1. The first step typically referred to as “palming”. With this exercise, you simply place the palms of your hands over both eyes so that no light shines through. Then the eyes are able to relax, and almost reset themselves in a way. Keep the palms there for at least a minute, then remove them to refreshed feeling eyes.

2. A second equally simple exercise is take ten minutes breaks periodically during up close work done on a computer. While continuously focusing on a computer, your eyes become used to looking at the screen right in front of you, and it becomes slightly more difficult for them to focus on things that are further away. This exercise requires you to simply take a break for 10 minutes and focus on things that are further away from you, to help your eyes readjust to focusing on things in the distance as well as right in front of you.

3. A third exercise can be practiced when your eyes are feeling tired and dry. Squeeze your eyes shut for 5 seconds at a time, and repeat this 5 times. This exercise allows your eyes to build up tears to moisten your dry eyes, helps to wake them up.

4. The next exercise helps to build up the actual muscles of your eyes. Move your eyes in slow clockwise circles about 6 or 7 times, then repeat the process in counterclockwise circles. This helps to loosen up stiff feeling eyes, and builds up your ocular muscles.

5. Massaging the eye area is also a very beneficial eye exercise. By lightly massaging the eye socket ridges, as well as your temples, you are allowing more blood flow to the eyes. This helps your eyes to receive more oxygen, which gives you clearer vision.

6. A final step that must be taken in order to improve vision and strengthen your eyes involves proper nutrition. Just like a body builder needs protein to build strong muscles, your eyes also need the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients to grow stronger and healthier.

Following these simple eye exercises will definitely give you stronger eyes, and help improve your vision. Trust me, your eyes will thank you for it.

For those people who do not already wear glasses, this can be easily remedied with the purchase of a cheap pair of reading glasses that can be found at the dollar store or at the end of the grocery store check-out aisle.

photo credit: pj_vanf

But what about the many that already wear glasses for distance, but cannot see close up? Is a second pair of glasses always warranted?

Progressive reading glasses were designed with just such a person in mind. Years ago, bifocals which had that obvious line across the lens was the best that optometry had to offer, but today, progressive lenses are line-less and no one will be any the wiser as to what type of glasses you are wearing on your face. The top of progressive lenses are perscripted for distance, the middle is for intermediate or computer distance and the bottom portion of the lens are designed for reading. When you put on your first pair of progressive reading glasses, you may find that they take a little getting used to. Practice tilting your head back and forth and left and right until you become acquainted with how to best use your progressive lenses.

Talk to your optometrist today and find out if progressive reading glasses are right for you.

Experience is very important when choosing an optometrist or eye care specialist. A person should take note of how many years the physician(s) have been in practice and he or she also needs to check for board certification. When checking online, it is also wise to look at the patient satisfaction rate.

photo credit: Sam Hames

Another important thing to take into consideration is the price. This is especially important because many vision clinics will charge an arm and a leg for an eye exam, glasses, or contacts. Additionally, many clinics do not accept all forms of vision insurance, so it is also important to take that into consideration.

The last thing to take into consideration when choosing a vision clinic is the style of glasses and/or contacts. This is something to consider because some clinics offer a wide variety of styles, while others are limited. Choosing an eye care clinic may seem like a simple decision, but it is not one to be taken lightly. Doing prior research on the experience of the eye care professionals, the prices, and the styles of glasses and/or contacts offered, will allow one to get an optimal experience at a vision clinic.

Nationwide, there are many medical healthcare professionals who will perform cataract-related surgery for free on older patients who have delayed the procedure because of worries about the cost. These doctors are able to perform cataract-related services at absolutely no cost to many individuals who need their help. You may be able to receive a comprehensive eye exam, cataract testing, eye glass prescriptions, and conventional or laser eye surgery, plus the necessary post-operative care, at no cost to you.

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If you do not have insurance and do not have the ability to pay, there are doctors who will donate their services to ensure that you receive the needed care and retain or recover your precious eyesight. If you have Medicare, or Medicare and supplemental insurance, the physician or clinic will bill Medicare and your supplemental provider, and there will be no additional charges for you to cover.

Is it possible to get free cataract surgery? The answer is a resounding “yes”. Instead of worrying, take action today to improve your vision. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if they know of a local program for seniors who can’t afford to pay for cataract surgery.

photo credit: Mary Thorman

Here are some steps you can take:

First, make sure the LASIK center is licensed by your governing board. Search your states’ administrative website and there you should find all the licensed LASIK eye surgeons for your area. Also, you can check with the National Practicioner Data Bank for surgeons available to you.

After you have identified several candidates, call each LASIK surgery center and ask if they have any certifications beyond the minimum standards proscribed by their licensing board. Those that do will gladly give you this information and give you instructions on how to check for yourself. One criteria you might set is that your surgeon be a member of The American College of Surgeons (ACS). This is a self-governing organization that requires from its members the highest in ethical standards, patient care, and conduct. Those that are members will usually have “FACS” (Fellow of The American College of Surgeons) after their name.

Ask for referrals. Most, if not all, surgeons will have a list readily available to you. Get it and then actually contact these people. Ask pointed questions. Don’t be afraid to zero in on what concerns you most about your surgery, physician and LASIK surgery center. You might even still want to call the laser eye center or surgeon’s office and ask for referrals not on their original list. This will give you a much larger sample pool and, therefor, a better representation of how you can expect to be treated.

Don’t be afraid of investigating a LASIK eye care center or surgeon who advertises. Most physicians who advertise (and lawyers to, for that matter) are simply wanting to provide their superior service to as many people as possible. There’s nothing wrong with that, and, in this case, can work to your advantage. A surgeon who advertises will probably have an extensive patient list from which you can investigate.

Many people think that LASIK eye surgery has become as simple as getting a tooth pulled. While the procedure has advanced considerably, it is, after all, surgery. When choosing a LASIK vision center, your due diligence is definitely required.

The laser uses an inert gas such as argon, xenon, or krypton in combination with a reactive gas such as fluorine or chlorine. Through electrical stimulation, an energized pseudo-molecule, the excimer, is created. The excimer laser emits a very focused beam of ultraviolet light that remains cool and does not heat surfaces or the environment around it. This makes it ideal for so many detailed procedures where temperature is a factor.

The excimer laser works by adding energy to the biological matter or organic compounds which absorb it, disrupting molecular bonds of the tissue at the surface. The laser penetrates less than a nanometer (one billionth of a meter!) into the target, versus burning or cutting. And instead of being burnt or cut, the surface tissue simply disintegrates through a process called controlled ablation (also known as excimer laser ablation or photoablation). Because of the precision and lack of heating, excimer lasers are ideal for very delicate procedures such as altering the cornea as part of LASIK eye surgery.

There are three types of modern excimer lasers utilized in corrective eye surgery: Slit-scanning, spot-scanning, and wavefront-guided.

• Slit-scanning lasers use relatively small beams linked to a rotational device with enlarging slit holes to create a uniform and smooth approach. The downside of slit-scanning lasers is that overcorrection or decentration (which cause glares, halos, and double vision) can be a result of the procedure.
• Spot-scanning lasers are the most widely used lasers in excimer laser surgery. They scan across the cornea with small beams producing the smoothest and most easily customized ablations especially good for irregular astigmatism.
• Wavefront-guided excimer lasers map defects in the eye to create a custom approach to vision correction.

Most modern excimer lasers have eye tracking systems integrated for automated targeting and precision of direction of the laser beam. These eye tracking systems have vastly improved outcome of eye surgeries since the inception of excimer laser technology for LASIK.

Regardless of which laser is utilized during the procedure, success and patient comfort ultimately derive from the surgeon’s expertise in use of the excimer laser for vision correction.