Most people go to the eye doctor because they have trouble seeing clearly and need new glasses or contact lenses, or they have been referred by their internist or pediatrician. An eye examination is not just for glasses to improve eyesight; it reveals so much more.

Most eye doctors look at eye health, which is a strong indicator of overall health and wellness, and refraction, which is a measure of the need for compensatory
eyeglass prescription. An integrative vision care specialist looks at all of that and more. Behavioral or integrative optometrists look at eyesight and eye health concerns, measuring nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism as well as checking for glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. But on top of that, these doctors additionally assess focusing, eye teaming, eye movements, visual processing, eye-hand-body coordination and auditory visual integration, as well as take a detailed history regarding lifestyle—including sleep, nutrition, exercise, life stressors and habitual demands.

Because “how you see” affects “how you be”, the overall functioning of the visual system will affect how you function in everyday activities such as reading, writing, driving, sports and computer use. If you have trouble with eye movements or tracking, you may have difficulty with reading or staying in the lines when writing. If your eyes do not focus or team well, it will make it harder to maintain focus for reading, shift your focus while driving and negatively affect sports performance. Poor eye-hand coordination or reduced visual auditory skills will correspond to clumsiness, disinterest in sports and trouble following directions. If you have difficulty with visual processing, you may also have difficulty in recalling information or staying organized.

Behavioral optometrists will determine if your current visual status can meet your daily demands and make recommendations for treatment, including therapeutic or stress relieving glasses, vision or perceptual learning therapy and lifestyle modifications.

A select few eye care practitioners will go a step further in assessing your visual functioning and overall health by looking at the eyes. Along with the vision examination, iridology allows the doctor to gain insight into the health of specific organs and systems in the body, learning style and even personality. These practitioners can give you input as to which systems may require further testing and evaluation by other integrative practitioners—such as chiropractors, osteopaths, nutritionists, acupuncturists, bioenergy counselors and naturopaths. They can also make recommendations regarding learning and assist you or your educators or employers on strategies for improving learning and overall success.

Such an expanded view of the visual system also gives the practitioner information on specific strengths and weaknesses in your personality. Iridology gives you information on who you are as a person, how your body functions, how you learn and even how you show up in the world, at school, work, at play and in relationships. These insights can be shared with family members or other support people such as a mentor, coach or psychotherapist in order to improve relationships, sports performance or advancement in personal development. 

Iridology goes beyond the eye and allows us to see and address our blind spots, freeing up energy for more of the life we want and love. The intelligence gained from this expanded view allows us to recognize and step over obstacles, gaining access and support for needs we did not know we had. No greater assessment tool is available that can so quickly give you information in so many areas of your life. What better way to achieve personal empowerment than through the eye?

It is important to further understand that any condition within the eye or the body can be viewed as a call to listen to what the body and spirit is telling you. Many vision conditions are signals to address concerns regarding physical, mental and emotional health. Specific therapies, including colored light therapy, prisms, homeopathy and meditative practices, can bring you into balance and harmonize areas in your life that are calling for attention.

For more information on iridology including discussions on spirituality, vision and consciousness, see the works of Dr. Ellen Tart Jensen at BernardJensen.com, Dr. Marc Grossman at NaturalEyeCare.com, Dr. Sam Berne at DrSamBerne.com, Dr. Jacob Liberman at JacobLiberman.org, Denny Ray Johnson at Rayid.com or Roberto Kaplan, OD at Beyond2020Vision.com.

Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD, specializes in behavioral optometry and vision therapy, pediatrics, learning disabilities, and preventative and integrative vision care for all ages. EyeCare Associates has locations in Trumbull, Southport, Stamford and Norwalk. Connect at CTEyeCareAssociates.com. See ad, page 13.