Maintaining your eye health and vision is imperative for survival during the coming collapse

Thursday, January 14, 2016 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: eye health, vision, survival

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(NaturalNews) When considering how to best prepare for the coming economic collapse, it is important not to forget about any medical conditions you might have that are sure to affect your ability to function in a survival situation. One of these is vision, something that we all rely upon but that many of us take for granted every single day.

If you wear prescription glasses, for instance, think about how you'll get around if you lose or break them. Disposable contacts will also likely be in short supply in an emergency situation, and once you run out of your own personal supply, it could be game over. These and other potential pitfalls are worthy of closer examination, especially if you've already invested in other survival preparations.

If you don't currently suffer from any vision problems, great! Preserving your superior eyesight is of utmost importance, though, which means you need to take active steps now to both protect and enhance your vision. You can do this by consuming foods and herbs that have been scientifically shown to help improve eyesight.

One of these is eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis), a longtime folk remedy for the eyes that research has found may help reduce the redness and irritation associated with conjunctivitis. This herb is often brewed as a tea or extracted into a tincture, and some people also use it as a type of homeopathic eyedrops.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is another herb that studies have shown can help improve blood flow to the retina, or the tissue at the back of the eye that responds to light. Glaucoma patients can benefit from ginkgo, and the herb has also been shown to protect nerve cells in the eye due to its rich antioxidant profile.

If you live in a state where cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is no longer a prohibited substance, taking advantage of this powerful herb may help reduce pressure and strain on your eyes. These and other benefits can be obtained from smoking, vaporizing, and/or ingesting cannabis. Rich in cannabinoids, cannabis extracts have also been shown to work as effective eyedrops, feeding the cannabinoid receptors in the eyes.

If you enjoy drinking tea, try consuming more green tea as part of your daily regimen. Rich in antioxidants, green tea helps mitigate oxidative stress, which is associated with glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts and various other chronic eye conditions. Lab studies have also shown that the polyphenols in green tea help protect retinal cells against damage from ultraviolet light.

More on this and other herbal eye remedies can be found at Mother Earth Living.

If your eyesight is already poor, consider corrective surgery

For those whose eyesight isn't as great to begin with, medical science has made great strides in corrective surgery that, other than the costs involved, are generally safe and highly effective. The Organic Prepper highlights how Lasik surgery can be a crucial preparedness investment depending on the severity of one's vision impairment.

Daisy Luther, who had previously been considered legally blind without correction, now enjoys 20/20 vision thanks to a Lasik procedure known as monovision, which sets the dominant eye for distance vision and the other eye for close vision. When all was said and done, Luther was back to normal after just two weeks following surgery, and no longer needs to rely on glasses or contacts to see clearly.

"I feel like this surgery was one of the most crucial preparedness investments I've made and I strongly recommend it to those who have seriously impaired vision," she wrote on her blog.

More on her experience is available here:
TheOrganicPrepper.ca.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.theorganicprepper.ca

http://www.motherearthnews.com

http://www.motherearthliving.com