The Eyes: Our Precious Possession, Part 1

We have only one pair of eyes to last us a lifetime. That's why we have to take very good care of these two precious "jewels."

The eyes are not only as important as the other organs of the body but more so because they are our windows to the outside world; without the eyes, we will see nothing but darkness.

To keep the eyes healthy, they require a regular supply of blood and nutrients, as well as exercise, sleep and rest. When the eyes are overused, we feel discomfort, pain, headache, and heaviness. These are the eyes' way of telling us to give them rest.

Studies show that accommodation--the ability of the eyes' lens to focus on objects at different distances--varies with the person's age. As the person grows older, the ability of the eyes to accommodate decreases because of chemical and physical changes in the lens and muscles.

At the age of 20, the eyes' power of accommodating itself to focus on a near object is 30% less than it was when the individual was ten. At 30, the ability is 50% reduced from that of ten, and from then on, the reduction becomes greater.

Upon reaching age 40, your eyes' accommodation is two-thirds of what it was at 30, and at 45, it is reduced to half. Thus it is said that a person's age may be judged by the condition of the eyes, the elasticity of the lens, and the power of accommodation to changing distances.

Many eye problems are caused by eyestrain, and symptoms may vary: pain in or around the eyes, headaches which increase in intensity when the eyes are used for close work, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, twitching facial muscles, or migraine may all be the symptoms of a strain on the eyes.

The eyes also serve as the barometer of the body's general state of health: if the body is
diseased, the condition is naturally shown in the blood that reaches the eyes, which appear dull or get strained if there is general toxemia.

By looking at a person's eyes, we can discover the ways he feels. If the eyes are bright and clear, there is little chance that he is feeling poorly. But if the eyes look heavy, yellow or bloodshot, the person is unwell--perhaps not so ill as to have to go to bed, but suffering from some toxic state which is indicated by the eyes.

(Part 2, which will discuss nutrients and exercises for the eyes, will appear next posting)