Can Myopia Be Cured Naturally?

What Is Myopia?

Myopia or near-sightedness is an eye condition in which there is a change in the shape of the cornea of the eye which enables us to see only the nearby objects and the distant objects are not clearly visible. Myopia can occur in age and can be treated by wearing corrective lenses and getting eye surgery. As children grow their eye condition worsens and is not stabilized until they reach a certain age. Some people believe that myopia can be cured naturally, but studies have shown that though some natural processes used by people may not cure myopia fully but would slow down its progression in growing children.

There are other scientific methods that are also used to slow down the progression of myopia in children. Controlling myopia in children is necessary as it may lead to vision-threatening complications like glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment, and even blindness in some people.

Treatment For Myopia

Atropine Eye Drops For Myopia

Atropine eye drops are generally prescribed when a person has eye inflammation or any kind of pain in the eyes. It is also used by an ophthalmologist to dilate the pupil in order to conduct a proper eye exam. They are also used to relieve focusing fatigue by dilating the pupil and temporarily limiting the eye’s ability to automatically change focus. This process is called accommodation. Due to its effect on the accommodation, it is considered effective for children having myopia.

The studies have shown that atropine eye drops slow down the progression of myopia in children by 77% and is considered the most effective method to control myopia. Low doses of atropine can be used for children who have rapidly progressing myopia. Atropine eye drops when used cause sensitivity to the eyes, so it is advised to wear polarised sunglasses when you go outside or to limit the exposure to direct sunlight. Atropine eye drops are recommended by the doctor in some special cases only and should not be used without proper prescription.

Multifocal Contacts

Multifocal contact lenses are usually prescribed to the ones who need to have a clear vision at all distances and to the people who have refractive errors and to those who have age-related presbyopia. The studies show that multifocal contact lenses when worn by the children having rapidly progressing myopia, their condition were improved and the lenses were 50% effective in slowing down the progression of myopia when compared to the children who wore regular soft contacts for the same period of time. So, one can get the prescription of multifocal contact lenses from their ophthalmologist.

Multifocal Eyeglasses

Multifocal eyeglasses are similar to multifocal contact lenses and have the same working. They are used to correct the vision of people with presbyopia along with the people having refractive errors. The effectiveness of this method is less than the effectiveness of multifocal contact lenses for rapidly progressing myopia. But there have been instances where the progression of myopia has slowed down in children by 51%.

Corneal Refractive Therapy or Orthokeratology

In this therapy technique, specially designed contact lenses are used. The lenses designed are gas permeable contacts that are worn at night time during sleep. During the nighttime, the lenses reshape the cornea while the person is asleep and reduces myopia overnight. The lenses are removed in the morning and the person is able to see clearly during the daytime. The benefit of using this therapy is freedom from eyeglasses and eye lenses during the daytime.

This therapy has been very effective in reducing the progression rate in children having myopia by 80%. This therapy is generally used on children having rapidly progressing myopia. In adults, it is used only when they have less than -4.00 diopters vision and have minimal astigmatism. The most suitable candidate for this therapy is someone who has the beginning stage of myopia. This technology has also helped in easing out the dryness in the eyes when contact lenses were worn during the daytime.

Need For Eyeglasses

Myopia may cause slight discomfort in your vision because of blurred vision. Increased use of computers and changes in our diet causes rapid progression of myopia. Every individual has a different environment in which they work or study. Some need glasses to view blackboards in their classroom and would not require eyeglasses for reading the book in their hand.

On the other hand, some would require eyeglasses that would help them to ease out the blurriness caused due to long working hours in front of the screen. So, prescribing similar eyeglasses to them is not a very good option in treating myopia. It is necessary for doctors to know the environment that your eyes work in. This would help you to achieve your goal of slowing down the progression of myopia.

Every individual has specific needs and would find comfort in a method that others may not find suitable for themselves. So, it becomes necessary for the patient and doctor to work hand in hand to slow down the progression of myopia and then completely cure it.

Natural Methods To Cure Myopia

The Bates Method

Dr. Bates found the most effective cure for treating myopia naturally. The therapy involved a process in which the mind and eye were made to relax and to get adjusted with the blurred vision. He stated three main reasons which caused eye strain and poor vision in people which included mental fatigue, eyeglasses, and bad vision habits. These factors were held responsible for poor vision in people.

Mental fatigue has been associated with blurriness present in the vision. It’s often neglected that all the tension and stress taken by us is present in the eyes and it causes eye muscles to tense leading to blurry vision. Bad vision habits in children like an increase in indoor classroom activity and a decrease in outdoor activity have to lead to early vision problems in the children. The sunlight which is essential for their growth and development of eyes is often not provided in ample amounts leading to early vision problems.

•   Process of Bates Method

So, to cure myopia he only suggested relaxing eyes and ease the tension present in them.

1.  The first step toward achieving this goal is to accept the blur vision in your life. Squinting and staring become counterproductive for the same reasons.
2.  Accepting blur vision helps in making our vision back to normal.
3. The next step is to ditch the eyeglasses and contact lenses. If you have vision less than two diopters then ditching eyeglasses would not be a bigger challenge for you. The ones who have more impaired vision should use eyeglasses that would help them see less clearly.
4. The next step involves proper and frequent bling of the eyes. instead of staring for too long make a habit of blinking frequently. This would relax the muscles present in the eyes.
5. There are various other benefits associated with the blinking of the eyes other than helping in curing myopia. The blinking should be more natural than the forced one.
6. The next step involves your understanding that everything that view cannot be very clear to you. So, instead of focusing on the unclear things try to focus on the things that are clear in your vision.
7. Increasing awareness regarding your peripheral vision is the next step towards achieving your goal of curing myopia.
8.  Move your eyes freely and in a relaxed manner. This helps with the blood flow in the eyes and also brings nutrients to the eyes.

Palming

Palming is the most practiced technique in achieving eyes that are free of myopia. In this, palms are lightly placed over the eyes, and all sorts of light are blocked and then eyes can be opened. This gives instant relief from stress. Getting full exposure to bright sunlight also plays a vital role in improving the visual quality and makes our eyes healthy.

A Healthy Diet

A good healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables and fish is essential in slowing the onset of myopia in children and adults. You should eat at least 2-3 cups of veggies, 2 cups of fruits, and 2 cups of green veggies weekly to slow down the progression of myopia. Specific fruits and vegetables like potatoes, carrots, broccoli, strawberries, citrus fruits, and berries are also responsible for slowing down the progression of myopia.

Environment

Children who spend more time in outdoor activities have a lower risk of getting myopia or other refractive errors of the eye. Doing more indoor activities makes our eyes focus on the nearly placed objects rather than focusing on the distantly placed objects. Studies have shown that outdoors helping in reducing the risk of getting myopia but the chances of slowing down the progression of myopia by spending time outside are less once it develops in children.

Yoga To Cure Myopia

Eye exercises that are present in yoga have been known to provide relief from myopia but no scientific study has supported this claim. Doing yoga exercises increases the chances of getting rid of myopia. It enhances the brain’s activity to see things. It also helps you to calm down and relieve you from any eye strain and headaches. Practicing yoga regularly will give long-term benefits and would improve your eyesight.

Focus Shifting

This exercise helps in providing the ability to focus as well as train our eye muscles. 

1. Stretch your hand in front and make a thumbs-up sign.
2. Sit up straight and focus your eyes on the thumb.
3. Move your arm towards your right and move your eyes along with the movement of the thumb without moving your neck.
4. Repeat the same to the left side. And the process should continue several times.

Eye Rolling

This exercise helps in giving relief to the eye strain.

1. Sit up straight and take a deep breath.
2. Roll your eyes towards the ceiling and focus your eyes on the ceiling.
3. Roll your eyes towards the right side.
4. Then roll your eyes down towards the floor.
5. Then roll it towards your left side and then bring back the eyes towards the ceiling.
6. Repeat the whole process and then move your eyes counterclockwise.

Palming

This exercise calms the eyes and helps ease the tension present in them.

1. Rub your palms together and make them warm.
2. Place your palms over the eyes in a cupped manner.
3. Take deep breaths and release the tension present.
4. Repeat the process for several minutes.

Medical Alternative To Cure Myopia

Myopia can be cured completely with the help of medical treatment which includes undergoing laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery completely cures myopic eyes but it also has its side effects present. Before considering the option of getting laser eye surgery it is advised to consult your ophthalmologist first to know if your conditions are suitable for getting surgery or not. Children are not considered suitable for getting laser surgery for myopia as the progression of myopia takes place till the time the child grows physically.

There are various pre-operative instructions that you should know before getting the surgery like prevent yourself from applying any kind of cosmetic on the face and near eyes as well as stop using contact lenses a week prior to the operation date.

The operation procedure generally takes 10-15 minutes and would cause itching and irritation in the eyes. avoid touching the eyes after getting operated on and follow the postoperative instructions given by the surgeon. Use antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops as prescribed by the doctor and avoid doing any outdoor activities for at least a month.