Children often have to hear that eating carrots will improve their eyesight, or that sitting too close to the TV or reading in dim light will damage their vision. As grown-ups we often hear that looking at a computer screen for long periods of time is the main reason why our eyesight is deteriorating. Are these statements facts or fiction?
Some of the myths:
Eating carrots will improve your eyesight – Carrots are high in Vitamin A which is a nutrient important to your eyes, but Vitamin A is also found in many other vegetables, egg yolk, milk, cheese and liver. Eating a lot of carrots will not help you see any better.
Sitting too close to the TV will damage your eyes – Watching TV, even closer than necessary, won’t cause your eyes any physical harm, but your eyes may feel more tired or it may result in a headache.
Reading in dim light will weaken your eyesight – It may be harder to read in dim light, but it won’t damage your eyes. It may lead to eye fatigue, though. Remember our forebears had to make do with candlelight.
Looking at a computer screen all day will weaken your eyesight – Using a computer will not damage your eyes, but can contribute to eyestrain or tired eyes. One tend not to blink regularly when working on a computer, which can dry the eyes and lead to discomfort. It takes a conscious effort to blink regularly to lubricate the eyes and look away from the screen every 20 minutes for at least 20 seconds at another focal point in the distance, in order to reduce the strain on the eyes. There is some evidence that looking at a computer screen for extended periods of time may increase the risk of shortsightedness, especially in children and young adults whose eyes are still developing, but it is no greater risk than doing lots of close-up work, such as reading!
Wearing glasses or contact lenses will weaken your eyesight and make your eyes dependent on them – Your eyesight will not weaken due to the use of corrective lenses and it won’t change your vision to become dependent on them, but you are instead getting used to seeing things more clearly.
Some of the facts:
Hard rubbing can damage your vision – Rubbing results in an increase in eye pressure and severe, hard rubbing over a long period of time can cause mechanical damage. A light rub can double the eye pressure, while using you knuckles really hard increases the eye pressure twentyfold and may also damage the front of the eye by harming or even tearing the cornea.
Not all sunglasses are created equal – Exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight can over time lead to damage of the eye and some eye disorders. Looking directly into the sun, even during a solar eclipse, can cause permanent damage to the retina. When choosing sunglasses, the degree of UV protection is crucial to prevent damage to the eyes. Choose a pair that blocks at least 99% of the harmful UV-A and UV-B rays. Children as well need to protect their eyes, also to accumulated damage over time, by wearing proper sunglasses.
Smoking is harmful to your eyes – Smokers are at increased risk to get cataracts, damage to the optic nerve and develop age-related macular degeneration.
Eating well for long term eye health – Vitamin deficiency may impair retinal function. A healthy balanced diet might help to ward off age related eyesight problems, such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Eye friendly nutrients include omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, vitamins A, C and E, zinc and lutein. These are found in green leafy vegetables; salmon, tuna and other oily fish; non-meat protein sources such as eggs, nuts and beans; citrus fruits; oysters and pork.
Sources of information:
5 Truths about protecting your eyes. Published online 14 January 2017 by Harvard Medical School’s Healthbeat. www.health.harvard.edu
How to keep your eyes healthy. Published online 16 April 2016 by WebMD. www.WebMD.com
Top 10 tips to save your vision. Published online15 September 2015 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. www.aao.org
Eye myths: what does (and doesn’t) affect your vision. Published online 23 October 2014 by the Australian Broadcaster Corporation’s Health and Wellbeing. www.abc.net.au
Five vision myths. Published online 29 June 2012 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. www.aao.org