The belief that wearing glasses will worsen your vision, the belief that eating carrots will guarantee good vision, or avoiding seeing an optometrist in order to let your eyes “work on their own” are some of the most common myths related to eye health. Vision professionals are the first to encounter various misconceptions in their daily work. While some of these assumptions may have some truth to them, overall they are false.
Jeļena Strūriška and Jolanta Laugale, OC VISION optometrists, tell us more about vision myths.
Myth No. 1: An eye exam is only necessary when vision problems are already detected
This is the most popular myth in society, but at the same time a potentially dangerous misconception that can lead to sad consequences. An eye exam is necessary not only to make sure that a new prescription is not needed before purchasing new glasses, but also to detect signs of any eye diseases. For example, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy do not have any symptoms in the early stages, but if unnoticed and untreated, they can cause irreversible vision loss. Eye exams can also detect other health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Therefore, it is recommended to have an eye exam at least once a year, especially if any of your family members have had eye problems, because heredity plays a big role in eye health (the heredity factor should be especially taken into account, for example, in the case of myopia).
Myth No. 2: Wearing glasses creates dependence on them and worsens vision
In reality, glasses or contact lenses do not change the shape or function of the eyes, they only correct the eye’s inability to properly refract light rays, or refractive error, which causes blurred vision. Wearing corrective lenses does not necessarily make the eyes lazy or weak. On the contrary, wearing glasses or contact lenses can help prevent eye strain, headaches, and fatigue caused by the effort required to see clearly. The prescription of glasses or lenses can change over time, but this happens due to the body’s natural aging, genetics, or environmental influences, and is not caused by wearing glasses or contacts every day. Presbyopia, or the so-called age-related farsightedness, is also a natural physiological process that cannot be stopped by choosing a lower “strength” of glasses or choosing not to wear glasses at all.
Myth No. 3: Children should not wear contact lenses
In fact, children can and should wear contact lenses, as long as they are mature enough to know how to handle them. According to research, soft contact lenses are as safe for children as for adults – provided that they are used and cared for correctly. If a child has well-developed personal hygiene habits, a sense of responsibility towards duties (as evidenced, for example, by the child’s attitude towards school assignments) and the ability to keep his personal belongings and environment in order, then the child will most likely be ready to take on the responsibility associated with wearing contact lenses. More and more scientific studies point to contact lenses as the best option for controlling myopia, or nearsightedness. The only prerequisite is education and supervision of the contact lens wearer. It is also important to remember that contact lenses should not be worn while swimming, as this increases the risk of eye infections.
Myth No. 4: Eye exercises can help you get rid of glasses
There have been many studies on eye exercises, and they have not been shown to significantly improve your vision or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. Eye exercises are based on the idea that the eyes are like muscles that can be trained and strengthened to improve their function. While the eyes do indeed have incredibly active muscles, and exercise can indeed maintain the tone of these muscles, most vision problems are caused by the shape of the eyeball and lens or the size of the pupil, not by weakness in the eye muscles. Eye exercises can help reduce eye strain or improve eye coordination, but they cannot change the structure of the eye or correct refractive errors.
Myth No. 5: Eating carrots guarantees good vision
Carrots are indeed a valuable vegetable because they contain a lot of beta-carotene. This is a substance from which the body synthesizes vitamin A, which in turn is important for the health of the cornea and retina of the eye. However, carrots are not the only source of vitamin A, nor are they the most effective. Foods that contain more vitamin A are liver, eggs, cheese, or spinach. In addition, vitamin A is not the only nutrient needed for eye health – the eyes also need vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, and zeaxanthin. They can be found in fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens), nuts, seeds, fish, and eggs. It is important to remember that good vision does not require one superfood, but a balanced diet in general – only regular consumption of diverse and wholesome foods can provide the body with the necessary vitamins for proper vision functionality.
I have some angles in my eye!
During vision tests, optometrists not only encounter myths, but also experience curiosities. If a patient warns during a conversation with an optometrist that he has angles in his eyes, it usually turns out that there has been a misunderstanding of a “geometric nature” – instead of angles, cylinders are actually meant: cylindrical glasses should be worn if astigmatism, or the image focusing not in one, but in two points, is detected. Also, patients often come who do not pass the driver’s medical examination, but are nevertheless firmly convinced that they see perfectly and that the vision test is just a formality needed “only for the examination”. In our fast-paced technological age, it also happens that after the initial measurement with an autorefractometer, the patient, thinking that the vision test is over, gets up and heads for the door. The optometrist almost has to run after him, saying: “Wait, wait, you won’t get rid of me that quickly.” And indeed – the eyes, being the second most complex organ in the body, right after the brain, deserve special care. For example, to perform the same work that the tiny eye muscles do, contracting about 100,000 times a day, a person would have to walk about 80 kilometers every day. Therefore, the foundation for the care of this delicate and working mechanism is regular vision tests, as well as not succumbing to myths or misunderstandings about vision and its health.
Apply for a vision test – www.redzesparbaude.lv
