How to treat eye minus naturally and medically

Nearsightedness (myopia) or also known as minus eye is an eye refraction disorder that makes a person unable to see objects from a distance clearly. Blurred vision is a characteristic of minus eyes that generally begin to experience since childhood. Although not too dangerous for health, this visual disturbance can hinder your physical activity. People with minus eyes can see clearly again with the help of glasses, but is there any other way to treat nearsightedness?

Is there a way to treat eye minus until it heals?

Nearsightedness or myopia occurs when light transmitted from the cornea falls in front of the retina. In fact, in order to produce a clear picture in the brain, light must fall right on the retina. That is why people with minus eyes cannot see objects from a distance clearly.

The elongated shape of the eyeball or the shape of the corena (front of the eye) that makes the distance from the retina (the back of the eye) too far can be the cause of nearsightedness.

However, heredity or the habit of reading and watching too closely can also increase a person's risk of experiencing minus eye.

Of course, people with nearsightedness can still see clearly again. The most common way to treat nearsightedness is to use glasses or contact lenses minus. However, the use of visual aids is not a way to reduce or even eliminate eye minus.

You can lose your minus and can return to seeing clearly without the help of glasses by having surgery for eye refractive disorders. Refraction surgery can restore the shape of the cornea of ​​the eye so that you can return to see objects with a clear focus.

Overcoming eye minus with glasses and surgery

Before determining the right treatment for eye minus, you may be asked to undergo an eye refractive error examination first. The point is to determine the size of the corrective lens or see the presence or absence of other interference.

According to the American Academy of Opthalmology (AAO), there are several treatment methods that can be used to treat eye minus, namely:

1. Glasses or contact lenses minus

The use of minus glasses or contact lenses is the main recommended way to treat nearsightedness. The minus lens is used as a correction so that light can fall right on the retina while adjusting the shape of the eyeball. That way, you can again see objects that are within the maximum visibility clearly.

Depending on the size of the eye minus, the use of glasses may only be needed when doing certain activities, such as driving and watching movies. For those of you who have a large enough eye minus, inevitably you may have to wear glasses or contact lenses all the time to be able to see clearly.

If you only have trouble seeing objects from a distance, the minus glasses you need is usually just a single lens.

However, if you find that your eyes also have trouble seeing at close range (farsightedness), such as in older people with old eyes, you may need to use progressive or bifocal lenses to see clearly.

There is an assumption that using glasses can actually make the minus get bigger. This assumption arises because the eye becomes dependent on the aid of a visual aid. In fact, the use of glasses does not affect eye minus changes.

If you still can't see clearly even with minus glasses, maybe the minus lens size you used is not suitable for your eye condition.

2. Refractive operations

If you want to remove or reduce eye minus, the way that can be done to treat minus eye is through a refractive surgery procedure.

Reported on the National Eye Institute website, there are two types of refractive surgery that are commonly performed, namely PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) and the most popular is LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis). Both use laser technology and remove minus by changing the shape of the cornea so that it can focus light on the retina.

Apart from these two methods, there are also other types of refraction operations such as:

• LASEK
• Epi-LASIK
• SMILE
• Lens refraction exchange (RLE)
• Lens implants

However, it is also important to know that surgical treatment may not always produce the desired results. Every refractive surgery procedure carries a risk of side effects. Therefore, discuss with your doctor which type of surgery best suits your eye condition.

3. Ortho-k

Ortho-k stands for orthokeratology or also known as corneal refractive therapy (CRT). This non-surgical treatment for minus eye requires a person to sleep with special contact lenses every night.

The goal is to change the shape of the curvature of the cornea so as to reduce eye flare. The contact lens applies pressure to the cornea to flatten out its shape.

4. Eye drops

The use of eye drops, such as low doses of atropine (0.01%) are known to be quite effective in inhibiting the development of nearsightedness in children and adolescents. Atropine can also be used to treat complications caused by ortho-k minus eye therapy. The best way to use eye drops to treat eye minus is to put them in every day.

How to treat eye minus naturally without glasses

In addition to the treatments that have been mentioned, you can still improve eye health and prevent nearsightedness from getting worse with natural minus eye treatments.

Follow the following tips for overcoming minus eye naturally:

• Spend more time outside
  Outdoor activities help prevent nearsightedness because there is plenty of light available to help you clearly capture objects' shapes. UV rays from the sun are also known to change the molecular structure of the sclera essence and cornea, thereby maintaining the normal shape of the eye. However, when doing outdoor activities and long exposure to the sun, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

• Optimize the light in the room
  When doing activities indoors, make sure you have an adequate lighting system. You don't want your lighting to create dark reflections and shadows that make your eyes work harder to see.

• Take vitamins and foods that maintain eye health
  Green vegetables, herbs, and foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, are useful for keeping your eyes functioning properly. Apart from consuming healthy foods for the eyes, also avoid consuming cigarettes.

• Rest your eyes
  Let the eyes rest for a moment in the middle of activities, such as reading, using gadget, or computer for extended periods of time. Look away from the screen or book at least 20-30 seconds every 20 minutes. Get used to focus on looking at objects more than 50 meters away when looking away. You can also close your eyes if your eyes feel tired.

• Eye exercise
  The way to focus the eye on objects within a certain distance is actually eye exercise. You can do this exercise regularly at home. Use your fingers to focus by placing your fingers 25 cm from the front of your eyes. Align your finger with the object specified as the focal point. Focus your gaze for 20 seconds on the object. Do this eye exercise several times.

If you experience visual disturbances that show signs of nearsightedness such as difficulty seeing with focus, blurry vision, and headaches, consult an eye specialist immediately. Your doctor will help determine the best eye minus treatment for you.