Eye Exercises: Can They Help Reverse Eye Damage?
We use our eyes for everything on a daily basis. Whether it’s reading or using a computer, our eyes are constantly hard at work. Because our eyes work so hard, they can get exhausted and strained often, which can lead to overall eye damage. It is important to relax and rest your eyes so your vision can perform at its best. Relaxing and remaining calm with your eyesight is a great strategy that will help your eyesight for years to come, but it is also important to engage in exercises. There are many eye exercises you can do to improve your eyesight. It only takes a few exercises to break bad habits and reduce eye pain, injury and irritation.
It Starts with Prevention
Before we delve into exercises, it is crucial to take these preventative steps. Following these precautions will reduce eye damage that can lead to permanent issues with your vision:
- Take adequate breaks. If you’re at work, take an eye break from your computer every hour. You could walk around your office or get up from your desk to take a break.
- Blink often. This keeps your eyes lubricated and healthy. Try opening and closing your eyes and rolling them around – this will give you eyes a much needed rest.
- Try a yawning stretch. Yawn as much as you can, even if you don’t feel the urge. This relaxes your jaw and will prevent tension and headaches.
- Make sure the lighting on your computer screen is gentle on the eyes. If you can, ignore that glare that comes from your monitor, and reposition your computer if you can.
Exercise Those Eyes
These adjustments will help a great deal, but it is crucial to engage in eye exercise to strengthen the muscles and lessen eye strain. Here are three exercises that can help a great deal:
- The dot exercise – Grab a piece of paper that has a period or comma on it. Focus on this image until it becomes the central focal point. When you attempt this exercise, odds are that the period or comma will become sharper and less blurry. Do a relaxation exercise by closing your eyes and letting them rest. After a minute, look at the dot again without straining, and then move your eyes around the page. Keep repeating this, and this should improve your vision.
- The word exercise – Find a page with a word comprising five letters or more. Make sure you stare intently so you can see all the letters, and keep your eyes still. Focus on the word in its entirety and this should cause the letters to blur. Following this, take a moment to relax your eyes and move them around slowly. Take the time to blink so when you look at the word again, it should appear clearer than it did before.
- The double vision exercise – Having both of your eyes work together is essential to your overall eye health and function. With the double vision exercise, your eyes work in harmony to prevent strain that occurs from squinting too much. To practice this exercise, relax your eyes, softening them when you look at an object, and ensure you use both eyes to do so.
Getting into a routine and engaging in healthy habits can benefit your vision in the long-term. At Dr. Ghosheh’s Advanced Eye Medical, we want our patients to see clearly for the entirety of their lives. We offer all the best advances in eye care, and have the knowledge to make sure you are looking after you eyesight. Come visit us today and meet with our friendly team!