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Guide to Natural Treatments for the Eyes and Vision

Health of the eye depends on the well-being of one's entire body. Vision problems are multiplying at epidemic proportions in our society. Over half of the population over 75 years old has either cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. The information here offers a practical approach to keeping your eyes healthy; and shows people how to become active participants in their own vision care, giving back the power and responsibility
they have so trustingly handed over to their eye doctors.

Health and your Vision

Vision occurs mainly in the brain. Our eyes receive information in the form of light, and the brain processes the information to make meaning of it, creating our "visual world". The process of improving vision helps to bring one more into balance and harmony. Nothing is more precious than your vision says a post card mailed by an optometrist as a reminder to his patients. Yet many people find their vision worsening due to modern lifestyle and cultural beliefs about the inevitable decline of health, including vision. The field of wholistic vision care offers programs to help you keep healthy vision all your life. Vision educators teach good visual habits, exercises, nutritional information, and much more.

Sunlight for Healthy Vision

Dr. Jacob Liberman. - "Sunglasses block healing ultra-violet light and thus contribute to the increased incidence of blindness and eye disease in this country."

Gazing directly into the sun actually improves sight and aids in overcoming disease"  - Dr. Herbert Shelton M.D

Eyeglasses and contact lenses rob you of energy by blocking some of the ultra violet rays that travel through the eyes to the pineal gland, wrote Patricia McCormac. After discontinuing wearing his eyeglasses, Dr. John Ott wrote that he exposed his eyes to sunlight without lenses and his vision was much improved. He recommended similar therapy to his friends and they gained similar improvement in their vision. Ott wrote that nothing should block out the full spectrum of sunlight, no glasses of any kind should block the ultra violet rays, and especially dark glasses.


Jacob Liberman, O.D., Ph.D. explains how to utilize the therapeutic benefits of light. He says that "light is the basic component from which all life originates, develops, heals, and evolves. "Everything that humans do is affected in some way by light. Light has been used for healing since the time of ancient Egypt.



Sensitivity to Bright Light

"Every morning as the sun came into the bedroom my eyes used to hurt so badly that I had to close the blinds. It felt as though I had needles going into my eyes as soon as the sun hit them. Since drinking Marine Phytoplankton, my eyes are fine. No more sensitivity to the sun." W. E

I have a tendency to experience blurred vision after working on the computer for a couple of hours. Taking hour long walks without sunglasses help relax my eyesight and clears the blurred vision. Also, I experienced vision improvement with a diet rich in organic vegetables (preferably raw), daily green juices, sea vegetables, omega 3 oils, Immunocal and transfer factors . Shirley

Better Vision Without Glasses, Contacts, or Surgery

The Bates Method for Improving Eyesight is a method discovered at the beginning of this century by Dr. W. H. Bates, M.D. (1865-1931), a prominent American ophthalmologist, and developed by him and his followers to improve sight and restore natural habits of seeing, which have been lost through strain, tension and the resulting misuse of the eyes. Thus the aim of the method is to teach people with problems of vision the faculty of easy and attentive seeing whereby the eyes and mind work together harmoniously to give good sight.

Discover the amazingly simple natural vision improvement method that touts an unmatched 94.3% success rate in reversing and improving bad vision. Thousands have better vision without the risks and expense of laser surgery.You can too after you read this eye opening letter... The fact of the matter is, you don't have to wear glasses, contacts or resort to Lasik surgery to improve your vision. Instead there's a safer and easier way to restore your eyesight. It's called natural vision correction and it's widely recognized as a proven method for reversing your vision problems.

Since the Bates Method is a means to improve sight and restore the natural use of the eyes by re-learning the art and skill of seeing, it is not, therefore a medical treatment, but a method of re-education, in the form of both active learning, such as learning a skill like drawing and painting or how to play tennis, and also the receptive awareness of how to appreciate what we see, such as the appreciation of a painting, a beautiful garden or a cathedral. BATES METHOD FOR IMPROVING SIGHT WITHOUT GLASSES -- Continue

Eye and Vision Improvement with Marine Phytoplankton

"My father-in-law developed an eye infection due to cataract surgery. He was under a specialist's care for over two months, going to see him Marine PhytoPlankton Book every day for a while and then every few days and using FOUR types of drops in the infected; eye every hour. Then the doctor mentioned he might have to do surgery to "hopefuly" correct the problem. But he started my father-in-law on a marine phytoplankton tonic three times a day on a Tuesday and the doctor saw improvement the following Thursday. Then the following Tuesday, the doctor was very impressed with his progress. Plus, my father-in-law said he could see better out of that eye than he had in over two months. The following Thursday, the infection had complerely CLEARED up. The doctor was so impressed, he told my father-in-law to keep taking the marine phytoplankton and released him because the eye problem was completely healed." Pat Thomas

"About 5 years ago my eyesight had deteriorated to the point of requiring glasses. Suffering from astigmatism I worked for years on computers not noticing that I was squinting all the time trying desperately to focus on the screen. I am a graphic designer and my eyes are everything to me. I started taking Marine Phytoplankton less than a month ago and my eyesight has improved greatly. I still require glasses, but I can focus easier, my vision is much more focused with no squinting, and it gets better everyday. I use to perform eye exercises daily and had noticed only a slight difference after a few months. But after a couple of weeks on this product, the exercises are giving me dramatic results. I can now read the directions on the back of the shampoo bottle, which is something I haven't been able to do for years. Along with vision clarity is the brain clarity as well. I have taken greens for years and saw improvement in mind focus and energy. With the addition of Marine Phytoplankton in my diet, I am seeing dramatic differences in my ability to focus on tasks and the amount of energy I have to take them on - plus I sleep better at night." Chris

"I've worn corrective lenses for almost thirty years.Two years ago, I had an optometrist tell me my eye sight had worsened; and I would need a stronger prescription. After a few months of taking marine phytoplankton regularly I, noticed I needed to take my glasses off for short periods during the day due to the strain. My eyes were changing. My whole life is changing with my new eyesight. My vision has improved significantly for the first time in almost thirty years." Tanya S.- Boulder CO

Do you have a question about holistic or natural health or need assistance? click here to contact Shirley
or call 323-522-4521 or 323-989-3372.

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No longer blind - Overcoming Cortical Blindness

Sterling was born blind and brain-injured due to a massive cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) he sustained in utero or at birth. The prognosis was that our son would remain blind and a vegetable for the rest of his life and the doctors suggested that we institutionalize him and move on with our lives. We refused to go in agreement with them and began our own research which led us to read 'What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child' and to discover the Institute For The Achievement Of Human Potential (IAHP) in Philadelphia and a controversial sensory stimulation program, the Patterning exercises, that we could implement in the privacy of our own home with the help of volunteers. When he began the Patterning exercises, at 6 months of age, Sterling was was completely blind and had a host of other severe neurological problems. One month after we started the Patterning Program, Sterling recovered his vision. He was 7 months old and for the next 21 years, until his death in December 2000, Sterling enjoyed a good vision. The visual stimulation program is outlined his Dr.Doman's book.

Glenn Doman and his Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential make ground-breaking progress in the treatment of brain-injured children. He brings hope to thousands of children, many inoperable, many given up for lost and doomed to live in a frightening, even dangerous world. Where the conventional medical community treats symptoms with medications and surgical interventions, IAHP treats the actual injury by training the brain to learn and develop. This method is controversial, but there are just too many success stories to ignore.

Dangers of LASIK Surgery: Why You Want to Avoid This Like the Plague

For those who have entertained the idea of getting Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis -- commonly referred to as LASIK surgery -- in hopes of correcting their vision ... think again. What exactly is LASIK surgery? It is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of your cornea (the clear covering of the front of the eye) with an excimer laser:

The end result: perfect vision, right? Not necessarily.

Many patients are under the impression LASIK surgery will end in instant perfect vision; however, that simply is not the case. That's because, while the procedure is quick in itself, it is likely to lead to at least six months of impaired vision and significant discomfort, at the end of which only one eye may have normal sight. (And if the first eye does not heal to expectation, the second operation on the other eye will never be done and the imbalance will be permanent.) Then there are the surgical disasters that can happen. You can visit SurgicalEyes.org to review some of the horror stories. The site is devoted to focusing attention on the unique problems faced by those who have undergone unsuccessful LASIK (and other eye) surgeries.

Eye RenewalAccording to Dr. Bates' teachings, common vision problems are not irreversible -- and not the result of genetics. He believed that blurred vision is functional rather than structural; that is, it results from chronic tension in some or all of your six extrinsic eye muscles. The Secrets of Regaining Your Vision Naturally program addresses the retraining of these external muscles of the eye to correct four common types of vision problems.

Nearsightedness or myopia. If you are nearsighted, near objects are clear but far objects are not. According to Bates Method principles, your eyeball has become elongated due to chronically tense external oblique muscles in your eye. The only way to permanently reverse this condition and regain normal vision is to learn to release this chronic tension or strain.

Farsightedness or hyperopia -. If you are farsighted, your eyeball has shortened and cannot focus clearly on near objects. Dr. Bates demonstrated that this is due to chronic tension in the four external recti muscles of the eye. Vision retraining gently coaxes these muscles to let go of their chronic strain, allowing the eyeball to return to its normal round shape, which is necessary for clear vision.

Astigmatism -. In this condition, your eyeball becomes oval-shaped or lopsided due to a combination of chronically tense eye muscles. Dr. Bates told us: "All persons who have astigmatism have eyestrain. When the eyestrain is relieved, the astigmatism disappears."

Presbyopia- This condition, which literally means "old eyes", is a type of farsightedness that is typically observed in those over the age of 40. Conventional theory maintains that this condition is the irreversible result of the lens becoming hard and inflexible as the result of aging. However, Dr. Bates said that the cause of presbyopia is the same as other eyesight problems -- tense and strained eye muscles that undermine close vision.


Nutritional Influence On Health, Eye and Vision

Nutrition is a key factor in keeping a healthy visual system throughout life. The eyes and brain contain millions of highly specialized cells, such as the rods and cones, which have specific nutritional requirements. You can help prevent eye diseases and promote healthy, clear vision by making wise lifestyle choices such as eating well, reducing stress, exercising regularly, and not smoking.

Malnutrition is the basis of all disease:



Causes of eye problems may include: thyroid imbalance, allergies, liver disease, gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and vitamin deficiency

What are the nutrition basics for keeping healthy vision?
  1. Eat a diet based on whole, fresh, organic foods. Fruits and vegetables, beans and grains, nuts and seeds should be the foundation.
  2. Supplement your diet with a good multi-vitamin to get the minerals and vitamins you may not get from your food. Our soil is greatly depleted of the minerals it once held. Therefore supplementation is more important than it was years ago. Sea vegetables are also an excellent source of minerals.
  3. Incorporate anti-oxidants into your diet. Research shows that antioxidants can be very helpful in keeping healthy eyes and vision.
  4. If you are diagnosed with an eye disease, research the nutritional aspects of the disease and adjust your diet accordingly. Consult with a nutritionist or doctor who specializes in healing with nutrition and detoxification.
  5. Remember that natural sunlight is a nutrient that we all need. Ideally, spend an hour outside in natural light each day. Take a walk in the morning or evening; and enjoy the added benefit of exercise, too!
  6. Healthy nutritional habits lay the foundation for healthy eyes and vision all your life. Enjoy those carrots and their healthy cousins from the garden and healthy food store!
Lens of the Eye Glutathione Concentration

Aging individuals encounter higher rates of cataract, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. Diabetics are at particularly high risk for cataract. The high blood sugar levels found in diabetics have a direct effect on lens health and elevating oxidative stress. One the most feared concerns in the elderly is going blind or having a major loss of vision. Scientific studies conclusively show that degenerative eye disease is not inevitable. The concentration of Glutathione in the lens of the eye is higher than in most other tissues . Glutathione protects the structural proteins and enzymes necessary for the maintenance of lens flexibility and clarity against free radical assault. Aging lenses of the eye lose Glutathione, and this reduction of Glutathione has been found to lead directly to reactions that cause deterioration of the lens.




Dr. Mercola - "It is very clear that omega-3 oils are a major player in reducing the level of many eye disorders. Clearly that is the case for Aging Related Macular Degeneration. DHA, one of the major fats in fish oil, is a large part of the retina and the brain. Omega-3 fats are also particularly important for preventing the complications of diabetes and its effect on the retina."

Dr. Mercola recommends the following: "You should then take fish oil capsules. The standard fish oil capsule is 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA. You should take approximately one capsule for every ten pounds of body weight, preferably in two divided doses. So if you weigh 160 pounds you would take 8 capsules twice a day. If you have problems with belching them up, you will want to consider taking them on an empty stomach. Cod liver oil has the benefit of providing you with vitamin A and D. A reasonable dose for cod liver oil is one teaspoon for every 30-40 pounds of body weight. If you use cod liver oil during your summer you will need to be careful of vitamin D toxicity and I suggest you review the information on vitamin D testing. When you take fish oil supplements or cod liver oil in the doses I recommend please be sure and take an one vitamin E 400 unit supplement per day as this will help serve to protect the fat from oxidation. This is less of an issue with the cod liver oil as the vitamin D itself is a very potent anti-oxidant.

Supplements May Prevent Age-Related Vision Loss

From the Archives of Ophthalmology October 2001;119: 1417-1436, 1439-1452, 1533-1534

A dietary supplement containing high levels of certain vitamins and minerals appears to lower the risk of blindness in some elderly individuals. However, the same supplements did not reduce the risk of developing cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that can occur with age. Individuals at high risk of age-related macular degeneration who took a high-dose combination of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the mineral zinc lowered their risk of the disease by 25%. The supplements had no apparent effect on those who were not at risk. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in elderly Americans. AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid and blood into the tissue at the back of the eye, leading to blistering and scarring of the retina. The disease affects central vision needed for reading, driving and recognizing faces, but patients are often able to detect colors and see with their peripheral vision. There is no cure for AMD. While the supplements did not restore vision that had already been lost, they slowed the progression of vision loss in some individuals with intermediate or advanced AMD. These individuals "should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc," according to the researchers from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group.

In the study, more than 3,600 people aged 55 to 80 years at risk for AMD received a daily dietary supplement. The supplement consisted of either 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E and 15 mg of beta-carotene; 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper; antioxidants and zinc; or an inactive pill (placebo). Study participants at high risk of developing vision loss associated with AMD who took antioxidants and zinc were less likely than those who took only antioxidants or only zinc to lose their vision over the 6-year study. Individuals who took a placebo were the most likely to develop advanced AMD and vision loss.

Even among those who took a daily multivitamin in addition to the assigned supplement, the high-dose supplement was associated with a decreased risk of vision loss. Although the nutrients found in the supplements occur naturally in many foods, sufficient levels may be difficult to obtain through diet alone. In a related study, the supplements did not reduce the risk of cataractsin the same group of patients over 7 years.

Fish or EPA/DHA Supplements May Help Protect Vision - Chalk up another possible health benefit of eating fish: prevention of age-relatedmacular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the US. The macula is the central portion of the retina in the eye and when it is damaged, visual problems -- including blindness -- are the unfortunate result. Australian researchers found that more frequent consumption of fish appeared to protect against late age-related macular degeneration. Only a moderate intake of fish was necessary for the protective effect. Those who ate fish one to three times a month had about half the risk of late-stage disease than those who ate fish less than once a month. And more fish was not necessarily better. The greatest amount of protection was seen in those who ate one serving of fish a week, and there was no additional benefit of consuming more. The investigators note that eating too much fish may interfere with the absorption of vitamin E in the elderly, which could explain the threshold protective effect from dietary fish.
Archives of Ophthalmology March, 2000;118:401-404.

Take off Your Glasses and See: A Mind/Body Approach to Expanding Your Eyesight and Insight; by Dr. Jacob Liberman

Dr Jacob Liberman was a practicing Optometrist in the mid-1970s, when he realized that conventional beliefs were keeping millions of people locked into limited eyesight and limited self-awareness. He began to realize that the conventional vision care that he had been taught was designed not to treat or heal vision problems, but simply to mask their symptoms. He realized that these symptoms were not just random.

 They were urgent signals that something in the body/mind was out of balance and required attention. In 1976, he experienced a dramatic improvement in his own vision, which laid the foundation for him to assist thousands of others.

Jacob Liberman is considered a pioneer in the therapeutic use of light and color and their relationship to human consciousness and personal transformation. After healing his own vision from a lens-dependent 20/200 to normal, he realized that the eyes are merely a holographic focal point within an infinitely large receptive field. After thirty years of experience with thousands of people, he has demonstrated that eyesight improvement is within the reach of virtually everyone.

Take Off Your Glasses and See shares an expanded view of vision and guides the reader on a journey towards discovering what it truly means to see. Have you ever wondered why so many people wear glasses? Have you been told you have to wear glasses forever and that there is no natural way to improve your vision?

Dr LibermDr Liberman's book addresses the most important issues about vision and seeing. Questions like: What is vision? How do we see? What is the relationship between sunlight, the eyes and the brain? What is the energy from the sun that we call light and how does it relate to our life force.

Conditions: Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataract, Glaucoma, Dry Eyes, Floaters
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness and vision impairment, affecting mostly people over age 60. The disease, which has no known cause, tends to run in families and affect women and whites more. There is also evidence that smoking and high-fat, high-cholesterol diets increase AMD risk, Sieving noted. Ninety percent of those with the condition have dry AMD, in which there is a gradual breakdown of light-sensing cells. Only 10% have the wet form, but it is the leading cause of blindness. Leaky blood vessels lead to rapid damage, causing total vision loss. Lasers can destroy those vessels and help slow impairment, but there is no treatment for dry AMD. A study published by the National Eye Institute last fall showed that taking a combination of zinc, vitamins C and E and beta-carotene may slow AMD progression. #cataract">Cataracts run in families also, and increase with age. About 20 million Americans have cataracts, which can be successfully treated. Clouded, diseased lenses are surgically removed and replaced with artificial lenses.

Because elderly people generally have low glutathione GSH levels, they are predis-posed to oxidative damage. Researchers have shown that low GSH levels go along with poor eye health in ARMD patients compared to normal control groups. Experiments have been conducted to test glutathione's antioxidant function in the whole body and in the eyes of patients suffer-ing from macular degeneration. S.M. Cohen and his team at the Univer-sity of California (Davis) found significantly altered GSH activity in blood samples of macular degeneration patients. It appears that high GSH levels correspond to healthy eyes and suggests a possible role for GSH in the protection against or delay of this disease.

Everyone with macular degeneration is going to continue losing vision, and there is no effective treatment to avoid this.

You do noYou do not have to lose your vision with macular degeneration. There are steps you can take to stabilize and even possibly improve your vision.

Vision Support Herbal Formula contains herbs especially selected for their effectiveness in the natural prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma,cataracts and macular degeneration. It does this by improving the supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the tiny capillaries of the eye and by counteracting and protecting against the damage caused to the eye by free radicals in the system. Because it also strengthens the walls of the blood vessels in the eye, it also helps to reduce hemorrhages in the eyes - a condition often associated with diabetes.

Healing the Eye - Book Alternative Medicine and Macular Degeration. 204 Pages. Edward C. Kondrot, MD

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye's retina. It affects half of all Americans diagnosed with diabetes. At first, you may notice no change in your vision. But don't let diabetic retinopathy fool you. It could get worse over the years and threaten your good vision. With timely treatment, 90 percent of those with advanced diabetic retinopathy can be saved from going blind.

Blindness is a common result of diabetes.

Only 6 percent of diabetics lose their vision. Blindness is largely preventable if patient and the medical team work together diligently. This includes proper use of medications, daily blood sugar testing, correct lifestyle habits, diet and supplementation.


Blurred vision;
Excessive urination;
Excessive thirst and hunger;
Fatigue, itching, and skin infections

Type I Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) develops when the body produces too little insulin. This condition generally starts in childhood. Type II Diabetes (Adult-Onset Diabetes) develop over many years, and is caused by the body either not producing enough insulin or not being able to utilize the insulin produced effectively.



Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness around the world. In the United States, cataracts are the major cause of vision loss, although due to the high level of care available to us, cataracts are among the most treatable causes of diminished vision. Cataracts can best be described as an opaque spot on the lens of the eye that you cannot see through. At best, you seem to be looking through a cloud or a haze, and this haze can vary in size, density and location. Therefore, its effect on your vision will also vary. Many people experience a general reduction in vision at first; they need more light to read by, or they have difficulty with street signs when they’re driving. A cataract can also effect depth perception. This can be a particular danger to older people who risk greater injury from falls and accidents.

Oxidative stress plays a role in the aging of the lens, so antioxidants are an important defense against cataracts. The researcher M.A. Babizhaev in Russia measured the breakdown products of lipid peroxidation as cataracts developed. He found that as the cataract worsened, oxidative stress increased. An Italian team at the University of Bari went a step further and demonstrated that in people with cataracts the loss of glutathione GSH paralleled the increase in oxidative breakdown products.

Cataract in humans usually shows significant, extensive oxidation of lens proteins. With this in mind, researchers experimented on cataracts by stimulating them with various chemicals. They showed that cataract formation could be delayed or prevented by elevated GSH levels. Clearly, the key defense in the lens against oxidation is glutathione. The legendary GSH expert, Alton Meister and a team at Cornell University in New York, used the drug BSO to deplete glutathione levels in the eyes of laboratory animals. The animals subsequently developed cataracts. Meister's team was then able to prevent cataract formation by reestablishing glutathione levels with GSH-monoester and suggested that this strategy may be effective in delaying cataract formation.


Everyone eventually develops cataracts.


Natural Vision Herbal Support

Cataract Care Eye Drops, Homeopathic

The Central Council of Research in Homeopathy - CCRH – Government of India, has claimed that Cineraria Maritima Succus surely prevents cataract formation. The fresh juice is said to remove cataract. A few drops of the fresh juice are dropped into the eye. Cataract Care Eye Drops, Homeopathic


Dog with Cataract
"My dog Charlie is 15 year old. In octber of 2011 his vet advised me that Charlie was suffering from cataract in both eyes. I had noticed sort of a film in my dogs eyes and it seemed to worsen and Charlie was now using his nose more to sniff his way around. Three months later in January I started to give him two miligrams a day of a product called Pure. It is a liquid marine phytoplankton multi-mineral super concentrate extracted from nutrient-rich ocean water that has the salt removed. It contains 92 ionic minerals and trace elements essential to life.
It helps nourish the body on a cellular level and stregthen his immune system. Two months after having given Charlie the Pure, we noticed an improvement in his vision as his cataracts appeared to start to clear up.";


Glaucoma is an insidious disease that can be difficult to detect until a significant amount of vision is lost. Glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief”, because most individuals with undiagnosed glaucoma do not suffer from any symptoms until they begin to notice a reduction in their peripheral vision. Technically, glaucoma is due to damage to the optic nerve, sometimes as a result of increased pressure of the aqueous humor, the clear, watery fluid that circulates in the chamber of the eye between the cornea and the lens. But the term glaucoma is now defined as a collection of diseases that causes optic nerve damage. As a result, the diagnosis is no longer solely based on whether a person’s Intraocular Pressure (IOL) is elevated or not.

The Russians A.I. Bunin, A.A. Filina and V.P. Erichev measured glutathione GSH levels in the eyes of hundreds of patients undergoing surgery for all sorts of reasons. The lowest GSH levels were found among cataracts patients and in patients with open angle glaucoma. They noticed this fall even at the earliest stages of the disease and suggested that reestablished glutathione levels would help prevent or delay this process, and used the nutritional supplement lipoic acid to do so. A Harvard University group investigated different GSH-related com-pounds to increase the outflow of fluid from the eye and reduce pressure within it. In combination with the topical form of ethacrynic acid (a diuretic) they found that cysteine, glutathione and N-acetylcysteine all benefited eye pressure and even lessened the side effects of the drug.

Lowering my eye pressure with eyedrops will prevent further damage to my vision.

Damage to the optic nerve can still happen with controlled pressures. Nutritional support, supplementation and lifestyle changes can dramatically improve the condition of your eyes.

Glaucoma may have many causes, and it is believed by many that stress, nutritional problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of collagen, tissue abnormalities, all of which may create damage and effect blockage of the drainage channels from the eye resulting in elevated inner eye pressure.

Natural Vision Herbal Support

Call 323-522-4521 or 323-989-3372

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes, often referred to as Dry Eye Syndrome, is the most frequent patient complaint to eye doctors. About 33 million Americans in all groups experience varying degrees of dry eye syndromes. Like most eye conditions, Dry Eye Syndrome is often related to health conditions in the rest of the body. It is commonly associated with dryness of other mucous membranes, interior body surfaces such as joints and brittle nails. It can also be a sign of digestive imbalances or of more serious systemic autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogrens syndrome or lupus erthematosus.

The proper production of tears basically takes place at three layers:

  • The Aqueous Layer - is between the Mucous and Lipid Layers, and comprises 90% of the tear film's thickness. It is secreted by the lacrimal gland and incorporates all water-soluble components of the tear film (slightly alkaline at pH of 7.4).
  • The Lipid Layer - is the most superficial layer. It is produced by the Meibomiam glands with minor contribution from glands of Zeis and Moll. The secretion is a sebaceous material which is fluid at body temperature, and retards evaporation of the acqueous layer and lowers surface tension thereby allowing tear-film to mold itself to the eye's surface.

Blood Shot or Tired Eyes - Red, tired, overworked or blood shot eyes are often thought of as just a problem that is unavoidable, but can be a symptom of an underlying problem. A nutrient deficiency could be the culprit. If eyes become swollen and watery, allergies can also be at work. Learn about natual remedies for tired eyes

Floaters; are an appropriate name for these small dark shapes that appear before your eyes, because float through your field of vision is precisely what they do. They are clumps of protein. These spots may look like dots, squiggles, strands or any of a hundred other shapes. Though annoying, floaters are harmless, and there are ways to prevent them through proper diet. Floaters are commonly found in nearsighted people and people with food allergies and candidiasis. Vitreous detachment is also common in diabetics, but the highest rate of complaints of floaters is in people over the age of 70. This is when the prevalence of a vitreous detachment jumps from 10% of the population to 63%. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, floaters are an indication of congestion in the liver, kidney and colon. The herbs and nutrients we recommend below are chosen for their abilities to eliminate congestion in these organs in order to keep the vitreous of the eye clear from these annoying specks, as well as to help strengthen the retinal tissue and integrity of the blood vessels. Finally, we believe chronic stress in one's life may also play a role in the generation of floaters, so having a daily routine of relaxation and meditation is very important.

"I've had eye floaters for a number of years. They started out as spots that would float across my eyes. They progressed to a spider web type floater which impaired my vision. I talked with a lot of people my age who have them, too. My doctor said there was nothing short of surgery that could be done. She said most doctors, including herself, perform such surgery only in rare instances. She said that often times the brain would adjust and that even though I still had them I wouldn’t be so aware of them. I’m happy to say that since I’ve started drinking Goji (Lycium), my eyes have gotten better to where now I rarely have any floaters at all! And my night vision is better too!" Bob W., California

Pink eye or conjunctivitis is a very common infectious condition. It can affect any age group but is predominantly found in school- aged children and children who are in day care. Conjunctivitis can be caused in three ways: a bacterium, a virus, or is a reaction due to an allergy. Many times it is not immediately clear which type of pink eye is present. Learn more about conjunctivitis and possible natural remedies.

Iritis (eye-RYE-tis) is an inflammation of the iris and the ciliary (iris) muscle. By contracting or relaxing the iris muscles can change the size of the pupil to let more or less light into the eyes. Iritis may affect one or both eyes. It is sometimes a chronic, recurring condition. This is also referred to as Anterior uveitis. Important supplement and natural remedies

Episcleritis is a common inflammatory condition of the external eye. A benign inflammation the connective tissue between the conjunctiva and sclera known as the episclera. The eye's red appearance makes it look similar to conjunctivitis, or pink eye. Women are typically affected by episcleritis more frequently than men. It characteristically occurs in people who are in their 30's and 40's and is often a recurrent problem.

Glyconutrients, Goji Berries and Vision Health

Wolfberry (Goji) has a rich history in China going back thousands of years (1000AD) for its healing benefits of nourishing and strengthening the eyes, liver, kidneys and nourishing the blood. Since ancient times, Goji (lycium) berries have been very popular in China for their vision improvement properties. Modern Chinese scientists have found that Goji (lycium) is able to reduce the time it takes for vision to adapt to darkness. It also improves vision under subdued light. Blind spots were reduced in patients taking Goji. Its powerful antioxidant carotenoids may also protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. Goji (lycium) reduces the time it takes for vision to adapt to darkness, and reduces blind spots. Its powerful antioxidant carotenoids and flavonoids may also protect against diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and cataracts.

Honolulu ophthalmologist Dr. Malcolm Ing is one of a growing number of mainstream western doctors who are now promoting an ancient Chinese herbal remedy as a way to prevent macular degeneration. Chinese Goji (lycium) berries contain concentrated amounts of a caratenoid that protects your eyes. "The primary one we're talking about is zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin is concentrated in your macula. Researchers have found now that's the primary caratenoid that protects the macula," Ing said. Chinese Goji (lycium) berries are the No. 1 source of zeaxanthin in the world. You can find the berries in Chinatown. KITV's Dick Allgire visited Viet Hoa, a Chinese herbal medicine shop. The store sells premium Goji (lycium) berries by the pound. The Chinese have used Goji (lycium) berries for about 3,000 years. Now, western medicine has clinical studies that show Goji (lycium) berries do protect the eye from light damage.


"I am 57 years old and have extremely poor eyesight. I have worn glasses ever since I was in grade 2 and over the years my eyesight has steadily weakened. Never, in all the years I have gone for eye appointments, has my vision ever improved, until my appointment yesterday, Friday, March 4th.
My optometrist stated that not just one, but both eyes, have improved a full 1/2 a point each. She was surprised, but I wasn't!; The information on why we should drink Goji (lycium) and documented scientific research says one of the many benefits is that it "supports eye health and improves your vision."

My appointment confirms that research and statement to be absolutely true. I am looking forward to increased good vision and more changes to help me with my high risk of retinal tears and holes resulting in detachments. This is only one of many improvements Goji (lycium) has made to my health. I love my Goji (lycium) and will not be without it." Karen L., Surrey BC Canada;

Call 323-522-4521 or 323-989-3372

Exercises for a Better Vision - Palming

"Palming" was originally a yoga technique. After Bates noticed its beneficial effects on the visual system, he "borrowed" it and incorporated into his system of vision improvement.

Palming works by calming the visual system. Our eyes see by receiving light signals. If there were no light entering the eyes, one should expect to see nothing. Instead, in eyes with defective eyesight, there appears swirling patches of colours, creating pictures where there should be none. This is a symptom of the eyestrain causing defective vision.

The act of palming makes people aware of the strain. The warmth from the hands helps relaxes the tense eyeballs. Some people claim to be able to the "inner energy" or "chi" emanating from the palms. I think we can safely dismiss those claims.

How to do
Place your palms over your closed eyes, letting the fingers cross over at the forehead. Slightly cup your palms such that you are not pressingon the eyeballs. Feel the warmth of the hands radiate and diffuse gently into your eyeballs. Think of the most peaceful scene that you can imagine. Relax...

A few things to note

Do not press against the eyeballs with your palms. This will put pressure on the blood vessels in the eyeballs and reduce circulation of blood and nutrients. Make sure that as much light as possible is blocked out by the palms. The exact position of the palms is up to the individual. Crossing the fingers at the forehead usually helps.

Put yourself in a comfortable and proper posture e.g. don't slouch;
Remember to keep your eyes closed, behind the palms.
And keep your hands clean, otherwise there will be the attack of the pimples!;
The most important thing is to relax. Of course, one can't try to relax. The harder you try, the more tense you become. The trick is to imagine pleasant scenery such as floating clouds in a blue sky, a peaceful sunrise at the top of the mountains.

Advantages of palming
Physical and mental relaxation;
Relief of eye strain;
Can be used in conjunction with imagery;
Physical and mental relaxation
At the beginning, you may see swirling colours or grey patches. As you relax, you will notice the visual field becoming blacker and blacker. This is a sign that both your mind and body have relaxed, and your visual system is working harmoniously. Once you are able to achieve perfect blackness, clarity returns.

Relieves eye strain
Do it as often as you can, whenever you feel that your eyes are tired. Palming helps a lot in refreshing bleary eyes.

Promote visual imagery
While you are palming, you can visualise anything, as long as it doesn't cause stress. For example, you can visualise your plans for the today when you are lying in bed. Make the images as vivid and real as possible. Feel yourself getting drawn into the images that you conjure up in your mind.

This use of visual imagery activates your right-hemisphere and may increase creativity and promote imagination. ( By the way, a left-right dichotomy of the brain is too simplistic as there are many overlapping areas of functions i.e. the left can take over for the right and vice-versa. );

Improving Vision Health
by Roberto Kaplan, OD, M Ed, FCOVD, FCSO

You have probably heard of laser techniques for correcting eye problems. A little scary to imagine a laser beam lathing your eyes. A question often asked by my patients is: "Does one actually become dependent upon eyeglasses?" or "Does the natural functioning of the eyes deteriorate when you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses?" Opinions differ. It seems that more and more people are wearing compensating lenses (the appropriate term, because correction doesn't seem to be happening.)

The good news is there is a totally natural approach to improve vision health. How does this work you might ask? There are two ways you can increase fitness of your eyes. Firstly, the eye function can be trained by more effectively using your brain and eye connection. This is correct. The brain controls how the eye functions. It has been postulated that as little as ten percent of vision happens in the eye. The other 90 percent occurs in the brain and mind.

Training the function of vision results in better focusing from near to far, more efficient reading and less eyestrain on the computer. Later, this enhanced state of vision integration can alter the structure of the eye itself. You may find your current lens prescription too strong and you can then request a weaker set of lenses. First, locate a friendly Optometrist who will help you on this journey to improving vision health.

Better vision occurs by relaxing and stimulating your eyes. Rest permits a sharpening of eyesight. Strain or effort makes vision worse. Here are a few ways for you and your children to rest the eyes.

  • Close your eyes. Imagine something agreeable.
  • Cover your eyes with the palms of your hands, your fingers crossed on your forehead. Palm your eyes so as to exclude all light, the eyes and mind will be able to achieve a greater degree of relaxation. Use this approach when watching needing a break from television viewing or computer activities.
  • Observe the swing of things. As you move your gaze from one point to another, things seen should move in the opposite direction. You can gently swing your whole body to the left and to the right, and watch a distant tree swing to the right and to the left, you can move just your head, or just your eyes. The better your sight, the shorter the swing can be made to be.
  • Use your imagination. See things with your mind's eye, and remember them in precise detail. You are increasing your ability to see actual objects better. The perfect memory of any sensation can be produced only when one is free of strain.
  • Enjoy the sun. Get out into the open and enjoy every sunny day early in the morning or late afternoon for 5 minute periods with your eyes closed. It is especially relaxing and stimulating to the eyes if you close your eyes and let the sun shine onto your lids as you sway back and forth. Do not look at the sun. An incandescent light bulb can be used in the absence of sunlight.

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by Anthony Attenborough

Good sight is thus the result of a relaxed state of mind and body, whereby the individual person feels a direct contact with the surrounding world through the five senses. Poor sight, on the other hand, is the result of tension, where the person is, to a greater or lesser extent, isolated from the outside world through being locked in a pattern of psycho-physical tensions, such as worry, anxiety, rigidity, day-dreaming, boredom, confusion, impatience, etc.

The practical benefits of the Bates Method are imparted by means of a pupil-teacher relationship wherein the pupil is shown, first, relaxation of the eyes, then the body, and then the body and eyes, whilst seeing. As the relaxation progresses, the mind, the eyes and the body begin to focus together more harmoniously, allowing the sight to improve naturally, by itself, as does the health of the eyes, whilst already good sight can be preserved.

Dr. Bates was a graduate of Cornell University and of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He worked at various times at Belleview, Harlem Hospitals, Manhatten Eye and Ear Hospital and New York Eye Infirmary. He also taught ophthalmology at the New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital.

It was as a result of this work, examining thousands of pairs of eyes a year and observing many cases where the sight either recovered spontaneously or changed it's form in inexplicable ways, that a burning desire was aroused to elucidate why the sight changed in these cases. It was from these researches that Dr. Bates discovered that the sight can be be intentionally improved by natural methods, without the use of glasses. In the succeeding years, he discovered and developed the principles and practices to realise this discovery and they became the basic foundation of the Bates Method as it is practised today throughout the world.

According to Dr. Bates researches, the focusing of the eye is accomplished by the action of the extrinsic muscles surrounding it. These muscles are comparatively finely balanced and are easily disturbed by conditions of nervous stress and emotional pressure so that errors of refraction are produced. However, the muscles of the eyes are not amenable to direct physical re-training since, according to Kinesiological research made in the U.S.A., stressed or fatigued muscles are made weaker by exercise. It is therefore not part of the Bates Method to 'strengthen' eye muscles by exercising them, despite recommendations given in popular books and articles on the subject. Relaxation will always precede exercise.

It is necessary to realise that the eyes are completely passive. They have no volition of their own but, instead, follow the interests, and mirror the activity, of the mind. They are in principle willing servants, but in so many cases are unconsciously treated as unwilling slaves, starved of nourishment and constantly abused. Therefore, to periodically close the eyes, let them rest, listen to them and ask them what they need, can be the first step in re-establishing a normal equilibrium in their use.

The eye sees best what it looks at directly whilst at the same time there is a continuing awareness of the whole field of vision. This can be summed up as a state of attentive awareness, which is reflected in the extraordinary structure of the light receptive cells of the retina, consisting of two separate but complementary functions: the minute depression in the centre of the retina, called the fovea, which is the point of maximum clarity; and the surrounding area of peripheral vision, by far the greater part of the retinal area. The fovea in the normally seeing eye picks up the finest detail and is constantly shifting, vibrating in tune with the attentive interest of the mind on what it wants to see. This can be called the active part of seeing, responsive to touch, contractive. It is supported by the receptivity of all the rest of the rods and cones, the vast majority in number, which receive the whole field of vision and can be called the passive part of seeing, which is responsive to movement, space, and is expansive. These two processes are mutually complementary and are analogous to the Chinese idea of Yin and Yang, whole field and point of focus. Together, they constitute the world as we see it. When the eye is under stress, the centralised seeing loses it's point of focus and enlarges, the vibratory shifting slows down and becomes a rigid stare, whilst the visual field contracts. The eye ceases to be a channel for the energy of attentive awareness.

Since in most cases of faulty sight interest in seeing has been replaced by straining, trying to see, or boredom, self-criticism, etc., the first step in improving the sight is to stimulate interest by suggesting the pupil replaces the attitude of trying to see by that of looking for something, for example different colours, trees, birds, flowers - whatever is suitable and is accessible to the particular state of sight without glasses or lenses. From this point, the pupil is beginning to learn how to do without glasses, wholly or partly, depending on need, since it is axiomatic that the sight cannot improve whilst glasses are worn.

The circulation through the eyes is stimulated by encouraging blinking, and splashing the closed eyes with water, morning and evening. The eyes are also nourished and relaxed by the use of light, letting the head swing with closed eyes facing the sun or a lamp. Needless to say that the sun is never looked at directly. The eyes are always rested by palming after taking the light.

The fundamental way of relaxing is by palming. Palming is the practice of covering the closed eyes with the palms of the hands whilst sitting upright, so that the eyes are rested in darkness, relaxed by the warmth and healing energies passing through the hands. The mind needs to be engaged in some useful or interesting activity like talking with a friend, listening to the radio, thinking or visualising, so that it does not interfere with the eyes and stop them from relaxing. Palming usually results in an immediate but temporary improvement in the sight. The continued practice of palming often leads to great changes for the better, and is the best single means for helping the eyes.

The sight is further helped by learning relaxation in movement through the use of various types of swinging movements, which also help to re-establish the natural vibratory movements of the eyes as well as expand the awareness of the visual field. First, the pupil stands with feet apart and rhythmically swings from side to side, allowing the relaxation to deepen. Next, the pupil turns the body right and left, letting the whole body, including the eyes move as one. Awareness of movement in the visual field is a sign that the swinging is being well done. A simpler but more versatile way is to swing the head and neck only. This is very helpful in releasing tensions in the neck, which are often associated with poor sight. Further observation of the pupil often reveals poor co-ordination in movement, of hand and eye, of both eyes together. These difficulties respond to deepening relaxation and the development of attention and awareness, and are further helped by providing a focus for the mind with such activities as juggling, drawing, dancing, ball games, etc. As the pupil progresses, more specific approaches can be shown according to need, through working with charts, reading practices, techniques to encourage centralisation of sight, such as counting, looking for, comparing, edging, tracing. But it must be emphasised that no good will come from trying to see, the all too common reaction of the pupil when being presented with the challenge of identification of letters or reading. It is always necessary to avoid useless struggle and to do the best one can, accepting whatever is seen, no matter whether it is clear or blurred.

Meanwhile, other relevant aspects of the pupil's life can be considered such as health, diet, exercise, interests, anxieties and worries, and appropriate; suggestions made where necessary, as, for example, the importance of sleeping well, of eating wholesome foods, of taking enough exercise.

Thus, through the practice of relaxation, movement and focusing of attention under the direction of interest and awareness, the pupil's sight can be restored to it's natural and normal state, although the time needed is very variable. Much depends on the understanding and quality of energy of the teacher, as well as the patience, persistence and interest on the part of the pupil.

The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses

"I've used this method to pass a police eye exam before and it works. If your doctor said you had to wear a crutch forever because of a strain due to excessive and improper use of a muscle , you'd call him a quack. But most of us pay big bucks to get good vision and it's nothing more(in most cases) than a case of eye strain caused by poor vision habits. Your eye doctor won't tell you to use this book, because he gets paid twice over to get you to wear glasses(or something even more expensive). My biggest problem with nearsightedness came from always looking at near objects such as the ground and never allowing the muscles in my eyes to stretch and see things like the horizon or clouds overhead. And when I finally did chose to stretch these muscles it was like trying to get into a crossed leg yoga position. The lenses in your eye are controlled by muscles and they need to be stretched and tightened.Buy this book for everyone you know and love and tell your eye doctor either to get another sucker or find a new job." an amazon reviewer

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