HOW CAN I PREVENT MY CHILD’S GLASSES FROM GETTING STRONGER?
Author: Dr. Clayton Gushiken Date: February 7, 2021
Myopia (nearsightedness) is an easy problem to treat (e.g., prescribe minus lenses), but the treatment often leads to more myopia and stronger/thicker minus lenses.
The situation starts with the complaint: “My far vision is blurry.”
The doctor prescribes -1.50.
Six months to one year later: “My far vision is blurry with glasses on.”
The doctor prescribes – 3.00.
A year later: “My vision is again blurry.”
The doctor prescribes -5.00.
Six months later: “I can’t see far.”
The doctor prescribes -7.00.
In a span of just 3 years, this person’s eyeglasses prescription has increased from a -1.50 to a -7.00. This has become a vicious cycle with no end in sight.
What makes this scenario worse is that once a person becomes myopic, eye doctors can not reverse or eliminate this condition.
After 35 years of researching possible solutions to myopia progression, I’ve found a promising approach online:
6 Tips To Reduce Myopia (Nearsightedness) In Children And Adults Too!
Author: Holly Tse
Here is the best advice I can offer you and your children:
1. Get your kids to spend more time playing outside without wearing their glasses (at least half hour a day), preferably somewhere where they can see far away like a park versus the backyard. This applies to adults too. You should be MOVING when you’re outside. Walking is good. Sitting on a camp chair is not as good, but it’s much better than sitting inside.
2. Wear the minimum prescription lenses that will enable you to meet legal requirements (e.g. driving is 20/40 in Hawaii, if you live in another state check what their requirement is). For your kids, ask for the lowest prescription that the eye doctor is willing to prescribe (they tend to over-prescribe). Look for an optometrist who practices “natural vision therapy.” They are more likely to give a lower prescription.
When wearing minimum prescription lenses it’s important to adopt the following mindset:
Relax, don’t try to force things.
Let go of trying to make everything crystal clear.
Accept the slight blurriness.
Do not expect an instant miracle. This new way of seeing takes time to acquire.
Look softly, keep your peripheral vision open.
Look easily, no stress, no strain.
Just let it happen.
3. Stop saying things like “Your/ my eyes are bad.”
“You/ I will need really strong glasses.”
“Your/ my eyes are getting worse.”
Replace it with words such as, “Maybe your/ my vision is stabilizing.”
“Maybe it is possible for my eyes to improve.”
4. Take off your glasses as much as possible (e.g. when eating, sitting with friends). Do not wear them unless you absolutely need to see something clearly that you can’t see without them.
5. When working on the computer or doing close work, take breaks and look out a window or as far away in the distance as you can.
6. Massage the Chinese Reflexology Point for the eyes.
(Please visit Holly Tse’s website for this information.)
The things that I like about Holly Tse’s approach are:
1. It is a natural approach. It doesn’t involve drugs, Lasik surgery, or the purchase of any expensive equipment.
2. It is a holistic approach. Changing your mindset or self-talk is an important key to your success.
3. It is a “common sense” approach. It encourages the use of minimum prescription lenses and no lenses for close work.
4. It is a long-term, realistic, and practical approach. You cannot cure (or slow the progression of) myopia in one-hour or one-month, and Holly Tse doesn’t make any false claims about doing so.
– Resources –
Visual Symptoms Checklist
Comprehensive Visual Evaluation
Second Opinion
Vision Therapy
Causes for Poor Reading
Dyslexia & VT
Prevention
Dizziness, Headaches, Anxiety?
Double Vision
College of Optometrists in Vision Development
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Phone: (808) 941-3811
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Email: drclaygushiken@gmail.com
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