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It’s important to separate fact from fiction, particularly when we are talking about your eyesight. Understanding how to care for your eyes can sometimes be a tricky minefield of information, so here are a few eye myths busted and facts substantiated to help you find your way.

Failure to use the correct glasses will hurt your eyesFACTFUNNY GLASSES-0

Who hasn’t tried someone else’s glasses and felt dizzy or a noticeable strain on their eyes? While wearing the incorrect script can feel weird, it won’t actually cause any long lasting damage. It will however leave you with a headache and if you are wearing the incorrect script to drive you should consider the legal implications if you are in a car accident.

 

Use a raw steak on a black eyeMYTH

germs on steak

Ummmm, NO! Just no. Although black eyes aren’t usually serious, you should still see your eye doctor to rule out possible internal eye damage. As for placing raw meat over the injury, you are potentially exposing your eye to a breeding ground for infection. The best course of action for a black eye is a cold compress to reduce swelling. Save the steak for the barbecue.

Carrots improve your visionFACT

While parentscarrot-juice-1623157_1920 will tell their kids anything in the hope to get them eating vegetables, the saying that carrots will improve your vision is true. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a carotenoid pigment which is an essential precursor for vitamin A. Deficiencies in vitamin A are the leading causes of blindness in the developing world. A dinner plate full of vegetables is essential for not only good eye health, but good overall health.

 

Sitting too close to the TV will damage your eyes – MYTH

watching-2082788_1280While sitting too close to the TV can cause eye strain, it won’t actually do any permanent damage. Children can focus at close distance without eyestrain better than adults. Therefore children often develop the habit of holding reading materials close to their eyes or sitting right in front of the television. Ordinarily most children grow out of this habit, but if you have concerns, get your child’s eyes tested.

 

 

Reading in the dark will weaken your eyesMYTH

It is more than possible that reading in the dark will cause eyestrain and possibly a headache, but it won’t cause any long lasting problems.

 

Using glasses will weaken my eyes MYTHeye-7335_1920

Wearing glasses will not weaken or damage your eyes. Corrective lenses will take away the eye strain and blur, leaving you with clear vision. Over time your prescription will change and this is due to the natural aging process or eye disease. The lens inside the eye changes as we grow older and usually by about 40 -45 years of age you will require a pair of glasses to improve your near vision.

 

If you can see clearly you don’t need an eye testMYTH

Even though your vision might feel okay, there are many eye diseases that begin with no visual symptoms. By the time these symptoms are noticeable, often the vision loss is irreversible. It is recommended that anyone with eye disease, or a family history of eye disease, have their eyes tested annually, while two yearly eye tests are suggested for everyone else.

And remember, if in doubt, give us a call and we can help you sift through fact and fiction. Dr. Google isn’t always the best go-to tool for diagnosing eye conditions and providing treatments. 

** Images courtesy of Pixabay