Windows to the world: How to maintain healthy vision

Wednesday, August 21, 2013 by: Derrell Jones
Tags: healthy vision, nutritional supplements, eye health

(NaturalNews) Albert Einstein once said "Small is the number of people who see with their eyes and think with their minds." So true even today but the focus, if you will pardon the pun, will be on maintaining and improving literal vision as you work on your figurative one.

Most people live with a decrease in vision and as they get older, their vision will deteriorate. Decreases in our vision, much like any other aspect of our body, are more likely linked to poor nutrition, stress and prescription drug use. It is given that slight variations in the shape and the length of the eye may cause abnormal vision (e.g. near or farsightedness) but this reason does not affect the majority of people experiencing eye troubles. All too often conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts are attributed to factors listed above as well as nutrient imbalances, exposure to chemicals, and cigarette smoking.

Optimizing eye health

Diet and supplements: Highly processed foods wreak havoc on our sight because they provide little to no nutrition while robbing our body's nutrient stores. Avoid this vision trap and consume minimally processed and organic foods. Any supplements taken should be all natural. Avoid supplements that contain artificial or synthetic vitamins and minerals to maximize bio-availability and absorption. Focus on the following nutrients to maintain or improve eye health:

• Zinc
• Selenium
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin E
• N-acetyl-cysteine
• Ginkgo biloba

Stress management: Under stress, people naturally experience what is called "tunnel vision" where the loss of peripheral vision occurs to narrow the focus to what is directly in front of them. Over time, the constant physiological shifting of focus due to chronic stress can alter vision. In addition, during times of stress, the blood flow to the eyes becomes restricted and again over time, can lead to degeneration. To add insult to injury, the loss of vision creates a stressful situation and the stress causes more vision loss. Anti-stress techniques such as positive visualization, exercise, and meditation are great ways to reduce or mitigate stress and damage to the eyes.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): In TCM, acupuncture is used to relieve and adjust eye tension allowing for a normalizing of vision. Also, eye exercises are prescribed to maintain improvements from the acupuncture sessions.

In addition, Ayurvedic medicine and craniosacral therapy can provide relief depending on the root causes of the vision problem. Suffice it to say it is necessary for a person to seek advice from a trusted, holistic-minded healthcare professional to assist in the worthwhile journey to proper vision.

Sources for the article include:

http://www.eyeexercise.org/Improving-eye-vision.html

Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide / Edition 2 by Larry Trivieri, John W. Anderson p. 939-949

www.acufinder.com

About the author:
Derrell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and Nutritional Consultant. His mission is to assist as many people as possible during a time when great health is stolen instead of fostered. Follow Derrell at thoughtfulhealth.blogspot.com or email him at [email protected]. If you are interested in toxin free nutritional and personal care products please visit thoughtfulhealth.mysiselpro.com.