The Truth About Five Common Eye Myths
Growing up, were you ever told to eat your carrots to improve your eyesight? Did your mother warn that sitting too close to the television would hurt your eyes? Here’s the truth about five common eye myths.
Reading in the Dark is Bad for Your Eyes
Reading in dim light or even in complete darkness will not damage your eyes. Reading in such light can lead to eye fatigue but this is a temporary condition and won’t result in vision loss.
A similar myth is that reading small print is bad for your eyes. Not true. Reading in a well-lit room is easier and so is reading large print but reading small print will not hurt your eyesight.
Eating Carrots Will Improve Your Eyesight
Even if you were to eat a hundred carrots, it will not improve your ability to see. However, carrots and many other vegetables contain high levels of vitamin A, known for helping to maintain your sight.
Sitting Too Close to the TV Causes Blindness
This just isn’t true. While looking at electronic screens like a TV or a computer for long periods of time can cause eye strain, this is a temporary condition that can be helped by taking frequent breaks so your eyes can rest and recover and by blinking more while using the computer to prevent dry eyes.
You Only Need to See the Eye Doctor When There’s a Problem
A regular visit to your eye doctor is no less important than a yearly check-up with your family doctor or seeing the dentist every six months. An eye doctor can find and treat problems before they become serious. Many eye conditions can be dealt with before permanent vision loss occurs.
You won’t need to visit an eye doctor as frequently as someone with an eye condition or vision loss, if you don’t currently have any eye problems, but you should still schedule an appointment every two to four years.
Not Wearing Your Glasses Will Make Your Eyes Worse
In most cases, this is false but there are a few exceptions. Some people are required to wear glasses or contact lenses in order to avoid continued vision loss. Lazy eye is a good example of this. With proper treatment, this condition can often be reversed.
Some conditions require that you wear your glasses regularly but, most of the time, not wearing your glasses won’t hurt your eyes. Glasses aid in making your vision clearer and if you don’t wear them, they can’t help your eyesight, but not wearing them won’t make your it any worse than it already is.
There’s a lot of confusion about what can and can’t hurt your eyes. Your best defense is to visit your eye doctor as frequently as he or she recommends and have all of your questions answered.
