Eyeglasses Myths and Misconceptions

It can be universally agreed that vision is not something anyone would like to lose. For most people, their interpretation of the world has less to do with factual evidence and more with their interpretation of what they notice. Given the vast differences in how well people see, it’s not surprising that this results in many different visions of the same thing. It is, however, surprising that with vision being such an important component of our lives, there are so many misconceptions about it. Folklore about vision varies from culture to culture, but here are some of the most common yarns:

1. Eating carrots will help your night vision
   Often used to help recalcitrant children eat their veggies, your own parents probably told you this little white lie. Although not technically correct, there is a grain of truth in this old adage. Carotene, yes it’s pronounced like carrot-ene, is the miracle chemical in these veggies. Most vegetables don’t have vitamin A, but your liver is able to take the carotene from carrots and convert it into this essential vitamin. Vitamin A is carried to your eye, where it is converted into retinal, a chemical used to help transmit electrical signals, initiated by light, to the brain. Hence, the basis for the true part of this legend. As for the false part, night vision is controlled by rod cells in your eyes that are unaffected by retinal, vitamin A or carotene.
2. Sitting too close to the TV will make you lose your vision
   The negative effects of watching T.V. are many, including predisposition to obesity, an inclination to paleness, and an overall a waste of time, but sorry mom and dad losing your vision isn’t one of them. Our eyes, developed back in the days when we used them for nifty uses like judging how far to throw spears, have very specialized muscles for controlling the shape of the lens for focusing, and for controlling your eye movements. Adults associate eyestrain with headaches and blurred vision; children associate it with afternoon programming. Although watching T.V. for hours a day can create eyestrain by forcing these muscles to overextend themselves no permanent damage will occur, or at least not to your eyes.
3. Wearing reading glasses makes your eyes weak
   Just in case this little pearl of wisdom is still floating around, let’s take a minute to explore the veracity of it. By the time most people are willing to admit they need reading glasses, their vision has usually worsened to the extent that their world is a blurry and confusing place. Because they are used to this, the clarity they experience with reading glasses often comes as an initial revelation, but is soon forgotten as they take for granted their good vision. However, on those days when they forget where they put their reading glasses, or leave them in the car, or the bathroom, etc. they are forced to return to their pre-reading glasses world. Lo and behold, blurred vision, headaches, eyestrain make a triumphant return. Because we all have that small vanity that insists we are infallible, I can only assume this legend was created on the premise that it must be a flaw of the reading glasses and not our own eyseeyes.
4. Eye exercises will keep your eyes strong and keep your vision from changing
   Changes in your vision occur as you get older. As you age, your eyes age with you. Muscles degenerate, glands dry up, specks start floating across your vision. These changes are a natural part of life, and although hard to accept are generally not helped by eye exercise. Nevertheless, eye exercise DOES work. That is, if you’ve had an eye injury, neurological condition, or convergence insufficiency. If any of these conditions apply to you, eye exercise is the way to go. If however, you are ignoring the taunts of your friends and family as you complete your daily calisthenics, you might want to accept that eye exercise will never allow you to throw away your glasses or contacts.

Folklore exists for a reason. It is usually to teach us a lesson, or scare the pants off us so we won’t wander into the dark woods without an adult. When it comes to medical care, folklore might not be the best solution. Consulting your doctor and ensuring that you maintain a regular routine of checkups and eye care is the best solution to keeping your vision, and the best chance for everyone (pardon the pun) seeing eye-to-eye.