Common Eye Health Myths

As we’re growing up we tend to be hit with a lot of false information. In most cases, these little tidbits come from folklore and common “wisdom” that is passed down from parent to child who becomes a parent to their child. Eye health has its own share of these, and we’re certain that many of you grew up listening to them. In this article, we’re going to help square away a few of these myths so you can focus on the real dangers that face your eyes.

You Can Wear Out Your Eyes

If you’ve ever been told that reading can impact your eyes or watching TV is bad for them, rest easy. There’s no risk to your vision for either of these activities, not even if you’re reading in dim lighting. You can get eye strain, but that just means you need to rest them so they can recover. You’re not going to hurt your vision this way.

Carrots Are Good For Your Eyes

Contrary to all the wonderful myths (and conspiracy theories about bunnies) carrots really aren’t that great for your eyes. They do have a significant amount of Vitamin A in them which is important for your eyes, but they aren’t going to improve your eyesight.

Soft Contacts Are Ok For Swimming

This is a blatant falsehood and can, in fact, be dangerous to your eyes. When you open your eyes underwater bacteria can gather on your lenses, and that can result in an infection that can be really unpleasant. On the other hand, if you’re diligent with goggles, then your contacts will be fine.

Nearsightedness Won’t Get Worse If You Wear Contacts

Contacts aren’t much different from any other form of glasses, they help correct your vision so you can see better. While they aren’t going to hurt your eyes in any way, they also aren’t going to prevent the development of nearsightedness.

All Sunglasses Keep Your Eyes Safe From The Sun

In general, sunglasses are not going to protect your eyes from UV Rays, unless you get the right kind. Some sunglasses are specially designed to deflect UV Rays from your eyes and can actually provide some protection. If you want to benefit from this make sure that your next set of sunglasses has this form of protection.

Crossed Eyes Will Go Away

We understand that kids go through phases in their life, but crossed eyes aren’t a phase. In order to correct crossed eyes, you’re going to need the services of an optometrist, they aren’t simply going to grow out of it.

If you want to know what other myths you were told as a kid or want to learn some real facts about eye health, call Dr. Paul Trapeni Jr. Working in Smyrna, TN from his offices at The Optical Shoppe he’s been serving the local community with their eye health needs. Whether you have children in need of glasses or adult family members with other eye health concerns make a call and make an appointment today!