Low Vision

With old age comes the problem in the deterioration in the eye sight. This is due to biological factors and is considered a sign of aging. Very few older people have excellent vision in both the eyes.  Those who can perform their daily tasks suffer from myopia in one eye and a normal refraction in the other. As you age, your eyesight deteriorates gradually. This deterioration is more continuous after 65 years. Long-sightedness is the most common refractive problem in the elderly. You might find that your vision is seriously impaired in the poor light but is proper in the sufficient light.

The degenerative conditions of the retina are responsible for the low vision. As you age, the changes in the pupil in terms of changes in both size and agility affect the visual performance. The diameter of the of the pupil decreases, thus reducing the amount of light that reaches the retina.  You might also be affected by senile muscular degeneration leading to decrease in central vision but not affecting peripheral vision so that you do not become totally blind.

Causes of Low Vision:

• Mental strain which puts a physical strain on the eyes, their muscles and the nerves. Minor defects are due to the mental strain from overwork, fear, anxiety etc.
• Wrong dietary habits since eye is a part of the body and any toxins in the body will cause eye problems. These toxins are due to excess consumption of starch, sugar and protein. This results in the excess clogging in the body due to unbalanced metabolism caused by wrong diet and in the process affects the muscles and the blood vessels of the eye.
• Improper blood and nerve supply because your eyes need to be supplied with blood and nerves for proper vision. Any interference either with the blood vessels or the nerves can give rise to defective vision. The muscles at the upper portion of the spine at the back of the neck are the man seat of mechanical interference with the blood and nerve supply to the eyes.

Exercises for Low Vision:

• Eye exercises: With your head still and relaxed, move your eyes up and down gently 6 times. Repeat this process 2 or 3 times at an interval of 2 seconds. Move your eyes slowly and regularly as far as possible. You can also move your eyes from side to side as far as possible without any force or effort 2 or 3 times. Try holding your index finger of the right hand about eight inches in front of your eyes, then look from the finger to any large object 10 or more feet away. Then look from one to another 10 times. Repeat this process rapidly. The other exercise is to move the eyes up gently and slowly in a circle and then down in the reverse direction for 4 times. Then rest for a second and repeat this process 2 or 3 times with least effort. Perform all these exercises seated.

• Neck exercises: Rotate the neck a) in circles and semicircles, b) move the shoulders clockwise and anti-clockwise rapidly, bringing them up as far as possible many times, c) drop the head forward and backward as far as possible, d) turn the head to right and left as far as possible repeatedly. These exercises will loosen the contracted neck muscles, and will thus ease the blood supply to the head.

Remedies for Low Vision :

The other remedial activities that you can do are:

• Sun gazing: Sit on the bench facing the sun with eyes closed and sway gently from side to side repeatedly for 10 minutes. Open the eyes and blink 10 times at the sun and at the greenery. This is excellent for shortsight and inflammation of eyes.

• Splashing: Splash plain, cold water several times on the closed eyes. Rub the closed lids briskly for a minute with clean towel. This cools the eyes and boosts the blood supply.

• Palming: Sitting in an armchair or a settee, relax with your eyes closed. Cover your eyes with your palms, right palm over the right eye and the left over the left eye without pressing them. Now when your eyes are completely covered, drop your elbows to the knees, which should be close to each other. Now imagine the blackness that grows blacker and blacker. This method reduces the strain and relaxes the eye and its surrounding tissues.

• Swinging: Stand with your feet separated by 12 inches, hand loosely at the sides and the body and mind relaxed. Gently sway your body from side to side, lowly, steadily with heels rising alternatively but not the rest of the foot. Think of yourself as the pendulum of the clock and move just like that. Do the swinging in front of the mirror or a picture. You can see the object moving in the opposite direction of the swing. When you reach the end of the window or object, blink once. This exercise will greatly relax your eyes and the nervous system.

Eating natural, raw foods is the best treatment for this problem. Include fresh fruits like oranges, apples, grapes, peaches, plums, cherries and green vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, spinach, turnip tops, root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, carrots, onions and beetroots, nuts, dried fruits and dairy products. Consume cereals sparingly. Choose wholemeal bread. Avoid cakes, pastries, white sugar, white bread, tea, coffee along with meat, fish or eggs as they play havoc with the digestion and the body.
Increase your intake of vitamin A as it is the most essential vitamin for good eyesight. Adequate amount of this vitamin will protect against or cure vision-related problems. You can get the good amount of vitamin A from codliver oil, raw spinach, turnip tops, cream, cheese, utter, egg yolk, tomatoes, lettuce, carrot, cabbage, soya beans, green peas, fresh milk, oranges and dates.

Doing some yogic exercises will also help you in strengthening the weak eye muscles, relieving eye strain and curing the eye disease. Trataka or “winkless gaze at the particular point” is the series of exercises that are beneficial to the eyes. The four major tratakas are:
• Dakshinayjatru trataka: Here your face is forward and the eyes are fixed on the tip of the right shoulder.
• Vamajatru trataka: Here the eyes are fixed on the tip of the left shoulder.
• Namikagra trataka: Eyes focused on the tip of the nose.
• Bhrumadhya trataka: Eyes focusing on the space between the eyebrows.
Practice these exercises in the poses like padmasana or vajrasana. Hold the gaze as long as possible but without discomforting yourself. Increase the period gradually from 10 to 20 to 30 seconds. Close and rest the eyes after each exercise. If you are suffering from acute myopia, close and perform the exercises. Some asanas like bhujangasana, shalabhasana, yogamudra, paschimottanasana and kriyas like jalneti are beneficial for the eyes.