Old wives’ tales, folklore, and misinterpreted history have given the world an array of eye and vision myths. You might be surprised to learn that much of the common knowledge about your eyes is nothing more than a collection of stories. If you want to separate fact from fiction, take a look at this list of eye and vision myths.
Glasses Will Worsen Your Vision
One of the most prevalent vision myths is that wearing glasses will worsen your vision. You may have heard anecdotal evidence attesting to this myth – however, there’s a logical reason why some people believe it.
Since glasses correct blurry vision, your vision will certainly seem worse when you take your glasses off. That’s because you’re used to seeing things clearly behind corrective lenses. You’re also used to not squinting, which is likely the only reason you saw before.
Reading in Low Light Will Damage Your Eyes
Another common myth is that reading in low light will damage your eyes. However, that’s simply not true. Although reading in low light may be a bit difficult, it won’t cause your eyes any permanent damage.
The discomfort you feel after reading in dim light is because of eye strain. Like any other body part, you’ll feel the effects when you work your eyes too hard. Headaches, blurred vision or eyes redder than normal while reading might mean it’s time to turn on a light.
Babies are Born With Fully Grown Eyes
Contrary to what you may have been told, a baby’s eyes are only about two-thirds of their adult size when born. Babies usually have big, adorable eyes, which is likely where the myth that their eyes are fully grown at birth originated.
When babies are born, their eyes will be about 16 mm to 17 mm long. Then, their eyes will continue to grow until puberty. At that point, their eyes will be their full size, or about 24 mm wide.
Eating Carrots Will Improve Your Vision
You might have heard that eating carrots will let you see in the dark. This is the result of British propaganda during the 2nd World War: to hide their new radar from the Germans, the Ministry of Information claimed that RAF pilots could see in the dark because of a diet high in carrots.
Carrots do contain large amounts of beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. However, although vitamin A can help maintain eye health, it won’t improve your vision.
You Can Improve Your Vision With Eye Exercises
If the thought of wearing glasses or contact lenses has led you to look into eye exercises as a preventative, hold that thought. Although it might be a common belief, eye exercises won’t improve your vision.
Although vision therapy helps with binocular vision and might help delay the need for glasses or contacts in some cases, eye exercises won’t undo the common causes of vision problems. Namely, near and farsightedness, astigmatism, and macular degeneration.
Sitting Too Close to the TV or Using Computers Will Damage Your Eyes
How often were you told not to sit too close to the TV as a child? Or that all that time on your phone or computer would damage your eyes? It’s one of the most oft-perpetuated vision myths – that electronic screens will damage your eyes if you sit too close for too long.
Fortunately, that’s not the case. However, if you find yourself pulling your chair closer to see better, you might want to have your vision checked. Likewise, headaches could mean you’re suffering from digital eye strain.
People Who Are Color-Blind Only See Black and White
The term color-blind often leads people to believe sufferers only see in black and white. However, only a tiny subset of color-blind patients don’t see colors. Complete color blindness is called monochromacy.
In truth, most people who are color-blind are either red-green or blue-yellow color-blind. Each type has several subtypes that affect how you see colors. As a result, you’ll struggle to tell the difference between specific hues.
Only Men Are Color-Blind
The myth that only men are color-blind is partially based on science but isn’t fully accurate. Although men are more likely to develop red-green color blindness, men and women are equally as likely to develop blue-yellow colorblindness.
Red-green color blindness is passed down on the X chromosome. So for a woman to be color-blind, she’d need to inherit the gene twice to become color-deficient. However, since men only have one X chromosome, they’d only need to inherit the gene once, making them more likely to develop the condition.
Improve Your Vision, Reliably
Finding out that the most common eye and vision myths aren’t true might be surprising. Although you might’ve been tempted to eat more carrots or brighten the lights to improve your vision, only a certified professional can truly help. So, if you feel like your vision needs some help, it’s best to consult with your eye doctor.
Contact Art of Optiks today to speak with one of our experienced optometrists.
