6. Prevent Serious Problems

It will be challenging to overcome the different straining habits but it is important to try. While clarity problem is a nuisance, it is the starting point for potentially more serious eye problems. According to Kalyani Premkumar in his book, The Massage Connection: Anatomy and Physiology, “When the muscles contracts, the blood vessels are compressed. If the tension reaches about 70% of maximum, no blood flows through the contracted muscles.” (Premkumar 2003) When our muscles contract, it prevents blood and fluids from easily circulating into and around an area. Good circulation is needed to feed the cells and remove wastes. Contracted muscles deprives the cells of proper circulation and the cells in the area weakens, damages and eventually becomes unable to do its job. Poor circulation, over time, can lead to eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.

Cataracts is a disease where the dead cells accumulate in the inner lens of the eye and obstruct our vision that can lead to blindness. The inner lens needs to be transparent in order for light to enter unobstructed. This means that it cannot have blood vessels inside the lens. Blood vessels provide oxygen, nutrients, and waste remove needed for the cells to maintain health and to survive. The inner lens has to depend on a different method for its nutritional needs. The inner lens use diffusion to circulate oxygen, nutrients, and waste in and out of the lens. Diffusion requires low pressure and high pressure to work. We can imagine how low and high pressure works with a partially inflated twisting balloon. If we squeeze one side – high pressure, it forces the air to the other side – low pressure. This low and high pressure is created when ciliary muscles contract and relax causing the lens to flatten and thicken. If this does not happen properly, the inner lens does not get its nutrients and waste accumulate, eventually killing the cells and forming a cataract. (Allen [2] 2010)

Glaucoma is a disease where restricted blood flow damages the optic nerve. A common cause of restricted blood flow is increase pressure inside the eye. (Allen [1] 2010) The eye is filled with fluids (vitreous humour) which keeps constant pressure and nourishes the eye. The fluids flows into the eyes from the ciliary body into the space between the cornea and iris and through the pupil to the back chamber of the eye. Most of the fluid flow out from the eye through a spongy tissue called the trabecular meshwork (TM) located where the ciliary muscles and cornea meet. Any blockage of this TM will cause increase pressure in the eye. The blockage can happen inside the TM and at the entrance. Studies shows that contracting and relaxing ciliary muscles does widen and narrow the space in the meshwork and affects the out flow of the fluid. (Llobet 2003) It is also known that the pupil dilating too much can block the entrance into the TM. (Allen [1] 2010) In both cases, it will cause increase pressure in the eye. Glaucoma is a serious problem because death of optic nerve cells will lead to impaired vision and eventually blindness.

Macular degeneration is a disease where cells in the macula dies and causes blind spots. The macula is an area surrounding the fovea used for sharp vision. It may be unclear why this happens, but we do know that cells die when blood circulation cannot reach an area to deliver oxygen, nutrients and remove waste. This disease is similar to glaucoma in that poor blood flow to this area of the retina cause the cells to die. (Allen (3) 2010) Macular degeneration is a serious problem because it affects sharp and central vision.

The eye muscles are designed to contract and expand, and relies on these movements to bring nutrients into the eyes and wastes out of the eyes. Anything that restrict the movements will hinder the flow and is not be good for our eye health. Eyestrain restricts muscle movements and lead to poor blood circulation. Poor circulation is the underlining cause of these eye diseases.

The statistics above show that two in three Americans over 40 have vision problems, and one in three Americans over 40 have eye disease. If we have poor vision, the numbers are not in our favor as we grow older. Misuse of our eyes not only compromise our vision, it may be the cause of major eye problems and diseases in the future. We must start now to remove eyestrain because once a disease shows up, it will affect our quality of life that may lead to surgery or blindness.

Summary

Proper blood circulation are vital for your body’s health. Anything that restrict the flow will cause damage to the cells and organs. In the case of our eyes, the eye muscles’ movement control much of its circulation. Physical and mental eyestrain restricts the muscle movements and the circulation needed to maintain eye health. It is important to removed the eyestrain because not only does it improve our eyesight, it also helps to improve circulation that prevents eye diseases.

In this program, you will learn to remove mental and physical strains and develop seeing habits that will help to keep the strain at bay. The time you spend learning and practicing will be rewarded doubly because you will not only improved your eyesight, but also help to potentially prevent future eye disease.