Can gymnastics and eye exercises help with cataracts, when the lens of the eye noticeably becomes cloudy and transmits light rays less and less? To do this, you will have to answer the question, why does it lose transparency? But there is no definite answer to this, and with age, the likelihood of seeing the world “through the veil of a waterfall” increases for almost all people. This does not mean that you can only doomedly wait for the lens to age and hope for surgery. Those who actively help their eyes not to age prematurely succeed in slowing down the formidable processes and delaying the disease.
Eye exercises for cataracts
It’s worth noting right away that such exercises are useful even for those people who do not suffer from eye diseases, but become overtired when working at a computer. Such exercises not only restore vision, but also prevent the development of ophthalmic diseases. They slow down the aging process and serve as a source of vigor, strength and good mood.
Eye exercises won’t take much time, but they will help restore vision
There are many sets of exercises, but their general features are quite similar. Let's talk about the most common and effective techniques used for cataracts. You can perform these exercises anywhere: at home, at work, while waiting for transport, etc.
Let's start with simple charging. Stand in front of a mirror and lift your eyelids one at a time. This will help restore blood circulation in the organs of vision. Then imagine that there is a pendulum in front of you and move your eyeballs left and right, while your head should remain motionless. Next, you can do a similar exercise, only you will look alternately up and down. At the end, you can simply close your eyes and massage them with light circular movements.
Causes of the disease
The disease cataract is characterized by a decrease in the transparency of the lens of the eye, which gradually begins to become cloudy. This leads to loss of visual acuity. The word “cataract” comes from the Greek “cataractos”, which means “waterfall”.
The lens itself is located behind the iris and is not visually visible. Its important function is to focus light on the retina of the eye, which converts light rays into nerve impulses and transmits the signal to the brain. With cataracts, the perception of light is distorted, because the lens does not transmit signals through itself.
The disease most often occurs in older people after 50-60 years of age, but can also develop in young people. For a long time, cataracts do not make themselves felt, and the first obvious signs appear when the disease has already reached a serious stage. The disease affects both eyes, but it is not uncommon for cataracts to develop faster in one eye.
Tibetan technique
Gymnastics are performed after waking up with rested eyes. The technique will help strengthen the body as a whole and provide visible results in cases of clouding of the lens. Let's look at Tibetan gymnastics step by step:
Pseudophakia of the left eye
- Close your eyes, then open them. Repeat the action several times.
- Close your eyes and press on them with your fingertips. The action should be performed carefully, with light touches.
- Place your fingers on your closed eyes and then try to open your eyes. In this case, your fingers should provide resistance.
- Place your index finger on your nose and then follow an imaginary line forward. At the same time, the eyeballs should follow the movement of the finger.
- Blink continuously for thirty seconds.
- Wash your face with cool water, lie down with your eyes closed and relax.
Close your eyes tightly and then return to the starting position.
The effectiveness of visual gymnastics
Eye exercises for cataracts are an effective way to reduce the risk of disease progression. Unfortunately, exercises and massage will not help to completely restore the function of the lens, but they will stop its further clouding and avoid blindness.
Properly selected sets of exercises are especially effective in the early stages of the disease. Gymnastics helps improve vision and is an excellent prevention of complications. Visual exercise relieves tension from the eyes, has a general strengthening effect, stimulates blood supply and tear production, which significantly alleviates the patient’s condition. Headaches and dizziness, which are often observed in patients with cataracts, recede.
Gymnastics will be useless if a person independently selects a training method for himself. Only an ophthalmologist is able to determine the stage of the disease, its localization, evaluate all associated factors and prescribe certain exercises for the treatment of cataracts.
Zhdanov's technique
The complex should be performed daily. Reviews show that Zhdanov’s technique helps to completely restore vision. Let's look at the essence of this method:
- the head remains motionless, while the eyeballs move up, down, left, right. At the end you should blink quickly. Repeat the approach six times;
- imagine a “plus sign” in front of you and draw its lines with your eyes;
- draw the lines of the rectangle three times in different directions;
- move your eyes in a circle, tracing the hands of the clock;
- draw a spiral, and at the end draw a snake with your eyes.
Advantages
Sets of exercises for the eyes have been developed by many ophthalmologists, there are also a sufficient number of techniques and sets of exercises, each of them inhibits deterioration. Performing these exercises takes a quarter of an hour, but they must be performed regularly. The most famous are the Tibetan method, the Zhdanov and Norbekov method. When treating cataracts, it is recommended to perform several yoga and Pilates exercises.
When doing these exercises
- the state of health improves, including in the eyes;
- blood circulation increases in the eyes, which reduces fatigue;
- the aging of the body slows down;
- prevent many eye diseases;
- help improve vision.
When preventing complications of cataracts and glaucoma, many factors should be taken into account, including proper nutrition.
Norbekov's technique
People note positive dynamics from the technique after just a few weeks. The essence of its complex is as follows:
- mentally connect your chin and forehead using a thin line. Then connect the left and right ears with the same line;
- draw figure eights with your eyes;
- Place two fingers in front of your nose and focus your gaze on them. Next, slowly spread your fingers and try to hold your gaze for as long as possible.
It is better to do eye exercises first thing in the morning for 10 minutes.
Palming
To relax and heal tired eyes, exercises for cataracts are accompanied by palming, which was introduced into practice by W. Bates.
The technique of palming is simple: close your eyes with your palms so that your fingers cross on the bridge of your nose, your eyes are tightly closed, and your nose remains free. The elbows should have good support, and the posture should provide maximum comfort. In this state, give your eyes a rest for at least 4 minutes. Exercise prevents spasms of the muscles of the eye apparatus that arise from overstrain and prolonged stress.
Important: while performing palming, you need to discard negative thoughts and tune yourself to positive emotions.
Yoga for cataracts
Let's look at yoga techniques for cataracts. You should breathe deeply from your stomach, while looking at the area between the eyebrows. You should hold your gaze for ten seconds. You should do ten such repetitions. Then you can do the same, just look at the tip of your nose.
Then, while inhaling, move slowly from left to right, as well as from top to bottom. Don't forget to watch your breathing. Mentally draw the hands of a clock in front of you and move your eyes clockwise and counterclockwise five times.
At the end, it is recommended to do an exercise to relax the eye muscles and restore vision.
The technique is quite simple and is as follows:
- close your eyes and cover them with your palms. At the same time, you should press on the eyeballs. The palms should be crossed and placed so that they do not block the airways;
- the fingers should be squeezed tightly so that there is not even the slightest gap, and the elbows should be placed on some kind of support;
- The procedure lasts ten minutes, during this time think about something pleasant. You should enjoy palming;
- at the end, the hands should be carefully and slowly removed from the eyes so that they can get used to the light.
After waking up, don’t be lazy and do some exercises. After stretching, open your eyes wide. Then close your eyes and blink intensely. Play with your eyebrows. Draw numbers and letters with your eyes closed and open. Such gymnastics will charge you with energy for the whole day, and if you pay attention to your eyebrows, this will be a good prevention of the appearance of premature wrinkles.
Try to do exercises every day
Symptoms
Patients complain of decreased vision and the need to frequently change glasses or lenses due to progressive myopia. Problems with the perception of colors and light are also noted. It happens that one eye begins to double. At the initial stage, “floaters” may appear before the eyes, and the person sees everything as if through a veil.
It has been proven that women are more susceptible to cataracts than men. Heredity also plays an important role and is also at risk:
- owners of brown irises;
- smokers;
- diabetics;
- those who take steroids.
Exercises to relieve tension and improve blood circulation
Therapeutic exercises for glaucoma and cataracts are extremely important; they will reduce intraocular pressure and protect the optic nerve. As monotherapy, it is ineffective; it is better to use it in combination with other methods. At the same time, you should take into account your well-being and listen to your body. Great success can be achieved if you start doing such exercises from a young age. Gymnastics should be performed in a calm, relaxed state with even breathing. You should inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
You can choose an unfamiliar area, for example, a park, and look at all the objects for five minutes, trying not to linger on one object for too long. When you're reading a book, look away at something else, and then try to quickly find the line you left off on.
The following exercises will help relieve tension. Move your eyes as far as possible to the left and then to the right, without making sudden movements. Charging should not cause discomfort. Squeeze your eyelids as much as possible, and then open your eyes wide. Concentrate on an object that is close, and then on a distant point. It is better to do this exercise in an open area.
Hastily opening and closing your eyes will help improve blood circulation. Then grab the back of your head with both hands and lower your head. In this case, the gaze should be directed forward. Next, you should exhale the air smoothly and at the same time press the back of your head onto your palms. Finally, place your hands on your cheeks and alternately raise and lower your eyebrows.
You can supplement the exercises with massage. Massage your forehead first, smoothly going down to the temporal part. Move your fingertips in a circular motion near your temples. Press on the area under your eyebrows and massage your eyes closed.
Therapy
Cataracts need to be treated as quickly as possible, otherwise a person risks losing his vision. There are several effective ways to help with this disease. Each method has its positive and negative sides.
Medicines
Drops are one of the most affordable and proven means in the fight against cataracts. They saturate the eye with vitamins and beneficial components, accelerate blood circulation, and improve metabolic processes, which play a key role in the functioning of the lens.
- A nicotinic acid;
- Vitamins C, B2;
- Magnesium, calcium, potassium.
Domestic-produced drops have a significant disadvantage - they are stored for only a week when opened, such as Taufon. Therefore, it is recommended to use products of foreign brands: Quinax from Belgium, Katachrom (Finland) and Vicein (France).
Doctors often prescribe vitamins and special complexes that will help speed up and improve the effects of the drops. However, medications cannot cure secondary cataracts after the lens has already been surgically replaced.
It is worth remembering that this method of treatment is effective only at an early stage of the disease. In severe cases, only surgery can help. In addition, the drops cannot be used continuously. A course of treatment and medication is necessary, otherwise serious side effects may occur.
Surgery
If medications do not help, and vision continues to deteriorate, then you can resort to the help of a surgeon. Cataract surgery is undesirable for older people due to their age and weakened body, because intervention may affect the condition of other unhealthy organs or provoke a new disease.
The surgical method is used as a last resort and in the absence of contraindications to surgery. After replacing the lens, the patient has every chance to return to normal life with full vision. But with all the achievements of science in the field of medicine, it is impossible to restore vision lost due to cataracts.
Exercises
Eye exercises are effective not only for cataracts, but also for all those whose activities involve working on a computer. This method will improve the condition of the eye and slow down the progression of the disease, and in the absence of cataracts will prevent its development.
Advantages
Doing eye exercises is convenient at any time, anywhere. The main thing is the regularity and frequency of execution. If you take the matter seriously and don’t get carried away, there is a chance of significantly improving your vision.
The advantages of exercise are not only their proven benefits and effectiveness, but also the accessibility of this method. You don’t need to go somewhere special or pay for anything – all you need is your time and desire.
Efficiency
Performing eye exercises has many significant benefits:
- Improving vascular circulation;
- Stabilization of tissue processes of the eye;
- Eye muscle training.
This way you will slow down the aging of cells and processes in the eyes and keep your vision in good condition.
Contraindications
There are a number of indications for which exercise is harmful. These include:
- If retinal detachment has occurred;
- Severe myopia;
- Infection or inflammation affecting the organs of vision;
- The period after undergoing laser intervention;
- Eye injuries.
General rules
Exercises are performed daily for 10-15 minutes. This time is relevant for all types of eye gymnastics. Before starting a set of exercises, you first need to do some exercises for your eyes.
Stand in front of a mirror and blink your eyes one at a time. Then imagine a pendulum and catch its movements left and right, rotating only your eyes to the sides. Then do the same, only with up and down rotations. Close your eyes and let them rest for a while.
