Understanding Nearsightedness: Causes and Ways to Improve Your Vision

In an increasingly digitized world, many of us, especially children, spend extended hours fixated on screens, books, and paperwork, often in poor posture. This modern lifestyle contributes significantly to declining eyesight. But what exactly causes nearsightedness, and what can we do to improve our vision?

Recent research from Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem, in collaboration with the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation, suggests that insufficient exposure to natural daylight plays a crucial role in the development of nearsightedness (myopia). The study, which included students from various Israeli educational institutions, found that long study hours combined with limited exposure to sunlight could lead to childhood myopia. In adulthood, this can potentially contribute to more serious eye conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment. The researchers concluded that allowing children more frequent outdoor breaks during school hours could be beneficial.

Beyond light exposure, other factors can influence our vision. The Bates Method, developed by American ophthalmologist Dr. William Bates in the early 20th century, views vision as a dynamic process. Dr. Bates proposed that mental stress and psychological issues can worsen eyesight, while a balanced lifestyle helps preserve it. He observed that as people move further away from natural living, their vision problems tend to escalate. In our technologically advanced era, many people, particularly children, are often confined indoors, surrounded by buildings that obstruct distant views, which contrasts sharply with rural settings where looking at the horizon is common. Some individuals who moved from cities to the countryside have reported improvements in their vision.

Dr. Bates also suggested that wearing glasses constantly can hinder the eyes' natural movements. Instead of freely adapting and moving with a wide field of vision, eyes become "stuck" behind corrective lenses. This dependency, he argued, perpetuates visual impairments. In older age, this can contribute to the degeneration of visual functions, often necessitating surgical intervention to save sight.

Through his observations of children, Dr. Bates concluded that vision impairments can be improved through proper exercise of all visual functions, potentially reducing the need for strong corrective lenses. Noticeable improvements can be seen within a few weeks of daily practice. This includes controlled exposure to natural sunlight with closed eyes during the early morning hours, about an hour after sunrise. The Bates Method is practiced worldwide, emphasizing that desire and perseverance are key to success. May you only see good!