Thom’s vision

[Tom Ryan]

Thom’s vision

[Tom Ryan]

Okay, Thom, now that we all seem to agree that you are not almost 1,000 years old, there is the question of the real age of your vision, which is a lead-in to a post I had thought about making here in recent weeks.

Perhaps most people accept the effects of the aging process, but 46 ain’t old! Not to me, anyway, since I am 66. I have never worn glasses, even reading glasses. But of course I am not immune to the effects of aging and I do use my eyes a lot in writing books. As I might have mentioned in a previous post (but I don’t recall doing so), Georgia requires a vision test for a driver’s license renewal once a person reaches age 64. The state has a very lenient vision requirement, however, as a person’s vision need only be at least 20/60 in the better eye. (The vast majority of states require at least 20/40.)

I thought that surely I would be better than 20/60, but I didn’t want to cut it too close. So I started training for the vision test 6 months ahead of when I would have to take it, doing daily eye exercises and taking specific nutritional supplements (lutein, bilberry, beta carotene, etc.).

My vision was about 20/50 with both eyes when I started my training (i.e., not great). After 6 months I was down to 20/32, so I should have passed the vision test easily. Oddly, when I renewed my license in April, I wasn’t even asked to take the test! I was very surprised by that but I certainly didn’t complain. 🙂

I wasn’t satisfied with 20/32, so I have continued training and now I am down to 20/28. (I use the Internet test at http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/oph/ped/IVAC/IVAC.html .) My vision was tested by a doctor at 20/15 with both eyes and with my right eye when I was 48, so now I am wondering if I might be able to continue improving and set a “world record” for my age, which would be kinda neat. Maybe I would be close to a record if I could approach 20/15 as I head toward age 70. My muscles can’t lift much anymore so I need to train for a record of some sort.

There are various ways to try to improve vision. Check out the Amazon rank of this book http://www.amazon.com/Relearning-See-Improve-Eyesight-Naturally/dp/1556433417/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306979662&sr=1-1
and the reviews of it. I have corresponded with the author but I haven’t used much from the book, although I do use palming.

Some of you who have been wearing glasses for decades (such as Joe) may be content doing so, but I am not interested in wearing glasses and don’t intend to do so … even when I am 100. LOL

Tom

[Thom Van Vleck]

Thanks,Tom, I’ve heard good stuff about this and I’ve been meaning to check in on it! My vision isn’t all that bad, but it is not what it was close up. On an eye chart I’m still 20-10 right and 20-15 left (my left eye had a torn retina and now I have some vision loss on that side likely the result of a car accident when I was young). I’ll check that stuff out!

Thom Van Vleck
Jackson Weightlifting Club
Highland Games athlete and sometimes All-Rounder

[jarrod]

wow. last time i was tested (about a decade ago), i was 20/400 in one eye & 20/600 in the other. if there’s a way to reverse that even a bit, i’ll check it out.

[Al Myers]

Jarrod, If I was you I would try lasix surgery before Tom’s eyeball exercises. haha Sorry Tom – I’m a bit of a skeptic on this!!! Al

[Chad Ullom]

I had Lasik surgery and love it! Totally recommend it

[Tom Ryan]

Okay, “doubting Al”, I “see” that you are going to take some convincing. 🙂

First, I want to address nutritional supplements.

Optometrists recommend bilberry and lutein for their patients. (For example, see the testimonial at
http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/olympian-labs-nutra-vision-lutein-bilberry-60-capsules-reviews . See also http://www.preventive-health-guide.com/lutein.html.)

Eye exercises are important, in my opinion and in the opinion of others. See, for example, http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-Your-Eyes and
http://eyeexercisestoimprovevision.com

Jarrod, I assume that you wear glasses or contacts, as you obviously could not otherwise function since a person with 20/200 vision is considered to be legally blind. With 20/400 in your better eye, you should thus be 20/400 with both eyes.

Al recommends Lasik surgery and Chad has obviously benefited from it, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Why? There are, of course, risks associated with any surgery and the long-term effects of Lasik surgery are apparently not well known at this time. See http://www.lasikcomplications.com/long_term_issues.html and http://www.lasikcomplications.com/risks.htm

I believe in attacking any health problem with a natural approach, which is what I have done for almost half a century.

Tom

[Al Myers]

Tom, I can see that you have done your research on this and really believe in it. I must admit that at first I thought you were “testing” the field with a joke, and was “fishing” for someone to fall for it. But then again, I should have known better, since you are not the joking kind. (LOL)

I read through all those links you posted. I am still a bit skeptical, but will give some of those exercises a try. I also took the eyesight test that you posted a link to – that was very interesting!!! Thanks. But I do plan to follow this advice that was given on one of those websights, “when doing these exercises, make sure that you’re not facing anybody, or that they know you’re doing eye exercises. Otherwise they might think you’ve gone nuts.” hahahaha Al

[jarrod]

al & chad, last time i had looked into lasik (been a while) you couldn’t do contact sports after having the surgery. is that still the case?

[Tedd Van Vleck]

I am a believer. There was an article on CNN.com and yahoo.com not too long ago.

Engineers on the railroad require a vision and hearing test to maintain certification and I know of an engineer that had fallen below the standard and started doing the exercises and taking suplements as suggested by his local union leadership and he improved his vision as well.

[Author]

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