How to Improve Eyesight Without Corrective Lenses

For people who want to improve their eyesight without the use of glasses or contact lenses, there are more options available now, more than ever. It helps to have a current eye test done, to get a clear diagnosis of the problems you're facing. Remember, if you've been wearing corrective lenses for a while, your eyesight could actually be damaged because of your increased dependence on them. Some remedies have been around for years, while other surgical methods are more recent developments. Declining eyesight doesn't necessarily start with your eyes, so a full physical exam is also a good idea.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn visual training. This method, founded by New York optometrist William Bates, is a way of retraining the muscles of the eye that can become damaged due to stress. The exercises focus on teaching muscles to relax, resulting in improved vision. Visual training requires you to spend increasingly less time wearing corrective lenses and asks you to perform the exercises without them. The theory is that eyesight is an acquired skill like walking or using your hands, and as children we unconsciously teach ourselves to use our eyes. None of these exercises requires any special equipment.

• 2

  Have LASIK surgery performed. LASIK, or Laser Assisted Insito Keritomilieusis, uses an excimer laser to alter the shape of the cornea. A blade or laser device is used to cut away a portion of the cornea to reveal the stroma (the middle of the cornea), A laser is then used to remove a predetermined amount of the stroma, and the top layer of the cornea is replaced. If you are involved in high contact sports, have a medical condition that slows wound healing or have been diagnosed to have thin corneas, LASIK may not be right for you.

• 3

  Eat foods that improve your eyesight. Diet isn't something that most people think of, when they want to improve their eyesight but a vitamin deficiency could be the cause. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and beta carotene, which helps preserve the surface linings of the eye. Eggs have amino acids and sulfur, which helps prevent cataracts from forming. Green leafy vegetables have carotenoids that protect the eye from sun damage. Goji berries have antioxidants that help eyes adjust quicker to darkness.