Watching TV
- Myth: Reading in dim light and sitting too close to the TV hurts your eyes.
- Fact: Reading in dim light fatigues your eyes, but it doesn’t have any negative effects on eye health. TV is also OK for your eyes, even if you sit close.
Doctor Visits
- Myth: You don’t need to go to the eye doctor unless you have vision problems.
- Fact: Everyone needs to go to an eye doctor regularly. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that adults ages 18 to 60 have an eye exam at least every two years. Have an annual exam if you’re older than 60, the AOA says.
Glasses and Contacts
- Myth: If you need glasses or contacts, it hurts your eyes when you don’t wear them.
- Fact: It doesn’t hurt your eyes when you don’t wear your glasses. The exception: Some children have correctable eye problems that do require glasses to improve the condition.
Clearing Your Eye
- Myth: When you get something in your eye, rub it out.
- Fact: Dust, sure. But if you get sand or small debris in your eye, don’t touch it! Use an eye wash to flush it out. If an object is stuck in your eye, don’t remove it or rub your eye—go to a doctor ASAP. Some serious eye injuries can seem minor at first.
Healthy Foods
- Myth: Eat carrots for eye health.
- Fact: Spinach is actually the best food for eye health. Spinach has lutein and zeaxanthin. A diet rich in these substances helps prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older Americans.
Vision & Sunlight
- Myth: Dark sunglasses are best to protect your eyes from the sun.
- Fact: The color of sunglasses doesn’t have anything to do with eye protection. Look for sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. Exposure to bright sunlight might increase your risk for cataracts and age-related vision loss.
Contacts & The Sun
- Myth: My contacts have UV protection, so I don’t need sunglasses.
- Fact: For full protection, wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays, even if your contacts are UV blocking.
Eye Protection
- Myth: Regular glasses can double as safety glasses.
- Fact: The correct protective eyewear could prevent 90% of the eye injuries that happen every year. Safety glasses should be labeled “ANSI Z87.1.” Use them when mowing the lawn, working on your car, and tinkering in the workshop.
Eye Exams
- Myth: An optometrist checks only your eye health.
- Fact: A comprehensive eye exam can detect many other diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis.
Aging Eyes
- Myth: There’s nothing I can do about my sight getting worse due to macular degeneration as I age.
- Fact: Smoking increases your risk for age-related macular degeneration by two- to five-fold. Obesity may make this disease worse. Having healthy blood pressure levels and eating lots of fish and green leafy vegetables can reduce your risk.
