Alternative Remedies to Improve Poor Eyesight

Many believe your eyesight is set in stone and there isn't a whole lot you can do to change it. While genetics does play an important role in the accuracy of your vision there are conditions which can be improved with natural remedies. Herbs, eye exercises, nutrition and home remedies such as acupressure might not have you throwing your glasses out but they can slow the progression of conditions such as night blindness, near and farsightedness and dry eye syndrome.

Nutrition plays an important part in the health of our eyes. Poor nutrition can cause and contribute to vision problems. Night blindness, difficulty or inability to see in the dark, can be caused by a vitamin A deficiency. A diet that includes a minimum of 10,000 IU of vitamin A and foods rich in vitamin A such as carrots, eggs, chicken and sweet potatoes can be beneficial for individuals who have trouble seeing at night.

Vitamin C and the minerals zinc, selenium and magnesium are antioxidants that aid cellular repair, a process particularly important for individuals at risk for retinal disease such as diabetics. Vitamin E and B-complex vitamins are also necessary for the eye to function properly and should be supplemented as part of a healthy eye regimen.

Herbs have increased in popularity over the years for nearly every human ailment. Bilberry has long been suspected to improve circulation to the eye, improving night blindness and nearsightedness. Although no formal studies have proven that bilberry clinically improves vision, bilberry is high in antioxidants and vitamin C- both of which have been demonstrated to prevent eye disorders such as macular degeneration. Doses of 80 to 480mg per day up to 3 times a day are recommended for the improvement of eye circulation.

Eye exercise programs for improving vision often make fantastic claims that you can eliminate the need or glasses if you follow their program. While these promises sound fantastic they are, indeed, too good to be true. Vision therapy, especially in children, can have benefits for certain muscular conditions. Eye exercises which promise to reduce or eliminate the need or glasses have never been proved to clinically improve vision. While exercises may not improve vision there are simple techniques that can reduce eyestrain and reduce fatigue. Resting your eyes 5 minutes out of every hour of vision intense work, such as computer use, improves tear production and has been shown to reduce dry eye symptoms and eye fatigue.

Simple acupressure techniques are also a helpful home remedy for reducing eye fatigue. During times of intense vision usage take a few moments and try these techniques. Place the palm of your hands over your eyes and press lightly while taking several deep breathes. Place your thumbs next to the bridge of your nose, against the upper eye socket and knead gently. Pinch the bridge of your nose with thumb and forefinger and squeeze multiple times. Knead your temples next to the eyes with your forefingers. Although these techniques have not been clinically demonstrated to improve vision they are thought to increase blood flow to the eyes, they reduce tension and eyestrain and most importantly they feel great.