There are hundreds of
health-related old wives tales and
myths and, in the age of the
internet, it can be very easy to
research health conditions online and assume that the
information you find is
accurate, when this may not be the case. While some
old wives' tales may be founded in truth, many are
inaccurate and some could even damage your eyes.
Holding books up close will damage a child's eyes.False: Where or how your child
holds a book has no effect on the
health of the eyes or the need for
glasses. Sometimes
children find it more comfortable to read
close-up and their very good
focusing ability makes it easy for them to do so.
Reading in the dark or dim light will damage your eyes.
False: Reading in dim light or in the dark is highly
unlikely to cause any
permanent damage to your eyes, but it could cause
eye strain which can be uncomfortable. Your eyes
adjust to the light around them and your
pupils enlarge in order to collect the most light.
We are designed to
see detail better in the
light (as detail is imaged on the central area of the retina which contains cone photoreceptors which need more light than the rod receptors in our peripheral retina) so although you will not harm yourself by
reading in the dark, it is more difficult to see and
may cause a headache.
Contact lenses can get lost behind your eyes.
False: The membrane that covers the
white of your eye (the conjunctiva) also lines your
eyelids, so it is
impossible for a contact lens to
get lost behind your eyes.
You can sleep in your contact lenses.
Some truth: Unless you have been
told specifically by your optometrist that you
can sleep in your contact lenses, you should
avoid this. Your
eyes need to
breathe (from the air) whilst wearing
contact lenses, and this is more
difficult when your eyes are
closed. This – and the fact that when you are
not blinking your contact lenses will
not move on your eyes as much as when you are
awake – can mean that you are at
more risk of
infection if you sleep in contact lenses. Always follow the
guidelines given to you by your optometrist.
Wearing someone else's glasses may damage your eyes.False: Although you may
not be able to see very well with them and may get a
headache or
double vision, you won't come to any harm from
wearing glasses that are not your
prescription (unless you're
driving a motor vehicle).
Watching TV too much or too closely will damage your eyes.False: Watching
too much TV or sitting
very close to it may make your eyes
tired or give you a
headache – particularly if you are
watching TV in the
dark when you are effectively looking at a
moving light, like a torch – but
won't cause any serious permanent damage.
Exercising the eye muscles can allow you to throw away your glasses.False: People (normally)
need specs because of the
shape and size of their eye. Exercises
won't help this.
Not wearing your glasses will make you depend upon them less.False: If you don't wear your
glasses you may become
more accustomed to the blur and
won't remember how bad it is, and thereby
think that your eyes have got better (when they haven't).
By looking at the patterns, colours and other characteristics of the iris you can tell what health problems a person has.False: There is
no scientific proof for this. However, when an
optometrist carries out an
eye examination they will not only
test your sight, but will also check the
health of your eyes and look for signs of some
general health problems.Eating carrots will improve your eyesight.Some truth: Carrots are a source of
vitamin A, which is important for the
eyes. However, before you embark on an
all-carrot diet to improve your
vision, note that it is more important for
eye health to have a good
balanced diet that supports your
all-round health. Poor nutrition has been
implicated in diseases such as
age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Using your eyes too much can wear them out.
False: They will last for your
whole life if they are healthy (or have
conditions that are
treatable). The health of your eyes has nothing to do with the
number of hours you use them.
