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Astigmatism Eye Exercises

An astigmatism of the eye can cause nearsightedness, farsightedness or a reduction of focusing power. Although corrective lenses can be used to offset the symptoms, doing eye exercises to strengthen your eyes will decrease worsening of your vision.

  1. Astigmatism

    • Astigmatism occurs when there is a refractive error caused by an abnormality in the cornea or inner lens. This leads to blurry vision that ranges in severity.

    Causes of Astigmatism

    • The lens and cornea of the eye work together to focus light as it hits your eyeballs, and without both functioning together, nothing you see would be in focus. A healthy cornea will have a round curve like a circle, and when there is an astigmatism, the cornea is curved differently. This interferes with the ability to focus light at one point, thereby making things appear blurry when they are a certain distance away.

    Exercise 1

    • Many people with an astigmatism tend to tilt their head to either the left or the right. What may feel straight to them is actually sideways. By simply practicing tilting one's head slightly in the opposite direction throughout the day, the effects of astigmatism can be neutralized. If you're unsure, ask someone to tell you if your head is tilting.

    Exercise 2

    • Another good exercise is to remove any correct lenses and hold your index finger up a few inches in front of your face. Stare at the tip of your finger for a few seconds. Then, stare at an object on the opposite side of the room or out of a window. Switch your glance back and forth.

    Corrective Lenses

    • Although corrective lenses are the primary treatment for astigmatism, they are controversial because people who use them seem to get worse and need new prescriptions as frequently as every three years. Lenses are suspected of making eyes weaker, which is why it is important to do exercises for your eyes. The lenses work by focusing the light properly before it enters the eyes. The concern is that this reduces the eyes' natural ability to focus light by themselves.

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