Growing up your mother may have told you, “don’t cross your eyes, they’ll get stuck that way,” or “eat your carrots and you’ll have good eyesight”. While some myths about eyes and vision have a thread of truth to them, more commonly, they’re completely erroneous. Our eye doctors in Lloydminster and Fort McMurray often need to set straight patients who still believe the inaccurate but well-intentioned advice they heard as children. Here are five of the most common myths and the truth behind them.
If you cross your eyes, they’ll get stuck that way. When you cross your eyes, the six muscles that control the direction your lenses move are mobilized in making your eyes point towards each other. This is something they naturally do when you look at an object that’s in close proximity to your face. While repeatedly or extendedly crossing your eyes may cause eyestrain, or possibly twitching, there’s no scientific evidence to support the theory that they’ll get stuck.
Reading in dim light will damage your eyes. Reading in low light may make it hard to see and potentially cause eye fatigue. As a result you may get a headache or have blurred vision for a short period of time. However, it won’t permanently affect your vision or damage any component of your eye.
Wearing glasses will make your eyes worse. Wearing glasses or contact lenses do not permanently change the physiology of your eye. Instead, wearing the right prescription enables you to see the world around you and may eradicate problems associated with straining your eyes, which often occur when you can’t see properly.
Carrots can improve your vision. If you have poor vision, no amount of consumed carrots will alter that fact. However, carrots do contain vitamin A, which plays an important role in maintaining good eye health. A healthy and well-balanced diet overall is one of the best ways to prevent degeneration of your eyes.
You don’t need an eye exam if there’s no change in your vision. While being unable to see properly is a compelling reason to visit an eye doctor, it’s not the only reason. An eye exam at one of our clinics—you can find us in Fort McMurray and Lloydminster—is about assessing the complete health of your eye, and your ability to see is only one component of your total ocular well-being. Many eye complications have few symptoms in the early stages and yet early detection is necessary to prevent irreversible damage. The annual eye exam is therefore necessary for everyone, and not just those experiencing vision loss.
OUR EYE DOCTORS ARE ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
If it’s been a while since your last eye exam, then get a hold of The Eyewear Place to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor. We have clinics open in Fort McMurray and Lloydminster to serve you and your family. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and ensure that your healthy vision continues to be a reality and not another myth.