November 7, 2025 - EyeClarity Blog
Cataracts are one of the most common changes we experience as we age. The optometrist says there is *nothing they can do but wait until it ripens, then we will do surgery* — to “wait until it’s bad enough for surgery.”
But that’s not the whole story.
Over the past 40 years of working in holistic and behavioral optometry, I’ve seen that the lens is not a passive structure. It is alive. It is metabolic. And because it is metabolic, it can be influenced.
Not through force. Not through trying to “fix” the lens.
But by improving the *environment* that the lens lives in.
Let me explain.
### **The Lens Is a Living Window**
The lens has no blood supply.
It relies entirely on the **aqueous humor** — the fluid that circulates through the front of the eye — to deliver nutrients and remove waste.
When this fluid becomes **stagnant**, acidic, or inflamed, the lens begins to:
* lose its clarity
* stiffen
* accumulate protein clumping
* and scatter light
Cataracts are not simply an “aging event.”
They are a **metabolic event**.
So the question becomes:
How do we shift the metabolic environment of the eye?**
### **Three Core Influences on Lens Clarity**
#### **1. Hydration and Microcirculation**
When the fluid around the lens becomes sluggish, the lens becomes stressed.
Gentle eye movement exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, and hydration with trace minerals improve fluid exchange around the lens.
Small changes. Significant impact over time.
#### **2. Oxidative Stress**
Research consistently shows that **oxidation** is a primary driver of cataract formation.
Nutrients that support lens clarity include:
* **Vitamin C** (buffers oxidative Stress inside the lens)
* **Glutathione** (the lens’s primary antioxidant)
* **Lutein + Zeaxanthin** (protective carotenoids for lens and macula)
For some people, even small increases in these nutrients improve **comfort, clarity, and light tolerance.**
#### **3. Nervous System Tension**
We don’t often think of cataracts as connected to Stress — but the eyes do.
Chronic sympathetic activation **tightens the ciliary muscle**, reduces fluid exchange, and stiffens the visual system — accelerating lens changes.
Somatic and vagal practices can *soften visual strain* and increase the lens’s ability to flex and focus.
### **Can Cataracts Improve?**
In many people, yes — clarity can improve gradually when:
* Oxidative Stress decreases
* Circulation improves
* The nervous system is regulated
* The visual system relaxes
Does this replace cataract surgery when needed? **No.**
But it *can*:
* Slow progression
* Reduce glare and halos
* Improve focusing comfort
* Increase functional clarity
* Support the eyes while deciding about surgery
And most importantly — **restore agency over one’s vision.**
Cataracts don’t mean the story is over.
They’re simply a message that the eye is asking for better internal conditions.
### **A Gentle Practice to Try Today (2 minutes)**
- Close your eyes.
- Place one hand over your heart, one over your belly.
- Breathe in for four counts, hold for 1, exhale for 6.
- Now soften your gaze — even with eyes closed — as if your vision is wide and spacious.
This *releases* the ciliary muscle, restoring fluid movement around the lens.
Small, daily, and powerful.
### **If You’d Like to Go Deeper**
In my upcoming 5-week program, we will spend a full session on:
* Lens metabolism
* Cataract clarity support protocols
* Color and light therapy for the crystalline lens
* Nervous system + vision relaxation practices
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/from-diagnosis-to-direction-5-weeks-of-eye-health-guidance/
Also, check out my 8-week course: “Clearing The Cloud”, exclusively on my membership.
Link: https://drsambernesmembership.com/categories/category-b7_j19uzzuy
Your vision is versatile and resilient!
Your eyes are responsive, adaptive, and always capable of change — at any age.
**With care and clarity,**
**Dr. Sam Berne**
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