Astigmatism is a common eye disorder that affects your vision. The muscles around your eyes are affected which causes undue stress on the cornea which causes the cornea to lose its shape, which in turn causes blurry vision. Some of the other symptoms of astigmatism include double vision, eyestrain, eye irritation, and headaches. It can be prevalent at birth or could be a result of trauma, congenital conditions or eye surgery. It can be very annoying as it makes a simple task like reading a book complicated.
However, there are several natural ways to treat astigmatism and one of them is eye exercises. Benefits of eye exercises for Astigmatism It’s true that there are eye exercises to treat astigmatism. Just like the other muscles in our body, our eye muscles also work on a simple logic of keeping them in use them or else you lose them. Therefore, it is important that you keep your eye muscles active throughout the day. Other than by staring straight at the computer screen or at the road ahead while driving doesn’t exercise the muscles to their full potential, additional eye exercises are must. Here are some benefits of eye exercises:
- Help to reduce the stress.
- Strengthen the eyes and relaxes the eye muscles.
- Improve vision over time or in between 1 to 4 weeks.
6 Eye Exercises to Treat Astigmatism
1. Eye Massage This exercise restores the shape of the cornea
- Close your eyes and keep your two fingers on each of your eyelids.
- By applying gentle pressure, slowly move your fingers in a circular motion from top to bottom and right to left.
- Move your fingers clockwise as well as anti-clockwise and repeat it for 10–15 times, 2 to 4 times a day.
2. Reading It helps to release the strain and pressure caused by astigmatism.
- Pull out a book.
- Place an object on the side. Focus on the side object after reading a paragraph from the book.
- It is advised to continue this until your eyes start to feel tired, 2-4 times a day.
3. Vision Breaks It relieves eye pressure and strain.
- Take a short break from writing, reading, or staring at the computer.
- Focus for 20 seconds on other objects that are kept in the distance
- Repeat the exercise as many times as possible in a day.
4. Head Tilting It helps the extraocular muscles to regulate the force they exert on the eyeball.
- After looking in the mirror, find out if you tilt your head to one side.
- Spend time every day to tilt your head in the opposite direction.
5. Eye Yoga It strengthens eye muscles, sharpens focus and improves vision.
- Stand, sit in the chair or on the floor and keep your posture straight.
- Close your eyes and breathe while concentrating.
- Slowly and start moving your eyeballs from side to side.
- Do this exercise several times a day.
6. Rectus muscle relaxation: It relaxes the rectus muscles and can be done in the following steps
- Place your thumb just above the nose, move it clockwise and leave it there for 2-3 seconds.
- Move your thumb back to the original position. Now, move it to 1 o’clock position, then to 3,5, so on and back to 12. You can do this exercise 2-4 times per day.
- Don’t forget to breathe while you are moving the thumb from the center out and slowly exhale to relax your muscles.
Daily performing these exercises will reduce the symptoms and eventually treat astigmatism. But make sure to consult your eye doctor to find out if these exercises will work for you. See Also:Exercise benefits your eyes
FAQs
While eye exercises cannot fix astigmatism, they may help to relieve risk factors that can worsen the condition.
Can astigmatism be corrected with eye exercises? ›
While eye exercises cannot fix astigmatism, they may help to relieve risk factors that can worsen the condition.
How to improve eyesight if you have astigmatism? ›
Eye exercises, such as Bates exercises, have been promoted by some as a way to correct astigmatism by focusing eye movements and blinking to cause contraction and relaxation of the eye muscles, relieving tension on the eye and averting exaggeration of the optical curvature.
Can vision therapy improve astigmatism? ›
Even though vision therapy can't help correct astigmatism and how it affects your visual acuity, it can help address some of its more uncomfortable symptoms while also strengthening the relationship between your eyes and brain share.
What astigmatism Cannot be corrected? ›
A rare condition known as keratoconus, in which the cornea thins and becomes cone-shaped, can also result in severe astigmatism. This condition cannot be corrected with glasses, and has to be treated by the pressure of contact lenses. In some cases, patients with keratoconus must undergo a corneal transplant.
Can anything fix astigmatism? ›
There are three options to correct astigmatism – glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery. Prescription glasses or contact lenses can correct astigmatism (along with long-sightedness or short-sightedness, if necessary). Alternatively, laser eye surgery can correct astigmatism and give you clearer vision.
What vitamins should I take for astigmatism? ›
Here Are Some Important Eye Vitamins That Help to Control Astigmatism:
- Vitamin A. Vitamin A is excellent for good eye health. ...
- Vitamin B. Vitamin B will encourage good vision. ...
- Vitamin C. Does your diet include enough citrus foods? Vitamin C is essential for your overall health and also encourages good vision.
A few factors can cause your astigmatism to worsen, including your age, eye injuries, and keratoconus. While most people are diagnosed as children, you may notice your sight worsening as an adult too. Astigmatism can also decrease, so it's not all bad news!
What foods help with astigmatism? ›
Winter squash, carrots, and dark green vegetables like spinach and kale are all excellent sources of vitamin A. You can acquire all the vitamins you need for clear vision if you consume these vegetables on a regular basis.
What is the Bates method of eye exercises? ›
Bates thought that the manner of eye movement affected the sight. He suggested "shifting", or moving the eyes back and forth to get an illusion of objects "swinging" in the opposite direction. He believed that the smaller the area over which the "swing" was experienced, the greater was the benefit to sight.
LASIK corrects astigmatism by forming a flap and then removing ultra-thin layers from the cornea to reshape it. There are two steps involved in LASIK surgery; in the first step a suction ring is applied to create a flap and in the second step laser is to to change the curvature and thickness of your cornea.
How can I stop my astigmatism from getting worse? ›
Wearing corrective lenses: Eyeglasses are the most common treatment for astigmatism and can help to improve vision. Avoid rubbing your eyes: Rubbing your eyes can worsen astigmatism and cause other problems, such as dry eye. Using artificial tears: Artificial tears can help to lubricate the eye and prevent dryness.
What is the 6 second eye treatment? ›
What Is The 6 Second Method? Begin by sitting comfortably with your eyes open. Blink rapidly for approximately 6 seconds. This helps to moisturize the eyes and reduce dryness, which can occur during prolonged screen time.
How do you exercise your eyes for astigmatism? ›
Close your eyes and keep your two fingers on each of your eyelids. By applying gentle pressure, slowly move your fingers in a circular motion from top to bottom and right to left. Move your fingers clockwise as well as anti-clockwise and repeat it for 10–15 times, 2 to 4 times a day.
How to improve eye vision from 6 9 to 6 6? ›
How to improve vision: 6 natural and safe ways to improve your...
- Make sure you are including vision-healthy micronutrients in your diet. ...
- Carotenoids are good for your vision. ...
- Take care of your overall health and prevent diseases. ...
- Exercise and move around! ...
- Use protective eyewear. ...
- Start using the 20-20-20 rule.
You can have 20/20 vision and still have astigmatism. Unlike presbyopia that makes focusing on close objects difficult or impossible or myopia that makes focusing on distant objects difficult or impossible, astigmatism gives you sometimes clear vision and sometimes blurry vision at all distances.
Can you reshape astigmatism? ›
An eye surgeon uses a laser beam to reshape the curves of the cornea, which corrects the refractive error. Before surgery, doctors will evaluate you and determine if you're a candidate for refractive surgery. Types of refractive surgery for astigmatism include: Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK).
Can eye drops fix astigmatism? ›
There are many myths floating around on the internet about “natural” astigmatism cures; these often involve eye exercises, eye drops, vitamins. Unfortunately, these don't work and the ingredients in the drops or pills may be harmful.
What triggers astigmatism? ›
Astigmatism happens when your cornea or lens has a different shape than normal. The shape makes light bend differently as it enters your eye, causing a refractive error. Doctors don't know what causes astigmatism, and there's no way to prevent it.
