Preventive measures to avoid eye strain, such as making sure your computer station is ergonomic, improving posture and wearing the correct lenses, help reduce vision loss. Many of the symptoms related to decreasing vision also can be avoided with proper nutrition and eye exercises, according to Dr. Marc Grossman at Visionworks USA. The more you use your eyes for close vision tasks, the more important it is to incorporate eye exercises and take measures to relieve eye stress.
Palming
When the eyes become stressed, the pressure on the optic nerves become tense and eventually leads to vision loss. Take time throughout the day to relax your eyes with a palming routine. Warm up your hands before doing the exercise by rubbing them together for 15 to 20 seconds. Rest your elbows on a table, and cup your palms over your eyes. Overlap your fingers in the center of your eyebrows, and do not allow your hands to touch your eyes directly. Leave your eyes closed while you remain in the relaxing position for one or two minutes. You should feel the strain behind your eyes diminish as the darkness becomes blacker.
Scanning
Keeping your eyes flexible is important to maintain optimum vision and reduce eyestrain that leads to vision loss. Sit or stand at one end of a room and allow your eyes to move over every object in the room. Start at one corner, and keep your eyes moving as you scan the entire room. Focus on each individual item before moving on to the next to sharpen your visual acuity. Maintain even breathing as you scan for a minute or two at least once a day.
Finger Movements
Eye muscles need to be exercised to maintain good vision. When they become stuck or weak, vision loss begins and often becomes irreversible. A simple exercise to keep the muscles strong incorporates finger movements. Start by holding one finger about 10 inches from your face and focusing on it. Slowly draw the finger closer to your face, and stop when you begin to see double. Move your finger away and continue bringing it closer and closer until it does not become blurry as you bring it all the way to your nose. Move the finger out 10 inches to one side and repeat the exercise. Start with your finger up high, down low and on alternate sides to work all the muscles in the eyes.
