bates method, sketching, blinking and breathing, are great for dealing with dry eyes as well. "Breathing" is shorthand for using relaxation techniques to eliminate stress that leads to eye strain. "Blinking" is, well, blinking! Blinking frequently and softly to lubricate the eye surface and support relaxation.
"Sketching" is more difficult to explain in a few words, and I wouldn't want anyone to think they can skip reading the book, learning about why this works, and implementing the techniques correctly.
But the consequence of sketching is that you never stare (even for a moment) at anything. You are constantly shifting the central point of your focus, which helps the muscles that control the shape of the eye (and therefore visual acuity) relaxing and contracting as needed, instead of getting frozen into an persistent state of tension.Bottom line: I wouldn't have believed this was possible if I hadn't gone through the accidental discovery following surgery. Now that I know how it works, I think anyone can reduce their prescription this way. Even if you don't think you can get to 20/20 vision, the techniques are beneficial.
Additional point: I have also learned from posts elsewhere on the Internet that optometrists frequently overcorrect vision. That is, they write a prescription for a stronger lens than the patient requires. One optometrist who was concerned about this practice recommends that everyone keep a Snellen eye chart at home and test your own vision before a refractive exam. If the prescription is stronger than your own test indicates, you should question the examiner. This is especially important for children, where the consequences of an overly strong lens are more severe.
One caveat: If you've had refractive surgery, using the Bates method will reduce your visual acuity, since restoring the spherical shape of your eye will not be compatible with the prescription that's etched into your cornea. Quackenbush says he won't accept students who've had refractive surgery for that reason.
My next goal is 20/20 vision and zero strabismus. And you can be sure you'll hear about that when I get there.
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