Optimum Eyesight

We all have the grandparent image, you know—the one where they wear glasses. Just look at the comics in your local newspaper. The expectation is that as we age, our eyesight will worsen and we will need to wear glasses.

Many of us also believe that because our parents wore glasses, we will have to also.  Our eyesight doesn’t have to degrade, as we get older. We do have options to keep our sight working for us optimally.

I used to wear glasses.  I was far-sighted and had astigmatism.  As I switched to a stronger prescription the second time, I thought, “There has to be better way. I don’t want this to keep happening!”  At that time, there weren’t as many products on the market to help feed the eyes as there are now.  But I was determined.  I took the specific herbs that were available for eyes at the time, rotating off and on between them. I also did some eye exercises, and after 1 1/2 years of dedication, I no longer had to wear glasses.  In fact, now, my eyesight is better then ever.

Some people are slowly starting to realize that getting stronger prescriptions each year is only making their eyes weaker instead of giving their eyes what they need to repair themselves.

There are many different eye issues that people get; unfortunately, we don’t have space to cover them all.  Some of the most popular ones are:

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes can be caused from a number of issues – we have seen these conditions with weak adrenals, toxic blood, and/or deficiencies in essential fatty acids (EFA).  Other nutrients that can help are Black Currant Oil (EFA), Evening Primrose Oil (EFA), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, B6, or zinc.

Itchy Eyes

Itchy eyes are often caused from lack of B-complex vitamins, especially Riboflavin (B2).  They may also be a symptom of sinus or allergies issues, the eyes being a mechanism for the body to move toxins out of the sinuses and out the tear ducts.

Pink Eye

Pink Eye or Conjunctivitis is a common inflammation of the lining of the eyelid, especially in children. This is caused by infection or other irritation in the eye.  Many herbs such as goldenseal, chamomile, and chickweed can be used very effectively to cleanse the eye in this condition. Many herbalists sell herbal eyewashes that are very effective for these infections, and very safe for children.

Floaters

Floaters are an annoying issue that many people deal with.  Often linked to yeast/fungus conditions in the body, floaters are bits of debris that you can see floating in the fluid inside of the eye. They are not serious unless in large numbers. Some herbalists have linked floaters to hypoglycemia (which would also explain the yeast/fungus issue), so considering blood sugars issues would be a good start if you have these.  Some people have found relief in eating foods rich in natural sulfur such as carrots and spinach. 

Night Blindness

People experience night blindness at night mostly while driving.  WWII British pilots used bilberry to aid their night vision.  Most herbalists recommend bilberry for night blindness.  Vitamin A can also be helpful for this condition.

Cataracts

Cataracts make the eye cloudy or opaque and are caused by free radical damage to the lens of the eye and can be external or internal in the eye.  Helpful in this situation are nutrients such as zinc, selenium, and anti-oxidants – such as Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C.  Other nutrients that can help are: L-Lysine, manganese, pantothenic acid (B5), Thiamin (B1) and Riboflavin (B2).  Many people have dissolved cataracts internally and externally by taking supplements to strengthen the eyes, and by using herbal eyewashes to cleanse and rebuild the tissues. Some of the most popular eyewashes actually contain capsicum (cayenne pepper). This use was started by Doctor Christopher, a famous herbalist who stated that this herb, used in proper dosages, would not damage even the most sensitive eye tissues.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma can be a serious disease of the eyes distinguished by an increase of pressure in the fluid of the eye.  The people I have successfully worked with before that had this issue had a parasite issue in their body.  Once that was cleared up, they noticed considerable improvements.  Again, EFA’s, especially black currant oil, large doses of Vitamin C, B-Complex, Vitamin A, germanium, and eyebright are good choices for this as well.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a degeneration of the macula causing progressive visual loss.  This can be caused by poor circulation to the eye, or when blood vessels are weak. This is most often age-related, and/or shows a significant lack of anti-oxidants and trace minerals. Nutrients that are helpful for this condition are legumes, yellow vegetables, and berries – one that is significantly helpful is Wolfberries – which are very high in lutein and zeaxanthins, which help to protect the retina.  These can be found in some health food stores.

Diabetes Related

Many eye issues are caused from Diabetes.  Taking nutrients to control your blood sugar and insulin levels can have added benefits to your eye health.  Some of these include Vitamins, A, B, C, E, and minerals selenium, germanium and zinc.

Helpful Hints For Better Eyesight

Herbs

The most popular herbs for the eyes are eyebright and bilberry.  These are the two herbs that I alternated taking and helped me have better eyesight.  In addition I took the other Vitamins and minerals mentioned to strengthen not just my eyes, but also my whole body.

The Colon and Lymph Systems

Another important factor that will surprise you is the colon.  That’s right the colon – where we absorb nutrients for the rest of the body. If you have a toxic colon, it is quite possible that it can affect your eyesight as well. The colon is often called the “second brain” because it is composed of more than 100 billion nerve cells (even more than the spinal cord).  Because of this, if you aren’t having at least 3 bowel movements a day, you are leaving toxins in your body which can prevent your body from absorbing the nutrients it needs to make new cells for your eyes.

This also applies to the lymph system, urinary system and respiratory system – which are important flushing mechanisms. They need to be working optimally to move toxins out, allowing your cells to get to the important nutrients to regenerate and repair.

Here’s an amazing example: many years ago one of my customers came to me with other health issues, menopause, weight and a few other issues.  She wore “coke-bottle” glasses – as they used to be called.  Her eyesight wasn’t even on her to do list.  As always, we educated her about digestion, her elimination systems and what changes she could make to make a difference in her health.  Her body was very acidic and as she started to improve internally, she started to flush acid and other toxins out of her body, which, in her case, came out her skin under her arms.  She stuck with it; and although she had the rash, she felt stronger inside.  After continuing the diet, supplements and a few other techniques for nine months, her rash went away. 

Throughout this whole process, her eyesight kept improving. She wasn’t really paying attention to it, switching to her old glasses as needed from her stronger prescriptions.  Once the rash was gone, none of her glasses seemed to work anymore and she went to the eye doctor to get her eyes checked.  She was shocked when her eye doctor told her that she no longer needed glasses. I still remember the excitement in her voice when she called me.

Eye Exercises

These can be very helpful for many people. All your body’s muscles need exercise, even your eye muscles. Exercises can be as simple as using the “Bates” method, which consists of  (1) closing your eyes every hour for just a minute by covering your eyes with the palms of your hands. (2) Take a few breaths.  (3) Then, open your eyes, roll them from side to side, look far, look near and keep changing your focusing distance.

I did some exercises I received from an eye doctor I had gone to many years before that were for a lazy eye.  I have seen several books, and websites that sell many different types of exercises that also work to strengthen the eyes.  Doing eye exercises and supplements at the same time can provide significant improvements if you are consistent.

Emotions

Of course, as I have often mentioned, there is an emotional aspect to healing the eyes, just like there is every other part of the body. Some of these may be not seeing the truth, not wanting to understand what you are seeing, not wanting to see life as it is, inability to see ones own self-worth, life is weak and out of focus or not seeing eye to eye with another.  These are all from Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman. 

Circulation and Nutrition

Improving the circulation to your head overall can be therapeutic.  Chiropractic, or cranial sacral therapies are two powerful techniques that can be very effective.  Supplementals, ginko biloba, gota kola, chlorophyll, and adaptagenic herbs such as eleuthero, suma, and the ginsengs can be helpful to increase circulation to the head, which can help eye issues.

Good nutrition overall is important as well. Foods that are high in beta-carotene, such as carrots, tomatoes, yams, and yellow squashes really do make your eyesight better by providing important nutrients to your body.

Another nutrient that has been recently introduced to the health market is N-Acetyl Cysteine, which has been found to be important to repair tissue in the liver and the eyes.  In fact, it is known by many herbalists that herbs that assist the eyes also aid in circulation and other organs such the liver and the kidneys.

Getting older can mean getting better—without needing to wear glasses. But why wait for aging signs to set in, work at strengthening your eyes now, your whole body may benefit!