posted by jim | May 4, 2009
photo by brain blogger
I recently saw an ophthalmologist for the fuzzy vision in my right eye. He diagnosed me with amblyopia, or commonly, lazy eye. When I asked him what I should do, he replied, “Nothing. If you were 6 years old, we would cover your good eye with a patch and force your lazy eye to re-learn what it is forgetting.” He said very little more outside of “if on the odd chance that you should lose sight in your good eye, your other eye would compensate.” I didn’t quite realize all that he was telling me until I had done my own research. My left eye had better vision than my right and my right eye had gotten lazy-letting my left do the work. My brain where my right eye communicated the world didn’t have to work as hard-it was a bad student and wasn’t getting the practice it should: I was losing vision in my right eye, perhaps my depth perception.
My ophthalmologist had left out a lot: but I found all this very interesting. I had recently read Sharon Begley’s
Train Your Mind; Change Your Brain. She explored the notion that the human brain is much more plastic than has been commonly conceived. In regards to amblyopia, the common wisdom was if it wasn’t treated by six-you couldn’t treat it. That has already started to change suggesting kids can benefit from treatment up until
age 14.
I began to wonder if treatment might be possible for us old dogs, as well, based on the idea that the brain is more plastic than commonly conceived. Sure enough I heard
this story on NPR relating how research was offering hope for adults with amblyopia.
Intimations that mind and body are at least on speaking terms.
photo by brain blogger; some rights reserved.
Category: Body Health, Body Health DIY, Health, Mental Health DIY |
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Tags: amblyopia, brain plasticity, mind/body, mindfulness, Sharon Begley
Coke or Pepsi-or how about home made ginger ale. Apparently it’s the new it drink. I remember being in the hospital with an upset stomach and a sympathetic nurse brought me some ginger ale. I felt so much better. I’m not sure how much ginger was in there, but I love the flavor of real ginger in this drink. Enjoy.