my predicament

[sha256]

Hi Guys,

I have been using +2.00s for my vision for approx 3 years. Up until yesterday I was under the impression that reversal of myopia would be induced by relaxation (which could be provided by plus lens).  Using plus lens has dramatically slowed the progression of the myopia but I have noticed that I am not making any improvements either. I am a soft. engineer and spend most of my time in front of the computer, 8-10 hrs every day. Does anyone have any suggestions for my situation ?

[Todd Becker]

Hi sha256,

You mention that you have been using  +2 diopter lenses for 3 years to slow myopia, but that you have not been able to reverse it.  In what way have you been using the plus lenses?  Just wearing them around the house or office all the time will not provide much or any benefit.  You will only begin to reverse your myopia if practice "threshold focusing"  --  focusing on print or other objects at the edge of your focal range. If you read through the thread on "Eyesight without glasses" and search for my discussion regarding the distances D1, D2 and D3, then you will understand what I am talking about.

In fact, the same progress can be made without using plus lenses at all.  The key is to sit just far enough away from your book, computer, TV, or slideshow that you can just begin to see a slight blur in the letters or edges of objects.  Then allow your vision to "clear" -- the print or edges will become crisper.  Periodically push back to generate a little blur, then let things clear again.  If you read or view this way for 30 minutes a day, you will start to make progress.  

But if you just wear those +2 lenses and work at the computer with the print totally in focus all the time, don't expect much progress, if any.  My guess is that you have been sitting too close to the computer for your plus lenses to do any work.  Try sitting farther away to generate a blur.  If that is not practical, i.e., if you must sit more than 20 inches away, then get yourself some stronger plus lenses -- perhaps +2.5 or +3.  Go to the pharmacy and pick out a pair that just starts to generate a blur for text that is 16-20 inches away from your nose.

Wearing plus lenses without threshold focusing is like trying to build muscles by lifting weights that are either too light or too heavy.  Organs such as the eye or muscles will develop only when provided with a stimulus that is right at the eduge of their ability.  You might call it the Goldilocks principle: the stimulus must be just right -- not too easy or too difficult.  I think it probably applies to our minds also!

Good luck,

Todd

[OtisBrown]

Hi Sha,
Subject:  Office checking versus HOME CHECKING.

I appreciate an "office check" of my vision -- but I sometimes believe they are inaccurate at best.  It is impossible to determine if your Snellen (visual acuity) improves -- unless you check yourself.

Here is a free Snellen (set up in bright light) to check at home.

http://www.i-see.org/block_letter_eye_chart.pdf

Let us know if you are 20/50 or better.

The fact that you can wear a full-strength "plus" is a good indication of future success.

Hi Guys,

I have been using +2.00s for my vision for approx 3 years. Up until yesterday I was under the impression that reversal of myopia would be induced by relaxation (which could be provided by plus lens).  Using plus lens has dramatically slowed the progression of the myopia but I have noticed that I am not making any improvements either. I am a soft. engineer and spend most of my time in front of the computer, 8-10 hrs every day. Does anyone have any suggestions for my situation ?

[sha256]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I over did it. Basically, I would move far back and the text would be so blurry that I would have to increase the computer font size. Again, this was under the impression that relaxation was needed to reverse myopia, so wearing plus along with sitting as far back as possible sounded reasonable. I can sit closer, but how close is too close ?

Otis, according the snellen I am a 20/40.

The good thing is if I squint for a second and then release my eyesight is 20/20 albeit with double vision, but this is lost when once I blink. This has been the case for approx 2 years now. I now do the focusing on objects thing you guys have mentioned and it will be interesting to see where it leads me as I guess I am half way there already.

[OtisBrown]

Hi Sha,
I think that prevention it TRULY DIFFICULT!  You are indeed lucky that, in bright light you can read 20/40 on your Snellen at this point.  If you spend 8 hours a day on a computer -- that is a great inducement for producing myopia.  I find myself almost always  reading at 22 to 24 inches.  (Each of us is different in this habit.)  When I choose a plus, I push my head away from the book or computer, and find the "just blur" point, which would be about 27 inches.  NO ONE CAN PRESCRIBE THIS.  It truly is subjective.  People tend to read books "closer"  (typically children).  You will find them reading at 6 inches. (Terrible.)  I also (for my own safety) had two minus lenses, I use to confirm that 1) My retina is good, i.e., can a -3/4 clear the 20/20 line on my Snellen. (If it DOES NOT, then I have a medical problem). 2) Does a stronger minus give me 20/18 or better.

I went through this with my nephew.  I said that it is impossible for an OD to help him, and he would just have to "check" his distant vision, and "re-start" the wearing of the plus -- through the school years.  That level of motivation and intelligence is very difficult to inspire in anyone -- but my nephew knew the consequence for him IF HE DID NOT WEAR THE PLUS.

Keep on posting -- you are lucky to be reading the 20/40 line -- and I hope you continue to do this work. 

Otis

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I over did it. Basically, I would move far back and the text would be so blurry that I would have to increase the computer font size. Again, this was under the impression that relaxation was needed to reverse myopia, so wearing plus along with sitting as far back as possible sounded reasonable. I can sit closer, but how close is too close ?

Otis, according the snellen I am a 20/40.

The good thing is if I squint for a second and then release my eyesight is 20/20 albeit with double vision, but this is lost when once I blink. This has been the case for approx 2 years now. I now do the focusing on objects thing you guys have mentioned and it will be interesting to see where it leads me as I guess I am half way there already.

[peterg]

Sha - did your vision improve at all since you started?   Or has it only remained stable with all the plus wearing?

I am not a doctor, and I didn't achieve my improvement with plus but rather with naked eye reading at the blur.  If you don't end up with any improvement after following Todd's suggestions for some time, I would be inclined to think that you do have real axial myopia.  I am not sure if that can be improved.  Perhaps very, very slowly over years if some of the theories out there are correct.

Are you able to read at the blur naked eye?  I am asking this because I have a hypothesis on using lenses (both positive and negative) that they make my ability to focus the object worse when using my naked eyes.  With the 8 year old boy I am working with, he doesn't experience the same issues as I do.  He doesn't get double vision whether plus lens, minus lens, or naked eye.  I am thinking my accomodation/convergence system is not functioning normally due to decades of minus wear and accomodative myopia.  Essentially, that system only works well if I put a strong enough minus in front of my eyes now.

[sha256]

Just thought I'd post an update. I've been doing the exercise for a week now and my acuity has improved drastically! I can focus in onto objects at 20+ feet. The best thing about it is the more I do it the easier it becomes AND I can hold to 20/20 for longer. I almost gave up hope after three years of plus so I am really estatic about these results. This website is a God send.

I will keep you guys posted on my progress.

peterg: is remained stable whilst wearing plus with very slight improvement.

[Todd Becker]

Just thought I'd post an update. I've been doing the exercise for a week now and my acuity has improved drastically! I can focus in onto objects at 20+ feet. The best thing about it is the more I do it the easier it becomes AND I can hold to 20/20 for longer. I almost gave up hope after three years of plus so I am really estatic about these results. This website is a God send.

I will keep you guys posted on my progress.

peterg: is remained stable whilst wearing plus with very slight improvement.

Sha,

I'm so happy to hear about your dramatic progress! There is nothing as wonderful as regaining the ability to see objects clearly without glasses.

Your progress demonstrates something very important: namely, that plus lenses by themselves are powerless to improve visual acuity.  The key ingredient that so many people (and studies) overlook is the necessity of proper technique, specifically the technique of reading or viewing objects at the blur point.  This provides the stimulus needed to induce remodeling of the eye, without which nothing will happen. It amazes me how often this critical point is overlooked.

Please keep us posted on your progress, and share your success with friends and family who might similarly benefit.

Todd

[peterg]

Congrats Sha256.  I must say, I am very surprised about the improvement in light of 3 years of plus work and almost no improvement. That is very impressive what you've done in one week.  The reason I am surprised is two fold:  1.  the realization that you have to treat yourself correctly in order to realize a benefit.   2.  that you had the persistance to continue for 3 years without seeing any benefit.  Either way, it gives me reason to re-evaluate what I have been doing over the last 3 months or so, and whether there is some potential tweaking I can make given my progress has been very limited after a very strong start (.75 to 1 diopter improvement in 1 month).