The Many Myths of Eye Care

Your eyes are an extremely important part of your body, but people may not be very aware of how they work. Unfortunately, there are many myths out there that we have heard, and we may believe them because we don’t know any better. Here’s an example: People that wear glasses become reliant on them. This is completely false.

All eyeglasses do is correct blurry vision. People may find after wearing glasses for a while that they prefer wearing them than not wearing them, but this doesn’t mean their eyes have grown reliant on eyeglasses. People who need eyeglasses to see clearly simply get comfortable with wearing their glasses and enjoying clearer vision – there is no such thing as developing a physical reliance on glasses.

All eyeglasses do is correct your vision, they don’t damage or “cure” it. People may say that wearing contact lenses can cure nearsightedness. There is no proof that this is true.
Another myth is that wearing the wrong glasses causes damage to your eyes. This is also false. If you have blurry vision but you lose your glasses, you shouldn’t worry about your eyes becoming damaged.

Not wearing your glasses simply will mean you’ll have blurry vision. If you wear an older prescription, your vision might not be as good, but your eyes are never damaged from these kinds of factors. Remember: Just because your vision is blurry or you have the wrong glasses doesn’t mean you’re harming your eyes. Instead, just get the right eyeglasses so you can enjoy clearer vision. That’s all.

We’ve also been told other myths that have been widely accepted by people, like eyes get damaged from reading in dim light or staring at computer screens. This is all untrue. Before the advent of electricity, people read by candlelight all the time, and their eyes weren’t adversely affected. Using your eyes in dim light doesn’t damage them, at all. It just strains them more, which is an important difference. When our eyes become strained, we’re more likely to feel tired, but this doesn’t mean we’re causing damage to our eyes.

The same idea goes with computer screens and televisions. Just like when your reading or sewing, your eyes are going to blink less often because you are focused on doing something. This means that less moisture is getting to your eyes. They can then feel tired, strained or out of focus, but you are not damaging them.

To prevent strain on your eyes, though, you can try a couple of things, like keeping your computer or television screen about two feet away from your face and making sure it’s at a slightly downward angle. If you’re eyes feel strained or out of focus, try taking your vision off of the screen and looking around the room, focusing on objects farther away. This will help you re-focus your eyes and relax them.

Another false fact out there is that people with weak eyes have to worry about wearing their eyes out. People hear this claim and they try to avoid fine print out of fear that they’ll “use up” their eyes. This is totally false. The eye isn’t a muscle; it’s more like a camera. You can use your eyes all you want, you won’t wear them out.

Other myths exist that claim people with crossed or misaligned eyes will just outgrow them. Unfortunately, this is a false claim, as well. People don’t outgrow these eye problems. Instead, it’s important for children with crossed or misaligned eyes to be treated by a doctor. The earlier they get treated, the better.

There are many ways to treat these types of eye conditions. For instance, if someone has a lazy eye, they might be advised to put a patch on their good eye, forcing the lazy eye to correct itself. There are many other types of treatment, like using eyeglasses, applying eye drops, undergoing corrective surgery or using a combination of these things.

Furthermore, despite what some may have told you, learning disabilities are not caused by eye problems. Being able to see and read clearly is separate from having a learning disability. Kids that have impairments in their learning functions will need special teaching, but it’s also important that they have clear vision. Because of this, every child should have a complete medical eye examination.

You may have also heard that “all eye doctors are the same.” This is also very untrue. There are two kinds of eye care providers: Ophthalmologists and optometrists. Ophthalmologists must have at least eight years of medical school and do extensive training in hospitals. They’re qualified for all kinds of eye care, like corrective surgeries. On the other hand, optometrists and opticians are trained to provide eye care services, but they aren’t licensed to do corrective surgeries.

It’s very important to be aware of the many debunked myths out there concerning eye health. No, carrots don’t “cure” your eyes. Vitamin A will help them, though, and you can find it in many different foods. You can sit as close to the television as you wish and you can read in the dark all you want. So be skeptic of the pseudo-facts people may tell you about eye health. If you ever have questions about maintaining your eye health or dealing with a vision problem, don’t hesitate to visit an eye care professional, who will give you all the reliable information you need.