Myths about your vision
Too Close to the TV Will Damage Your Vision
Certainly not, sitting closer than necessary to the
television may give you a headache, but it will not damage your vision.
Children, especially if they're nearsighted, may do this to see the TV more
clearly. They may, in fact, need glasses.
Reading
in the Dark Will Weaken Your Eyesight
No, you may feel eyestrain or get a headache from
reading in the dark, but it will not weaken your eyes.
Using
Glasses or Contacts Will Weaken My Eyesight, and My Eyes Will Eventually Become dependent On Them
Your eyes will not grow weaker as a result
of using corrective lenses. Your prescription may change over time due to aging
or the presence of disease, but it is not because of your current prescription.
There's
Nothing You Can Do to Prevent Vision Loss
If at the very first sign of symptoms, such as
blurred vision, eye pain, flashes of light, or sudden onset of floaters in
your vision, you see your doctor, there are treatments that can correct, stop,
or at least slow down the loss of vision.
Using
a Nightlight in Your Child's Room Will Contribute to Nearsightedness
It has been thought that using a nightlight in your
child's bedroom may contribute to nearsightedness; however, there is not
enough evidence to support this claim. Keeping a nightlight on in your baby's
room may actually help them learn to focus and develop important eye
coordination skills when they are awake.
Working
on the computer all day will ruin your eyes.
Not
exactly, when you stare at anything for an extended period of time you tend to
blink less causing dryness and eye strain but will not affect your vision. It
is recommended that you take regular breaks and frequently glance away from
the computer when working for an extended amount of time.
Staring
directly at the sun is okay if you squint or are wearing sunglasses.
No, it is never recommended to stare at the sun. The sun produces ultraviolet
rays which can cause damage to your cornea, lens, and retina. Even the best
sunglasses can’t block UV rays 100%. It should also be noted that staring
directly at a solar eclipse can cause blindness.
Crossing
your eyes will make them stay like that.
Ridiculous,
when you cross your eyes for humor or amusement it may cause a few laughs but
it will not cause permanent damage to your eyes and once you are done your eyes
will return to standard placement. Our eyes naturally come together when we look
at something closely so when you purposefully cross your eyes you are just
exaggerating your eye's natural response.
Eyesight
Gets Worse with Increasing Age
Not
always, if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, get regular eye exams and avoid
smoking, drinking, and high sugar intake, your eyes can remain healthy even in
old age.
Doctors
remove your eyeball during eye surgery and can transplant the whole organ when
it’s damaged.
No, eyeballs are connected to the optic nerve (part
of the brain), and can never be removed from their sockets. Only corneas can be
transplanted/operated upon.
Wearing
someone else’s glasses can weaken your eyes.
Wearing
a prescription that is not the correct one for you can cause eye strain and
fatigue, but will not cause any eye damage. You could wear the wrong glasses
upside down and not suffer one bit from it!