I have not brought my specs with me......", and so goes the old rhyme and as old rhymes go there is usually a large nugget of truth embodied in the doggerel. It is a truth I hold to be self-evident that as things are and as we age almost all of us will end up using glasses sooner or later. For most of us that is when we run out of arm-length and cannot hold our newspaper far enough away from us to read it. And once we start using specs, every few years or so we have to upgrade ourselves to something stronger, then we have to have split lenses. Finally we end up with 2-tone pebbles in front of our eyes. Some of us of course are unfortunate enough to have to start out in our childhood wearing specs, until we can convince our parents we're gonna die, and die lonely with it, unless we get contact lenses right now. But in the end nearly all of us get to be four-eyed and for most of us it starts with reading glasses in our 40's.
For as long as we can remember we've assumed failing eyesight is a natural part of the ageing process. It goes with the territory, and who's complaining, we should be so lucky to live so long. Well that may have been OK once and it still may be the case for many of us but as, if you regularly read this column you will have noted, I'm wont to say - it doesn't have to be this way! We have a choice.
Wearing Specs Ain't So Bad.....
What I've been addressing so far is essentially nothing more than the deterioration of the muscles that operate the focus of the eye. As we age and gravity has its way with us, as we exercise less and our hormone levels drop, things just don't work quite the way they used. So it is with our vision if we don't exercise our eye muscles. And whoever went to the gym to do that?
Do we really have to do eye exercises if we don't want to wear glasses? Is there any point if I already wear glasses? The answer to both questions is, Yes, if you're on for it.
Give you an example, which isn't that unusual by any means. Me and my Best Beloved were at a conference in Long Beach several years ago, we were both in our 40's at the time and on our first pair of reading glasses. Before breakfast we were all encouraged to participate in a movement class led by a remarkably sprightly woman in her mid-80's, who looked as though she could have been in her late 50's. I guess the organisers felt that this would encourage us to lead healthier lives than perhaps we were. Chatting to her over the next few days the subject of eyesight must have come up. She told us that by the time she was 50 her eyesight had become so bad that she'd come to the end of the line when it came to lens magnification. She had no alternative but to seek other means or pretty soon she would not be able to read a book or drive a car. She went to see an eye doctor who believed in reversing the process by a variety of natural means. She worked her way back through the lens prescriptions, only using glasses when she had to. By the time she was 60 she had no need of glasses at all and now in her mid-80's, with another 20 years or so to go, didn't see that she ever would.
Now that's encouraging, isn't it? All the same you actually do have to be pretty disciplined about doing the necessary or it won't happen, right? Well we know that! We need more exercises to do, or maybe not to do,like a hole in the head! Who needs the guilt? Well, think of it this way. Maybe we can fudge it a bit and slow things down. If we do a little, maybe we can get by with just our reading glasses. That might be a deal worth cutting with ourselves, mightn't it?
Some Simple Things
So, here are some simple things to do that really can and do make a difference. Check it out for yourself and see.
Palming: rub the palms of your hands together vigorously for about 30 seconds, then hold the centre of your palms over your eyes for 2 minutes. Do this a couple of times a day or whenever your eyes feel tired or strained. After reading or working at the computer. Hint: it's nicer if your hands are clean and not smelly.
Varying distance: spend time looking at something about a 3 feet in front of you for about 30 seconds, then look at something in the distance for a similar period. Do this for 10 minutes a couple of times a day. Whenever you can, go into the hills or the desert, wherever you can see for miles and miles. It's guaranteed to lift the spirit also. So many of us trap ourselves in a life where our vision goes yards not miles. No wonder we sometimes feel we're in a rut.
Light: this is a no-brainer. When you read make sure you've got enough direct light onto the page to read easily. In Bali, Good Luck!
Rest: another no-brainer. When your eyes feel tired or strained, give them a rest, Bozo! And try the palming.
Have you seen those glasses that have a lot of holes in a black screen in front of the eyes? They're supposed to make you see better. Believe it or not, they do. But don't waste your money, the effect is only temporary. Other than this, go see a good eye doctor, one who actually believes that unless there is something actually wrong with the eye itself (and often even then), that good vision can be restored to almost everyone if the problem is muscular deterioration.
But Here's the Really Bad News......
All the above is the good news, which at a push we can live with. There is however a much less happy aspect to all this than degeneration of the eye muscles. I am talking here of macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. By and large we are living longer and this means we have a good chance of suffering serious eye disease of this nature and which may very well leave us blind or severely sight impaired long before we shuffle off this mortal coil. Since reading, study and the creation or appreciation of beauty are among the most pleasurable experiences left to us as we grow old it makes a lot of sense for us to spare a thought for the health of our eyes when we are younger. For the most part we don't, effective eyesight is something we take for granted.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD):
This is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the US among people over 50. The condition affects 10 million people in the US and many millions more worldwide. It is a condition in which the central part of the retina (the macula) deteriorates. It is equally common amongst women and men and its cause is unknown. There are two types of macular degeneration, atrophic (dry) and exudative (wet) with 90% of cases being of the dry type. There is little that can be done within conventional medical treatment to remedy the condition and restore lost eyesight. Macular degeneration affects more people than cataracts and glaucoma combined.
Research shows however that a more holistic approach can prevent and even stave off the disease. Increased physical fitness, improved nutrition (including the reduction of saturated fats), not smoking and protecting your eyes from excessive light all play a part. Dietary supplementation of trace elements, antioxidants and vitamins all improve overall metabolic and vascular functioning, all of which are key.
Cataracts:
It is a little known fact that cataracts affect 80% of people of 75 years and older. In the US surgery for cataracts costs Medicare more than any other surgical procedure. For most people it is not a question of whether you will suffer from cataracts but when?
A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye, which reduces the amount of incoming light and results in progressively deteriorating vision. It has been described as looking through a waterfall or a piece of waxed paper. Daily functions like reading or driving a car may become impossible. Many factors influence vision and cataract development such as age, nutrition, heredity, medications, toxins, health habits, sunlight exposure and head trauma. Cataracts can also be caused by high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes or direct trauma to the eye. Once again there is much evidence to show that the disease can be slowed or prevented by dietary means, particularly the prevention of free radical damage, and lifestyle modification.
Just because you have a cataract it does not mean to say that it must be removed straight away. Cataract surgery, which is the conventional treatment may be put off until you are unhappy with the way you see. The surgical treatment involves removing all or part of the lens and replacing it with an artificial one. Almost all cataract problems can be improved after surgery and cataracts do not grow back once removed.
Glaucoma:
is a leading cause of blindness affecting over 60 million people worldwide. It should be diagnosed and treated promptly to avoid further degeneration of eyesight and eventually permanent loss of vision. Glaucoma is caused when the pressure in the eye is elevated due to the blockage of the normal flow of fluid between the cornea and the lens. Conventional treatment usually begins with long-term topical drugs (eye drops) or other systemic medicines. When drugs are no longer effective laser surgery may be used to unblock clogged drainage channels or to surgically create new ones.
Once again, nutritional supplements have been shown to play a significant role in the treatment and prevention of glaucoma.
Here's what you need to do generally to protect your eyesight. Most of it's basic common sense and applies to all three of the above conditions.
- After age 40 consult an eye specialist every 2 years.
- If you have a persistent eye problem don't hang about, go see an eye specialist. In most cases the worst can be avoided with prompt treatment.
- Don't smoke.
- Avoid exposing your eyes to bright sunlight.
- Take the best multi you can find combining the right vitamins, minerals and other antioxidants.
- Take supplemental bilberry, grape seed extract, ginkgo and lutein.
Multi as above; Alpha-lipoic-acid (ALA) 250mg 2 x p/day to boost glutathione levels; Melatonin 500mcg to 3 mg at night; Aminoguanidine 300mg p/day; N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) 600 to 1200mg p/day; Glutathione 500 mg p/day; Ginkgo extract 120mg p/day; Bilberry extract 150 mg p/day; Potassium 300mg p/day. Lastly, it is essential cataract sufferers wear protective eyeglasses to protect against free-radical damage via UV sunlight.
for Glaucoma:
Multi as above; Aminoguanidine 300 mg p/day; Hydergine 5 to 20 mg p/day; Ginkgo extract 160 mg for a month reducing to 120mg thereafter; Chromium 200mcg p/day and Omega-3 oils 3000 to 7000mg p/day; Forskolin 10 to 20 mg p/day.
Thing to remember is if you take good care of your eyes you can stick to the basics and avoid all the above. If you're going to be around for a while don't forget dem peepers, you're going to need them.
" Quiz Idiosyncraticus", Erratum.
For those who care deeply whether they are well-rounded personalities, are going to rule the world or are just plain weird it may make all the difference for them to know that last issue's quiz contained an error that may change the Shape of Things to Come.
Due to much cutting and pasting the answer to Q.12 or "Lebensraum" was given as (b) or wanderlust. As all good crypto-fascists and many others will know, the correct answer was of course (d) or 'Hitler space'.
Isn't it just marvellous how the Ascended Masters play with us so as to teach us? For now we see that we are enjoined to roam the world as Realised Beings, leaving behind all nasty desires for territorial ownership and the beastlier of our national habits. How wise! How wonderful!
If it was just wearing ever thicker glasses it wouldn't be so bad. Fact is, the longer we live there is every chance we'll suffer serious vision damage or blindness when we're old. If we looked after our eyes earlier that wouldn't happen.
