Astigmatism
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Natural Remedies for Astigmatism

| Modified on Dec 31, 2021
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Sight is typically one of our most frequently used senses. As such, when your eyesight isn’t what it should be, it can be particularly difficult to adapt. Astigmatism is one of the most difficult vision conditions because it blurs your vision at all distances; however, with effective natural cures, such as eye exercises, vitamin C, and vitamin E, you can improve your eyesight and strengthen your eyes all at the same time.

What Is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curve of your eye which results in blurred vision. The condition occurs as the front surface of your eye has a slightly different surface curve in one direction than the other. Rather than being smooth and even, your eye has areas that are flatter or steeper.

What are the Conventional Treatments for Astigmatism?

Typical treatment for astigmatism includes either corrective lenses or surgery. Both of these options are effective, especially in conjunction with natural remedies.

Can I Improve My Eyesight Naturally?

Vision issues require specific monitoring by a qualified professional; however, there are things you can do at home to help improve your vision. Eye exercises help strengthen your eyes while nutritional supplements such as vitamin C and vitamin E help support general eye health. A regular regimen of eye exercise and good nutrition can help correct vision issues of all different types.

1. Eye Exercise

As astigmatism is an issue of focusing, retraining the focus of the eye is effective for strengthening and correcting your eyesight. To do so, try relaxing your dominant/astigmatic eye by covering it and focusing on a distant object with your non-dominant eye. Then uncover your dominant eye, and complete the exercise reversed. Do this daily for a period of 3-4 minutes, and you should see improvement in your eyesight.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an active antioxidant that helps eliminate free radicals in the eyes which may be contributing to deterioration of your vision. The recommended daily intake of vitamin C is 75-90 milligrams daily, which you can get in supplement form or by eating fruits and vegetables.

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another strong antioxidant, so it helps to combat eye issues as well. Vitamin E also helps reduce inflammation and other causes of obscured vision.

You can improve your eyesight in more ways than one, so we suggest exploring your options for treating astigmatism. Take a look at some of our other reader-contributed suggestions below or share some of your own remedies for vision problems.

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Diagnosing

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Posted by Wynnye (Texas) on 10/27/2019
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Astigmatism is a matter of irregularities in the surface of the cornea vs simply a matter of focusing.

Eye Exercises

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Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, SC) on 04/08/2013
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I was diagnosed with astigmatism in my right eye by an ophthalmologist when I was 20 years old while in college. Glasses were prescribed and I bought a set. My right eye had a stigmatism I was told by the doctor. A few years later I picked up a book by an ophthalmologist at a health food store because I wanted to find any alternative to deteriorating visual conditions. That book explained what astigmatism is and it is a simple phenomenon and an equally simple solution to obtain proper vision. First a stigmatism will always develop in the dominate eye. Each person has a dominate eye just has one has a dominate hand, usually right, and even a dominate leg. Mine is left!

To determine which eye is dominate, simply point to a distant object and without moving your hand shut each eye. You will see that the object moves when one eye is used and does not move when the other eye is used. In other words, the eye that is doing the focusing is the dominate eye. What the eye does then is uses one eye, the dominate eye, to dominate all focus actions. Now what happens in time, especially in a "book" focused society (worse now with computers) is the dominate eye will become strained... literally the dominate eye's muscles will be strained and will LOSE the ability to focus. As such the dominate eye will ALWAYS have the stigmatism.

The solution then is to relax the dominate eye and retrain the muscles in the dominate eye to be in proper focus. This is accomplished by a simple exercise. By using an eye chart or my favorite is a distant tree, one puts the palm of the hand over the dominate eye, but allowing light to come through on the sides, and you focus on the distant tree... A tree perhaps a hundred yards away. You focus with the non dominate eye on the limbs of the tree for perhaps ten seconds, then transfer the hand over the non dominate eye and allowing the dominate eye to "re set" by example of the non dominate but non astigmatic eye. Repeat three times. In a mere minute you have reset the stigmatized eye. This is harder to accomplish for a person who has over time put on ever stronger glasses. In that case, the book said the process had to be reversed and go backwards to the lest strong glasses and repeat over weeks to finally get to ground zero. Well, I was fortunate to find this book when I had the first weak set of glasses; as I said when I was only 20 years old. I used the eye chart provided in the book and now, over 40 years later still have that same eye chart taped to my vitamin cabinet. But usually I use an outdoors object, as I said, a distant tree. That's because you can use the limbs of the tree to find more refined focus points... some more narrow than others and so you can intensify the focus exercise.

Well, the book was very extensive and the ophthalmologist went into detail in explaining how a first "test" of children, for example, is almost always wrong and he'd always throw out the first eye test because the pressure on the child would cause the eye to be more strained than normal; hence, often children are diagnosed with problems that really do not have a visual difficulty at all. But once the glasses start, the dependency is ongoing. The need for stronger and stronger glasses is progressive. Unfortunately, I gave that book away over 30 years ago... all but the eye chart that came with the book. But I have shown the eye exercise method to hundreds of people. My eyesight is 20/20. I am nearly 64 years old. I can even see fine print out of a book so long as the lighting is good. I am sorry I do not have the name of the book or the remarkable ophthalmologist who was brave enough to write it. Brave I say because he revealed that children's tests are often flawed. But just remember that the stigmatism can be reversed. Remember I was diagnosed with that in my dominate right eye. And in fact I knew my right eye was off. That was why I went to the doctor to start with. But with one simple eye exercise, my stigmatized eye "learned" what its muscles "should" be by the non dominate eye. I have been so thankful for perfect sight now for all my life thanks to one book. God bless that doctor.

Replied by Mmsg
(Somewhere, Europe)
04/09/2013

David, was there anything in that book about myopia?

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, SC)
04/09/2013

Oh, one last point for how to do the exercise I described above. You begin by covering the dominate eye (the stigmatized eye) and focusing on a distant object with the non dominate (non stigmatized eye) for ten seconds and then WITHOUT blinking, shift the other way around so that you next cover the non dominate eye and again focus on the same distant object for ten seconds; repeat without blinking three times and finally uncover both eyes (without blinking) and look at the object with both eyes. Repeat this three times. (Now you can blink. ) This exercise takes about 90 seconds. Repeat three times a week or when you notice your eyes are "blurring." At the end of the exercise you can actually feel the weak (dominate) eye muscle change. What you are doing is "making" the dominate but strained eye, reset using the non strained eye. And once again, I got this from the book on the subject by an ophthalmologist.

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
04/10/2013

Hello "Somewhere in Europe" This exercise (given by the opthomologist) I've described above is helpful with blurring vision of distant objects. Myopia is then helped by such an exercise. I've used it now for forty years and when I began I had blurred vision but the exercise immediately corrected the problem and now, all these years later, no glasses...20/20 vision.

Replied by Krishna
(Chesterfield, Mo)
06/15/2013

My son 5 years old is having astigmatism. Please let us know the exercises which will cure naturally without correction glasses. Please let us know your contact details.

Replied by Krish
(Ireland)
09/04/2014

Hi David, could you please name that book? Or suggest any other good books for Astigmatism remedies/eye exercises to get rid of Astigmatism.

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
09/04/2014

Hello Krish,

Well, Krish if you go to the top of the thread where I write on "how" to do the exercise, you might be able to duplicate that exercise. I know my comments were fairly lengthy but in the body of the post I extensively lay out "how" to do it. Please re-read the post and see if it doesn't help. I'd be happy to amplify if not clear.

Replied by Suzanne
(Indiana, US)
09/04/2014

Dave, do you have the name of the book please.

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
09/06/2014

Hello Suzanne,

Re name of book on stigmatism issue;

Unfortunately, I gave the book away 20 years ago and don't have it. I've tried various internet searches but can't identify the title or author.

Replied by Rita
(Burson, Ca)
10/23/2014

There are lots of eye exercise books out, the first one probably being by William H. Bates. Though he taught just the opposite. He encouraged blinking, as staring causes strain and takes away from relaxation.

Replied by Dsaz
(Mauri)
03/20/2015

Hi, thank you for the advices. I wear glasses and I have astigmatism, do I have to take off my glasses to do the exercise or do I keep them on? Thanks!

Replied by Gloria
(Lagos State, Nigeria)
08/10/2015

Please I need to find out the name of the book cos I can't stand wearing glasses for a long period of time because of astigmatism.

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn Sc)
08/10/2015

Hello Gloria

Re eye stigmatism

I think it may be my post on how to help a stigmatic eye that you are refering...I had long ago lost the book but reproduced the method in my long post. Consider trying that system I describe. For someone who already has glasses then as I recall one would have to use old weaker glasses to make the method work. Use last used glasses for a week while doing the exercise then go to the set worn before that etc.

Shenny
(Harris)
02/15/2016

Hi Dave,

Referring "To determine which eye is dominate, simply point to a distant object and without moving your hand shut each eye. You will see that the object moves when one eye is used and does not move when the other eye is used. In other words, the eye that is doing the focusing is the dominate eye. What the eye does then is uses one eye, the dominate eye, to dominate all focus actions....".

Appreciate if you can clarify that "the eye that is doing the focusing" is the eye that sees object moves, or the eye that sees object does not move?

Thanks, Shenny

Replied by Aj
(Vancouver)
03/15/2016

Hi. I think the name of that wonderful ophthalmologist who wrote the book that you mentioned is William Bates. You're welcome 😊

Replied by Anupama
(Singapore)
10/11/2016

Dear Dave could you please send me a picture of that eye exercise chart you have. My 3 year old just got diagnosed with astigmatism. Please help.

Replied by Joseph
(India)
11/19/2016

Hello Dave,

Could you please tell us if we should do this exercise with the glasses on or removing them? My daughter is on her first set of glasses and I'm wondering if we should do it with glasses on or off...

Replied by Wayne
(Uk)
12/08/2016

There are videos giving exercises you can do on youtube. My vision was getting blurred. I tried them and my vision started to improve the first time. It's getting better all the time. I forgot to do exercises for about six weeks and my vision deteriorated. I started to do the exercises again and my eyesight is improving. So they do work.

Replied by Undecided
(Us)
01/23/2017

Just tried this test and it showed that my left eye is dominant but the right eye is the one with the astigmatism. My right eye vision is quite blurry. Left eye sees pretty well, it's 20/25.

Replied by Roberta
(New Jersey)
02/11/2017

William H. Bates, M.D. The Bates Method for Better Eyesight without Glasses. Henry Holt and Company publishers

Replied by Shveta
(Nsw)
04/05/2017

My 5 yr old son is diagnosed with astigmatism. Pls tel me if natural cures or exercises can correct it and their details. Would really appreciate it.
Thanks so much

Replied by Lita
(Indonesia)
07/02/2017

I just read this comment here. I just got my astigmatism glasses the day before yesterday. That was my first glasses ever. Do I need to wear the glasses when not doing the exercise or when I read and/or in front of a computer? I don't have any glasses to fall back into if my eyesight improves so I'm not sure whether to wear them or not.

Thanks.

Replied by Lena
(Ukraine)
07/18/2017

I just want to ask if you shouldn't blink only when switching to other eye or during the whole exercise because I understood as you shouldn't blink durin the whole exercise which would be painful because 90 seconds is a long time to not blink (sorry if it's a stupid question)

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
07/20/2017

Hey Lena,

This is Dave, and I've written on this subject a lot and think you were posting to me although you didn't mention me by name. But I'll assume it was to me the question was intended. OK; you ask about "blinking" while doing the eye exercise. Great question. The answer is, go as long as your own eyes will let you...no strict rule here. The point is to let the stygmatized eye muscles re-figure with the non-dominant eye. So if you can gaze at a distant object for 10 seconds, then switch to the dominant eye for ten seconds, then repeat and finally, both together for ten seconds....that is just fine. You'll SEE the difference immediately. Or should....every set of eyes is unique.

Replied by Sara
(Colorado)
12/31/2021

I wanted to figure out which book this is and I think I have in case others want to find it as well. It's by William H. Bates, originally published in 1971, revised in 1981 and called The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses.

Lime Juice and Rose Water

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Posted by Gean (Salina, Ks) on 08/11/2010

Hello, does anyone have any experience with putting rose water mixed with lime juice in the eyes? I have read that it will cure astigmatism if mixed one part lime juice to four parts rose water. I tried it and it really stings. So I diluted it with a lot more rose water and it still stings. Is this normal? Is it supposed to sting? And would rose water by itself also work? Any advice would be appreciated.

Replied by Lily
(Brisbane, Queensland)
08/12/2010

Hi Gean, please be careful about putting anything into your eyes, you can end up with a horrible infection or even worse, blindness. Try some of the eye exercises listed in EC, or google the words 'natural vision improvement' and see what you can find. You will find that the eye drops in the pharmacy are completely sterilised for your protection but the rosewater and lime will not be. Wish you lots of luck with your vision. Lily.

Replied by Vivek
(Delhi)
05/09/2015

Hi Dave. Is this the book :"Perfect Eyesight", co-author: Lewanski?

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
05/09/2015

Hello Vivek from Delhi;

Re the book on eyesight.

No that's not the book. The one that I learned from had only one author and he was an ophthalmologist. An eye chart came with the book also. Pretty simple concept which I explain in my posts on astigmatism.

But thank you so much for looking.

(I'd love to visit India one day.)

Replied by Jim
(Sydney)
10/25/2015

Lime has citric acid in it that's why it stings your eyes and you really need to check multiple sources before trying anything your not sure about on yourself as it can be dangerous if your not sure about something google it and find out the facts like what I have done with my vision I have read that there is no way to cure your short or far sightedness but there are other sources which talk about the contrary another good way to improve vision is play first person shooter games without your glasses

Replied by Mark
(Lakeland, FL)
12/23/2020

Yes, it will sting and is supposed to. Just reduce the lime juice to tolerance. A slight sting is required to stimulate the eye to heal itself.

Replied by Madelyn
(Idaho)
12/25/2020

Hi Mark,

can you please share your experience if you've had success treating astigmatism with lime juice and rose water. I'd like to learn more about this method.

Rose Petals

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Posted by Kathleen (Rice Lake, WI) on 08/05/2008
 ★★★★★

I am 19 years old and have had astigmatism since before I was in kindergarten. It's such a burden to me and up until a year or so ago I wore glasses and finally got contacts because they started making cheaper ones that weren't glass.

Anyways, I was researching for any cures and since I absolutely love this site, I started here, but was quite disappointed there was nothing listed for astigmatism. So I found multiple sites which pushed for lasik or glasses and contacts. But the problem with these is that lasik doesn't always solve the problem permanently. And I don't like to give those who push non-natural alternatives because I personally believe that God put all these plants and things on earth for a reason, not to just look pretty.

I eventually came across a site which mentioned Rose water and how it has been used for years to help with poor eye sight. I searched "Astigmatism Rosewater" a little more to find out what this stuff is about and how to make it. I'm not completely sure how come it helps so much, but it works apparently and since there are no added things to it, that is good enough for me. I searched for how to make rosewater and the easiest one I found, which I use is:

1. Pick fresh rose petals that have no pesticides and insecticides. If you're unable to obtain such petals, then go to your local flower seller and ask for organic roses. And if they don't have them, then wash the rose petals REALLY well in cold water, not hot.

2. Boil some water and for every packed cup of rose petals add 2 cups of boiling water.

3. The petals will start to lose color and the water will gain a bit of the color the petals were.

4. After pretty much all of the color is gone (it's ok if some of the petals didn't lose their color) use a strainer to rid the water of the petals. Squeeze the remaining water from the petals and dispose of the petals.

5. Let the water cool a bit because you don't want to burn your eye :S

6. This is an optional step: For every 8 oz. of rosewater, you can add either: a small small small amount of lime juice OR add a grain of alum. I personally wouldn't recommend both because that sounds like it'd be painful...

That is the simplest way to make it. And to put it in your eye, you should get an eye dropper and add a few drops like 3-4 times a day. If you don't have an eye dropper handy, wash your hands really well and then dip your finger in the rosewater and let it drip off your finger into your eye.

Here are a few of the links I found that seemed the most helpful:

http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/articles/432/medicines-and-remedies/astigmatism-treatment.html

This one has a post by someone who offered many helpful hints. I haven't tried any, but they don't sound like they'll do any bodily harm. I do know for a fact that staring at the sun at the indicated times does not do any harm to your eyes! I have no clue what the pressure points the person was talking about are...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070915211328AA59BJf

I have just begun this endeavor only a while ago and I know it's working. My eyes are beginning to hurt because my glasses are too strong

I pray the best for all of those who suffer with astigmatism and other ailments of the eyes!

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
08/06/2008
490 posts

Hi Kathleen, astigmatism is lumpy eyeballs which I figured came from uneven pull from the eyes that move the eyes, so when I read of Edgar Cayce's eye exercises, I figured that they would probably help alleviate the problem. This exercise is to roll your head as close to your body (back, chest, and shoulders) as you can l0 times to the right & then 10 times to the left. I did this twice a day, upon arising and when retiring to bed. After a few weeks of this I stopped wearing any glasses for years. When my arms started getting too short to hold my reading material far enough away to read it (presbyopia in my later 40's) I went to have my eyes checked & was told I needed reading glasses. I then asked him what about my astigmatism and was told I didn't have any. After I remarked that I wore glasses for astigmatism for several years before doing some eye exercises and going without them for more than 10 years, so my eye exercises must have gotten rid of it. He then informed me that you don't get rid of astigmatism. I smiled at the optometrist and told him that the glasses prescribed by an opthalmologist for astigmatism was needed because of eye strain until after the exercises eliminated the need for glasses for years afterwards.

Replied by Kathleen
(Rice Lake, WI)
08/07/2008

Hey thanks for the response! I never heard of that before, sounds easy enough. I'll have to start doing this too! :)

Replied by Teresa
(Kenedy, Texas)
08/06/2008

Joyce, when you do the eye exercises, do you keep your eyes open or closed as you rotate your neck?

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
08/08/2008
490 posts

Answer to the question on whether to close eyes of keep them open on the exercises: I don't think it matters but I usually kept mine closed because you can get a little dizzy with all the rolling. You can actually feel the pull on the muscles controlling the eyes when you do this exercise. I wish you could have seen a patient (probably in her middle 30's) who told me that she had crossed eyes as a toddler & her mother did not want to go the surgical route and instead went the route of exercising her eyes. She said, "Thanks to her, I can do things with my eyes, that others can't do", and proceeded to face me and roll both eyes in opposite directions (the right rolled to the right while the left eye rolled left) for several rounds. I was so amazed that I didn't think to ask her where her mother found the instructions for those eye exercises. I wish I had asked her what they were. If I hadn't seen her I would not have believed anyone could do that (except maybe lizards).

Replied by Abramo
(Brooklyn, New York)
09/07/2009

Hello, I've been doing Edgar Cayce's eye exercises for about half a year now and my eyes are worse than when I started. I experienced temporary headaches even while in the middle of the exercise but they soon disappeared. The exercise isn't a total loss because my neck feels so much better. It's limber the way it use to be when I was young so I will continue with the exercise. If my eyesight improves I will make sure to write again but until then it has done absolutely nothing for my sight.

Replied by Julester
(Wilmington, Usa)
07/23/2011

Bates Method Eye Exercises work wonders.

Replied by Ghazala
(Nottingham)
07/08/2013

Hi, it is essential that you do palming alongside the eye exercises otherwise the extra eye strain can make the eye sight worse. 6 minutes a few times a day is all you need.

Replied by Richard
(Atlanta, Georgia)
07/08/2013

It is known by every eye doctor that one of the causes of worsening astigmatism is rubbing your eyes whether by finger or other appendage.

Replied by Kelly
(Cambridge, Ma)
07/08/2013

Palming does not involve rubbing. In fact, it doesn't involve touching the eyes at all.

Palming = cupping your hands and resting the heel of your hands on your cheekbones so that you are essentially covering your eyes, except that no part of your hand actually touches your eyes or your eyelids.

I can't vouch for whether or not it's a fix for astigmatism, but I can vouch for its efficacy in relieving eye strain in general. It's super relaxing. Your eyes feel so refreshed afterwards.

Replied by Darius
(Poland)
09/08/2014

It is known by every eye doctor that one of the causes of worsening astigmatism is rubbing your eyes whether by finger or other appendage. Do you have some wrong with head? Eye rubbing is linked not conclusive with Keratoconus, not astigmatism, Rubbing might temporarily change the curvature of your cornea, but it will tend to want to go back

Replied by Shelley
(Lake Jackson, Tx)
02/25/2016

I'm just curious. How do you think rosewater can change the structure of your cornea?

Anon
(Usa)
07/23/2018

Maybe it contains nutrients that strengthen the eye structure or relax eye muscles.

Replied by Kathleen
(Connecticut)
08/13/2016

I am looking for a remedy for my son's astigmatism because I cannot fathom that he has to wear glasses the rest of his life. His eye doctor won't even discuss other options. I'm wondering since this post was in 2008 did this work for the author??? Thank you

Replied by Jennysmom2
(Idaho)
08/13/2016

I do not have an answer about the rose petals, but I have a few comments. You did not say how old your son is. Child's eyes do not always develop at the same speed as others. I was a child that liked to read a lot and was given stronger and strong glasses each year, and now I am legally blind with out my glasses or contacts. I was just at the eye doctor the other day and he commented that the back of my eyes were not near-sighted, just the front. He said, I bet you read a lot as a child. There are many ways to correct vision. Please take the time to do some research for your child. There are eye exercises, sunlight, herbs, looking ahead, rather than the ground. I would not allow him any type of digital media. My daughter was 5 and failed an eye exam. I was scared she would go down the same path as me, and we did many of the things above, along with giving her Bilberry. She is 26 now and has perfect vision. Keep searching for answers and you will be successful.

Replied by Tiur
(Jakarta)
07/22/2018

How long after regimen did you see the improvement? How is the size of your agtismatism now? Mine is 3,5.


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