Eye Health Facts
Do exercises help eyes?
Each eye's movements are controlled by 6 different muscles - so when you move your eyes 12 different muscles are needing to work in co-operation. Luckily for most people, this all happens without having to think about it. Some people do have trouble co-ordinating the movements and the focus of their eyes, and so for these people eye exercises are helpful, leading to clearer and more comfortable vision.
However it's important to know the limitation of eye exercises. For many conditions eye exercises don't help at all. Be sure to know the cause of your vision problem before starting eye exercises - so that the right treatment is given, and so that you don't spend a lot of time exercising for no benefit.
Eye Health Facts
Is that a cataract I can see growing over my eye?
Probably not. Cataract refers to cloudiness or opacitiy in the lens of the eye. The lens of the eye sits in behind the pupil, well inside the eye. Most of the time cataracts are not visible looking at the eye. In very advanced cases you might notice the pupil is greyish rather than black, but that's all you'd see.
If you're look at your eye and seeing something growing over it, chances are you're looking at a pterygium. Connective tissue growths, they are typically seen in people who spend lots of time outdoors, appearing white, but easily become inflamed in dry or dusty conditions. They can be removed surgically if they encroach too far across the eye.
If you're watching anything growing across your eye, it's best to get it checked out.