Hello, readers of the Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley blog, and happy post-Thanksgiving day greetings to
you. We hope yesterday was a bright and festive (not to mention filling)
occasion for all. Since you have taken the time to read today’s blog, you are
bypassing Black Friday free-for-alls. Yes, as we look out our window on
Shattuck Avenue, we see chaos in Constitution Square. So, read on…
Two years ago, we ran a blog
that informed people of “eye exercise.” Well, we are today offering a warning
about certain vision exercises. Yes, they are important, but as with everything
else under the sun, some exercises work…and others don’t. It all depends on who
you consult and where you look (no pun intended) for them.
To call up a cliché, “the best things in life are free,” and
this is very true when it comes to giving your vision some TLC. What’s
wonderful about exercises like the “20/20/20” (after 20 minutes of looking at
the computer screen, look away at something 20 feet away, and for 20 seconds),
is that they do not cost you anything. Now…as far as paying money for vision
improvement – proceed with caution!
We urge you to be wary and take care not to fall for any
kind of advertisements that promise you will “never have to wear eyeglasses (or
contact lenses) – again!” One such “cure” was the “See Clearly Method,”
founded by the American Vision Institute, which, we should point out, was
comprised of four (count ‘em – four) members (two optometrists, one
psychologist and one nuclear chemist – yes, a nuclear chemist). For those who
were willing to pay the princely sum of $350, this “kit” offered techniques
(and we are using the word “techniques” VERY loosely) such as “Tromboning,”
“Palming,” and “Light Therapy,” among others that were designed to help build
up and strengthen vision. The good news is that the “See Clearly Method”
received a court order in 2006 to be removed from the market. The bad news is
that these same four horsemen of the optical apocalypse (the American Vision
Institute) launched a website that promoted the “Power Vision Program,” which
claims to incorporate the most effective techniques of the “See Clearly
Method.” The “Power Vision Program” costs $35 a pop. Yet…more potential good
news is that when we did a web search for this product, we only came up with
articles that debated (if not downright debunked)
the American Vision Institute.
One thing to keep in mind when it comes to eyesight is that
the physical shape of the eyes is a determining factor of possible
vision-related problems. For instance, if a person’s eyeball is too “short,”
they suffer from farsightedness, and conversely, if the eyeballs are too
“long,” nearsightedness is the issue. And, studies from legitimate scientific
journals have concluded that exercising the eyes will not change their shape.
As a result, the conditions of farsightedness and nearsightedness are, alas,
ones that only the right prescription of eyewear can help. For more
information, check out this article by
Rob Murphy of “All About Vision.”
True vision therapy that is approved and medically
supervised can in fact benefit (but not cure) eye-related issues. If you feel
that you would benefit from a legitimate
(note the italics) vision therapy program, the first thing to do is schedule a consultation
with an optometrist. How to care for (and, if possible, improve) your vision is
definitely something for the professionals to handle. If you find your vision
cannot be improved, you can still help prevent it from becoming weaker.
Thanks for reading…and keep your sites on healthy vision.
