Apples for Health- An exercise may aid vision

An exercise may aid vision

HOUSTON, April 8 (UPI) -- A U.S. professor of optometry says eye exercises may help a variety of vision disorders.

Dr. Janice Wensveen of the University of Houston College of Optometry says patients' reaction to a prescription of eye exercises commonly range between surprise and relief.

"They're curious, especially when we tell them, instead of putting a Band-Aid on it like we do with glasses or contact lenses, we're actually going to solve your problem," Wensveen says in a statement. "You're going to be cured and that's something we don't very often do."

A typical at home exercise is "pencil push-up therapy," Wensveen says.

"Patients visually follow a small letter on a pencil as they moved the pencil closer to the nose. The goal is to be able to keep the letter clear and single until it touches your nose," Wensveen says.

"You can imagine that, in the doctor's office, it sounds great and you can do it. You think, 'Wow, this can help me?' But you get home and you do it. You think, 'This is really dumb.' You do it once and you never do it again."

A study by the National Eye Institute found office-based treatment for patients along with at-home reinforcement, is more effective than home-based programs in isolation.