India has eye clinics everywhere. But few Indians wear glasses. That’s because the clinics teach exercises to strengthen the eyes. Here's a surprise: it’s not like that in America. American ophthalmologists are never taught eye exercises.
Instead of eye exercises, people look into this impressive thingamajig.
I did this last month because my eyes were hurting and my vision was blurry. Then a blood vessel burst in my eye, and a section of the white was red. In a panic, I rushed to a walk-in eye clinic in downtown Brooklyn.
I felt so fortunate to get behind this machine on a Sunday morning. The doctor, my savior in a white lab coat, starts showing me different views. The first few clicks are blurry, but then he clicks and…My God, I can See!
I leave him and go to the clerk at the counter. He shows me the frames my plan covers, which are cheap ‘welfare frames’. I dont want that crap, I wanna have style. So I get the designer frames for $100.
Now the lenses. Of course, I don’t want bifocals. And I must have anti-glare lenses. And anti-scratch. And lenses that double as sunglasses. I spent $500, but I will soon be able to See!
Before I left, I told the doctor I use + 1.00 reading glasses. He said I need +2.75. I go to the drug store and try out the +2.75 reading glasses and…What the Fuck? It’s like a high-power magnifying glass. I’m not buying this. I try the +2.00. Still too strong. I am confused and uneasy.
Three days later, I put on my new glasses and….What the Fuck? I feel like I’m drunk and I got the Spins. I say to the slick clerk. “I cant wear this bullshit. These lenses are not like the machine I looked through.”
He says, “It takes a little getting used to.”
I am furious and relaxed, measuring this guy for a knockout blow. But it's a reflex action. I'm not going to jail over this. What can I do? They got me. I leave thinking about all I could have done with $500, but I’m happy that I didn’t make a bad situation worse.
I think most people force themselves to adjust to their glasses. They think, how could that doctor in the lab coat and that impressive-looking thingamajig be wrong? Sadly, the body will adapt to almost anything. And when it finally does adapt…it’s time for another exam. Every year, the prescription gets stronger, and the eyes get weaker.
The whole operation is like a scam at the County Fair.
Now, maybe ophthalmologists are good for glaucoma and cataracts. But I’m not so sure about regular eye exams. Most optometrists would put glasses on a dog if they could.
I realised that I don’t need reading glasses when I read outdoors. What does that tell you? I should have mentioned that to the doctor after he told me I need +2.75. I think their objective is to weaken the eyes. Like prescriptions that override the wisdom of the body, glasses may override the wisdom of the eyes.
The eyes were meant to look near and far, but today there is a huge imbalance. So get outside, remove your glasses for a while, and gaze into the distance.
Maybe my eyes are sore because I sit indoors staring at a screen far too much. Well, I quit smoking cigarettes and I quit smoking crack, but can I quit staring at digital pixels?
Gene Bray
Many people in India who have suffered amputations don’t wear prosthetics either. It’s because of poverty, not because they are taught exercises to improve function.
The same thing is true of hearing aids. If you wear them as directed by the doctor, you will find yourself gradually turning up the volume. In three years, the volume had to be increased by 30% and I was looking at purchasing new ones.
On my own initiative, I removed them and only inserted them when absolutely necessary, given the situation. Now my volume is set 20% lower than it was originally and I hear well with that. An added benefit is that my hearing without the hearing aids has improved enough that my wife noticed it without prompting!
Caveat emptor!