Eye Myths
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about our eyes; “If you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way.” To help clear things up, here are the Top 5 Myths, as published by The American Academy of Ophthalmology.
- Sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes – Your mom may have warned you that you would ruin your eyes forever if you sat too close to the television or if you watched too much of it. Unfortunately for mom, that’s not true. Watching televisions, including LCDs and flat screens, can’t cause your eyes any physical harm. The same is true for using the computer too much or watching 3-D movies. Your eyes may feel more tired if you sit too close to the TV or spend a lot of time working at the computer or watching 3-D movies, but you can fix that by giving your eyes a rest.
- Your vision will get worse if you read in the dark – Reading in dim light may be harder, but it doesn’t damage your eyes. Remember that for centuries people read and worked by candlelight or gas lamps that offered far less light than electric lighting. Having good light will prevent eye fatigue and make reading easier, though.
- Wearing glasses makes your eyes dependent on them – Eyeglasses correct blurry vision. You may want to wear your glasses more often so that you can see clearly, but your glasses aren’t changing your eyes so that they become dependent on your eyeglasses. You’re just getting used to seeing things more clearly. Similarly, wearing glasses with the wrong prescription won’t ruin your eyes. You just won’t see as clearly as you would with the proper prescription.
- Only boys are color blind – Color blindness, also known as color deficiency, occurs when you are unable to see colors in a certain way. Most commonly, color blindness happens when a person cannot distinguish between certain colors, usually between greens and reds, and occasionally blues. While males are much more likely to develop color blindness, females can also have the problem.
- Eating carrots will make your eyesight sharper – Carrots are a good food for healthy eyesight because they contain vitamin A, a nutrient important to your eyes. However, a balanced diet can contain lots of foods that offer similar benefits. In any case, eating a lot of carrots won’t help you see better unless you suffer from vitamin A deficiency, which is rare in the U.S. Also, eating too many carrots can be its own problem, causing your skin to turn yellow.
It is important to know what is truth and what is myth. If you ever have any questions about these eye myths, it is best to call us and make an appointment to see your eye doctor.
