How to Improve Eyesight: 13 Natural Ways That Work

woman looking at window on rainy day

Blurry vision is not a pleasant experience and neither are the headaches and nausea that often accompany it before it is corrected. Corrective lenses can also become a pain so a better alternative is to prevent the onset of poor eyesight or limit its advance. There are several means involved in learning how to improve eyesight. You can use food for eyesight improvement, there are herbs for eye health improvement and there are numerous home remedies for eyesight improvement. We will lay out 13 of those in this article.

Please understand that these remedies help improve vision, but they are not all inclusive cures. Issues with your vision require the advice and treatment of a health care professional.

How to Improve Eyesight in 13 Simple Ways

1. Wild Asparagus

Ayurvedic medicine sees wild asparagus as one of the most effective ways of how to improve eyesight. Known as shatavari in India, the vitamins and minerals in this variety of asparagus grown in the wild help to maintain the cellular structures associated with vision.

What to do:

  • Mix 1 tsp of wild asparagus in dry, powdered form with ½ tsp of honey.
  • Stir this combination into 1 cup of warm milk.
  • Drink this twice daily for a few months.

2. Fennel

Another means of learning how to improve your eyesight comes through the use of fennel. Rich in nutrients and anti-oxidants, fennel promotes eye health and slows down the development of cataracts. Dubbed the herb of sight, by Ancient Romans, fennel is among the best herbs for eye health.

What to do:

  • Place 1 cup each of almonds, fennel and misri in a blender.
  • Blend the ingredients until they become a fine powder.
  • Consume this powder with a glass of warm milk as a chaser each night before going to bed.
  • Repeat this daily for six weeks

3. Limiting Eye Strain

Also among the most important items in developing ways to learn how to improve eyesight is limiting eye strain. Staying focused on a computer, smart phone or television screen for extended periods of time can significantly damage your eye sight. Therefore, among the home remedies for eyesight improvement, reducing that strain is essential.

What to do:

  • When working on the computer, position the monitor between 18 and 24 inches away from your face. The height of the monitor should be just below eye level.
  • Avoid glare on the surface of the screen by using a filter.
  • Take frequent visual breaks from the screen every 20 minutes. Look away and attempt to focus on distant objects for a few minutes during these breaks.
  • Be aware that you tend to stare at the screen without blinking and attempt to blink more often.

blueberry and strawberry

4. Bilberry

Another herb utilized in how to improve your eyesight is bilberry. Night vision is especially improved using this herb as it tends to stimulate the regeneration of the purple component of the retina. Additionally, a powerful antioxidant found in bilberry, anthocyanoside, helps improve retinal issues that are typically related to high blood pressure and diabetes.

What to do:

  • Consume ½ cup of ripe bilberry fruits on a daily basis.
  • You might also consult your health care professional about taking a bilberry extract supplement and use it as directed.
  • Do not take this supplement without consulting a health care professional as it tends to have adverse reactions with several medications.

5. Almonds

When it comes down to learning how to improve eyesight naturally with food, almonds are hard to beat. The high antioxidant content of almonds, the omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E all contribute to improved eye health.

What to do:

  • Soak 6 to 8 almonds in water overnight.
  • Peel the skin and grind the almonds the following morning.
  • Drink this paste mixed in a warm glass of milk.
  • Repeat this daily for several months.

6. Ginkgo Biloba

More than just improving brain function, ginkgo biloba is also among the most effective remedies for developing ways on how to improve eyesight. Improved circulation to the eyes is an important factor in protecting yourself against glaucoma and macular degeneration. Some research even suggests that this herb can benefit those suffering from retinopathy.

What to do:

  • You can take 120 mg of ginkgo biloba capsules divided into 2 to 3 doses on a daily basis.
  • Do not give this herb to children or those suffering from diabetes without consulting a health care professional.

7. Massage and Acupressure

Massage and acupressure are some of the more surprising items on our list of how to improve eyesight, but they work. Eye issues are often related to kidney and liver malfunctions. According to traditional Chinese medicine, there are pressure points which connect these vital organs to the eyes. Massage and acupressure can improve nerve energy and blood flow between these elements.

What to do:

  • Obtain a chart related to the pressure points around the eyes and learn more about this technique.
  • Learn to properly massage each pressure point for 5 to 10 seconds.
  • Repeat this therapy on a daily basis.

yoga practices are good home remedies for hives

8. Sunning and Palming

When it comes to mastering how to improve eyesight, sunning and palming might be a completely new concept to you. Sunning allows the light of the sun to provide the healing properties it contains, while palming provides relaxation and helps reduce stress and strain. This technique improves the strength of the ciliary muscles and the reactivity of the lens of the eye.

What to do:

  • Sunning involves allowing the sun to shine directly on your closed eyelids for a few minutes while you breathe deeply.
  • Palming follows sunning and it achieved by rubbing your palms together to warm them and then cupping your eyes in your palms.
  • Cover your eyes completely so there is no trace of light and apply slight pressure.
  • Repeat this several times per session and 2 to 3 times daily.

9. Triphala

Triphala is probably entirely new to most who live in Western cultures, but it is an effective ingredient in this discussion. Actually, triphala includes a mixture of three ingredients: amla (gooseberry), haritaki and vibhitaki. These three powders mixed together create a compound which is recognized as being a cure for glaucoma, myopia and conjunctivitis. It can also help relieve eye strain from too much exposure to television and computer monitors.

What to do:

  • Dissolve this herbal powder in hot water and stir it well.
  • Allow it to cool and then dip a clean, lint-free cloth into the solution.
  • Place the cloth over your eyes and blink in order to allow it to get into your eyes.
  • Allow it to wash in your eyes for at least five minutes.
  • Repeat this daily or as needed to reduce eye strain.

10. Rose Water

The rose water is another solution available for improving eyesight. Rose water has antiseptic and antibacterial properties which get rid of irritation, redness, inflammation and prevent infections. It helps relaxation and circulation to the eyes as well as works to get rid of those dark circles under your eyes.

What to do:

  • Learn how to make rosewater at home or buy premade rose water.
  • Soak a clean, lint-free cloth in rose water and place it over your eyes.
  • Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Repeat this a couple times a day or whenever you need relief from eye strain.

11. Exercises

Exercising your eyes is another method for improving your eyesight. Keeping the muscles in your eyes strong and working properly has a great effect on eye health. Additionally, exercise helps improve and promote circulation and relieves eye strain.

What to do:

  • Rotate your eyes in a clockwise direction for 3 to 4 repetitions before changing to a counterclockwise direction.
  • Look up as far as you can and down as far as you can, feeling the muscles stretch as you reach the limits. Repeat this for 3 to 4 reps.
  • Look as far as you can left and right in the same manner as above for 3 to 4 reps.
  • Repeat these exercises several times throughout the day as you take a break from television or computer.

nuts and seeds in bowls on table

12. Dry Fruits and Nuts

When it comes to learning how to improve eyesight naturally with food, dry fruits and nuts are a must. We already spoke of the benefits of almonds above, but there are a number of dried fruits and nuts which provide similar antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. Though it might seem unrelated, fiber is actually important when it comes to the removal of toxins. The removal of toxins which effect the eyes helps provide them with better health.

What to do:

  • Similar to what we showed above with almonds, you can soak any nuts along with dried berries or raisins overnight in a glass of water.
  • Grind them together the following morning to create a paste.
  • Mix this paste in warm milk and drink it first thing each morning.

13. Vitamin A Foods

We all have heard that carrots are good for your eyes. That is true, carrots are a vitamin A food for eyesight improvement. Vitamin A provides the proper blend of nutrients to stimulate and maintain functionality of the cellular structures of the eyes.

What to do:

  • Consume foods rich in vitamin A on a daily basis.
  • Among the top vitamin A foods are: carrots, green leafy vegetables, oranges, gooseberries and figs.

Some Common Causes of Poor Eyesight

Before we share ways on how to improve eyesight, let’s discuss the common causes of poor eyesight in the first place. Although this can be caused by incorrectly and often looking at a screen as well as genetic factors, poor eyesight can be a sign of an underlying health condition. 

High blood pressure can affect your eyesight as tiny blood vessels in your retina begin to swell, causing blood vessels to bleed inside your eye. As a result, you’ll encounter poor eye vision and may even experience ‘floaters’ in your vision – especially indoors.

Poor eyesight is one of the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis, so if you’ve suddenly experienced blurry sight, don’t disregard this disease. Multiple sclerosis causes your nerves within your eyes and brain to inflame, which can contribute to blurry and poor vision. You may also encounter a sharp pain when you move your eyes.

It’s not uncommon for pregnant women to experience poor eyesight, though if you encounter a loss of color or sudden blurriness, this could be a sign of preeclampsia. This is generally caused by high blood pressure during pregnancy, and it’s common to experience poor eyesight if you’ve never had high blood pressure before.

Finally, migraines are big contributors to poor eyesight. They’re a painful headache that doesn’t relieve with paracetamol. Amongst severe pain in your head, you may experience sensitivity to light and blurry vision. For most people, poor eyesight is one of the first symptoms of a migraine forming. Though, as soon as your migraine goes, your eyesight should return to normal.

In the End

Your eyes make an important sense necessary for daily living. So, keeping them healthy and avoiding any future issues with them is an important part of overall wellness. Now that you have our 13 home remedies on how to improve eyesight, you can keep your peepers in optimal shape and enjoy clear vision.

If you have questions, comments or recipes using any of the ingredients listed above, please don’t hesitate to share them below.

Images from depositphotos.com & pixabay.com.