Most of us throughout our lives have come across stories and tall tales about our eye health. Many of these are passed down from one generation to the next—often in the form of parental advice. But which ones are true?
Here we take a closer look at 7 common vision myths and tell you what’s fact and what’s fiction. The answers might surprise you.
Sitting too close to the TV will hurt your vision
Fiction: It might give you a headache but sitting too close to the TV will not hurt your vision.
Eating carrots will improve your vision
Fact: Probably one of the most well-known vision tales out there is mostly true. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which is good for your vision. But vitamin A is also found in milk, cheese, egg yolk and liver. So if you’re already getting enough vitamin A from your diet, eating more carrots won’t actually help improve your vision.
Reading in the dark is bad for your eyesight
Fiction: Just like sitting too close to the TV, reading in the dark might give you a headache but not hurt your vision.
Looking directly at the sun will hurt your eyes
Fact: Not only can looking directly at the sun give you a headache and distort your vision temporarily, it can also cause permanent damage to your retina. Any exposure to sunlight increases the effect of ultraviolet radiation on your eye—which has been linked to macular degeneration, solar retinitis, cataracts, ptergyia and corneal dystrophies.
A contact lens can get stuck behind your eye
Fiction: Thanks to a thin membrane called the conjunctiva that covers the white of your eye and connects to the inside of your eyelids, it’s impossible for a contact lens to get stuck behind your eye.
Children with crossed eyes can’t be treated
Fact: Children are not able to outgrow crossed eyes (also known as strabismus) on their own but with proper help, it can be corrected at a younger age. That’s one of the reasons why it’s important for children to have a vision care exam early—first when they are an infant and then again by age two.
You can’t do anything to prevent vision loss
Fiction: If detected early and depending on the cause, there are treatments that can correct, stop and slow down the loss of vision. That’s why at the first sign of blurred vision, eye pain, flashes of light or sudden onset of floaters, you should see your eye doctor right away. You can use our Find a Provider tool to find an eye care provider near you.
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