1. Carrots
Carrots are often perceived as the only food that really matters for improving vision. A carrot carries Vitamin A, which is essential for eye health. However, it is not the only source of Vitamin A that one can consume. This nutrient can be found within cheese, egg yolk, liver, and milk. Carotenoids, which can improve eye health, also exist within such vegetables as kale, spinach, and pepper that come in red, orange, or yellow. So while carrots can benefit one’s vision, they are not the only way to go. If your diet already consists of much of these other foods, then you may not even need to include carrots.
2. Contacts and Glasses
Another myth is that wearing contacts or glasses can make one’s eyesight weaker. According to this belief, the eyes would become so dependent on these that one’s vision would just decrease in effectiveness. However, this is not the case. If one’s vision decreases while they wear either of these, it would be due to other factors such as aging. The contacts and glasses themselves are not the problem. With this in mind, one should not worry so much about contacts and glasses impacting them negatively. They might be necessary for seeing everything better. When your vision is lacking, use what you can.
3. The Need for Eye Exams
Some believe that eye exams are only necessary for those who experience vision problems. The truth is that eye exams are for everyone. They would be useful for identifying symptoms before they become a problem for the eyes. As a general rule of thumb, it is suggested that one visits an ophthalmologist every two years to see whether anything has changed. These experts would be able to tell you what is going on with your eye health. Be sure to get your eyes checked so that you know what you are doing right or wrong in your everyday life. It is important to promote eye health for everyone.
4. Reading with Less Light
There is also a persisting belief that reading in dim light, or even in the dark, can damage one’s eyes. The truth is that, at worst, it may cause eye strain or a headache. As one grows older, they may find that it is more difficult to read with less light. However, that is simply due to aging. Generally, a child would naturally have less difficulty reading with less light than a middle-aged adult would. The act of reading in the dark itself is not what is causing it to become more difficult to read as the years go by.
5. Sitting too close to the TV can harm your eyes
Our mothers have always warned us not to sit too close to the TV, as it will ruin our eyes. They have also warned us that too much computer use can likewise damage our vision. But these are only myths. The truth is, when we work for prolonged periods in front of computers or when we sit too close to the television screen, this can cause eyestrain. Giving your eyes adequate rest can fix this problem.
6. All babies are born with blue eyes.
When babies are born, their eyes may sometimes appear blue while their melanin is still developing. Within about 12 months, cells begin to produce melanin. As more melanin builds up in the iris, eye color may darken.
7. Babies are born with their eyes fully-grown.
Generally, babies are born with eyes that are approximately two-thirds of their full adult size. Eyes continue to grow after birth, usually during two phases: 1) the first few years of life, and 2) puberty.
8.All eye doctors are the same.
Ophthalmologists, optometrists and opticians each play an important role in eye care. But their levels of training and expertise are quite different from each other.
An ophthalmologist is a medical school graduate with at least 12 years of training, including 4 years of college and at least 8 years of post-graduate medical training. Ophthalmologists are the only eye care providers worldwide who are licensed to practice both medicine and surgery and are also involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders.
An optometrist completes at least 3 years of college and 4 years of optometry training, and is licensed to do eye exams and vision tests, prescribe and disperse corrective lenses, detect certain eye abnormalities and prescribe medicine for some eye diseases.
An optician is a professional who prepares, measures and adapts the fit of eyeglass or contact prescriptions written by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Though an optician is not an eye doctor, they do complete a 2-year degree in opticianry, or a 6,000-hour apprenticeship.
9. You can improve your vision with eye exercises.
Eye exercises will not improve or preserve vision or reduce the need for glasses. Your vision depends on many factors, none of which can be significantly altered with eye exercises.
However, eye exercises may be helpful for convergence insufficiency, a condition that occurs when the eyes don’t work together to focus on a nearby object, making it difficult to read.
10. Losing vision is an inevitable part of aging.
Many vision problems that develop as people age can be treated. Presbyopia, which is near-vision loss, and cataracts can both be remedied to allow adults to see clearly again. It is important to have eye exams on a yearly basis to catch both reversible and permanent threats to vision, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. Oftentimes, early treatment can slow or prevent vision loss.
Schedule an Appointment
Now that you are aware of the persisting myths pertaining to vision and eye health, you should have a clearer understanding of what you may need to do to improve your eyesight. For good measure, seeing an optometrist can be very beneficial. At Golden Eye Optometry, a professional would be able to see whether you have any existing eye conditions and whether anything needs to be done about them. So at your earliest convenience, be sure to schedule an appointment so that you may have peace of mind. Maintaining your vision with care would help you with your everyday life.
- Five Common Myths About Your Vision and Eye Health/ Posted in Uncategorized | February 28, 2020
- Five Vision Myths. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published 2018. Accessed November 20, 2018.
- 20 Eye and Vision Myths By Reena Mukamal Reviewed By Natasha L Herz MD, Andrea A Tooley, MD Mar. 28, 2022
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At Golden Eye Optometry, we view good vision care as front line protection at every age. A routine eye exam can detect more than poor vision. It can shed early light on glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts and diabetes.