24/7 Bebenta Sa'yo, Myths About Vision

Close Viewing of TV

Myth: Watching TV up close is bad for your eyes.
Facts: There is no evidence that sitting cose to the television will damage your eyes. Children are able to focus up close without straining their eyes better than adults can. If someone sits close to the TV, no damage will come to the eye, but it’s a likely sign that the person has nearsightedness.

Inherit Bad Eyesight

Myth: Children will automatically inherit poor eyesight if their parents have poor vision.
Facts: This is not one hundred percent true, but it is a common occurrence. Like many medical conditions, if a parent has poor vision or an eye ailment such as cataracts, the kids may inherit that trait.

Carrots Improve Eyesight

Myth: If you eat a bunch of carrots, your eyesight will improve.
Facts: Vitamin A is absolutely necessary for healthy vision. Carrots provide an excellent source of vitamin A. Asparagus, nectarines, apricots, broccoli, milk, soy and egg yolks are all good sources as well. Eating too much vitamin A can harm your health. Eating a well-balanced diet is more important for your eyes and overall health than being concerned about eating tons of carrots. Although vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy vision, eating foods high in vitamin A will not be able to improve your vision.

Squinting Hurts Eyes

Myth: Squinting is going to damage your eyesight.
Facts: If you are squinting, it is likely you need glasses. However, squinting won’t damage your eyes in any way. Squinting is an attempt to make the pupil smaller in order to let in less light to improve your focus. The only drawback from squinting is the likelihood of getting a headache from scrunching your face.

Eye Size Never Changes

Myth: Eyes are their full size when a baby is born.
Facts: Eyes are not full size when you are born. A child’s eyes grow right along with the rest of the child.

Computers Damage Eyes

Myth: Looking at a computer all day long will severely impair your vision.
Facts: Using a computer will cause no damage to your eyes. When you look at a computer screen, your eyes blink less than they would under other circumstances. The lack of blinking won’t damage your eyes, but it will make them dry and feel strained. Take frequent breaks to combat the feeling of strain and the possibility of headaches. Look off into the distance to settle your eyes and give them a rest from focusing on the screen.

Reading in Dark Impairs Vision

Myth: Reading print in dim light will make your vision worse.
Facts: If you read in dim light, your eyes will likely feel tired and strained. Even though your eyes may feel strained, reading in poor lighting will not damage your eyes one bit. When there is bright light, you have a greater depth of focus and can see better. In the dark, your pupil enlarges to let in more light, but it will not harm your retina in any way.

Wearing Glasses Too Much Is Damaging

Myth: If you wear your glasses too often, your eyes will become dependent on them, and your vision will suffer.
Facts: Wearing glasses will not make your eyes get worse in any way. Some impairments, such as near-sightedness and astingmatism, change as children get older, but most changes occur to genetics and lifestyle variables. Your vision deteriorates with age. You may need an increased prescription 10 years down the road, but it will be because you are older, not because you have worn glasses or contacts.

Wrong Prescriptions Damage Eyes

Myth: If you wear glasses with an incorrect or outdated prescription, you are doing a significant amount of damage to your eyes.
Facts: If you want ideal vision, you will need to have the proper prescription for your glasses or contacts. However, wearing glasses or contacts with incorrect prescriptions, or wearing no glasses at all, will not damage your eyes. Things will be out of focus for you, and you’ll likely cause your eyes to be fatigued from strain, but no lasting damage will occur.

Females Can’t Be Colorblind

Myth: Males are the only people who can be colorblind.
Facts: It is possible for both males and females to be colorblind. An estimated 8% of males have some degree of colorblindness. Less than 1% of females are colorblind, but there are females who are affected by the condition.