Long and short sightedness are caused by aberrations of the lens of the eye and its muscles.

Too much straining of eyes at minute objects and computer screens or fast-moving objects can cause fatigue of eye muscles, causing pain, headaches, redness of eyes, and long or short sightedness.

Exposure to dust, winds and smoke can cause conjunctivitis, infection, burning and redness, allergy and watering of the eyes. Poor nutrition lacking in vitamin A can cause blindness and cataract formation.

To maintain good healthy eyes and eyesight, here are some natural ways to adopt in one's life:

*Rest your eyes with regular breaks from computer screens, reading or bright objects every 30 minutes.

*Wash the eyes frequently with cool water during the day.

*Close your eyes and massage the eyeballs gently with fingers to relieve the build up of fluid and aching around the eyeball. Use aloe vera gel or cucumber extract around he eyes. This relieves he puffiness around he eyes.

*Massage your feet every day with castor oil, or add three five drops of peppermint oil to almond oil and massage them with this.

*Massage your head, forehead, temples and face daily with coconut oil. This is cooling. Ayurveda prescribes Centella ( Brahmi) extract in coconut oil for this as it helps cooling and circulation around the eyeball. Head massage also relieves tension in the muscles around the eye, revives the nerves of the head to relieve stress, and helps drain away lactic acid and fluid accumulation in the tissues.

*For chronic red eyes and aching eyes, a solution made from extract of Trifala the three Indian gooseberries is used as eyedrops. A decoction prepared from Trifala and liquorice in tender coconut milk (water) is used as eye drops and taken orally every day.

*For babies and children, mother's breast milk can be used as eye drops to cleanse eyes. One or two drops of diluted cow's or goat's milk is an excellent cleanser for eyes, and can help itching and redness in hayfever as well.

*Apply a poultice or eye pad soaked in lemon water, menthol water or cologne for a few minutes over the eyes.

For information on other natural treatments of eyes contact the clinic on the number below.