We all think we know a few things about eye glasses pretty well. After all, we wear them on our faces and it helps many of us see clearly every single day. But those simple vision correctors have some fascinating history and science to them that most people are completely unaware. What you think you know about your eye glasses could be totally wrong.
For instance, is carrot really good for eyes? Or will putting on someone else’s glasses damage your eyes? These are just some of the eye-opening facts that contradict what we have always thought our whole lives. The history of eye glasses is filled with surprises that will make you look at things differently, and the pun is intentional.
Whether you’ve worn eye glasses your entire life or you’ve lucky enough to have perfect eyesight, learning the reality about glasses can help you in making more informed decisions for your eye health. In this post, we’ll reveal some popular myths and share some absolutely mind-blowing facts about those frames sitting on your nose. Plus, these misconceptions have been confirmed with our team of expert Optometrists at Vision Planet. Prepare to be amazed at what you discover about something that seems so ordinary.
Common misconceptions about eye glasses
Misconception #1: Reading in dim light hurts your eyes
Do you remember your parents telling you not to read in the dark? Guess what? They were wrong. Reading in low light won’t ruin your eyesight forever. It will make your eyes get tired or strained, but the effect is temporary. Your eyes are amazingly adaptable to different levels of light. So while reading with lots of light is best, you aren’t going to be doing your eyes permanent harm by reading in bed with a flashlight.
Misconception #2: Wearing glasses makes your eyes dependent on them
Many people worry that as soon as they start wearing glasses, their eyes will become “lazy” or dependent on the correction. It isn’t true. Glasses correct vision problems that already exist, they do not weaken your eyes. Your prescription might change over time and vision changes with age, but that would happen with or without wearing glasses. Wearing properly prescribed glasses actually reduces eye strain and prevents headache.
Misconception #3: Carrots dramatically improve eyesight
While carrots are healthy and full of vitamin A (which is good for the eyes), eating lots of them will not give you super vision or correct vision problems. This myth started in World War II, when British intelligence spread a rumor that British pilots had excellent night vision because they ate so many carrots. Actually, they were trying to hide the fact that they had developed radar technology. A balanced diet with lots of different nutrients is much healthier for your eyes than loading up on carrots alone.
Misconception #4: Not wearing glasses will “train” your eyes
Some people believe that when you avoid wearing glasses, you will make your eyes work harder and, over time, straighten themselves out. Not only is this not true, but it could also be harmful. If you need vision correction, wearing your prescribed glasses reduces strain and prevents headache. Your eyes will not “grow stronger” from working hard to see clearly, you’ll get unnecessary discomfort and possibly long-term eye strain issues.
Misconception #5: All blue light is bad
While there’s been a lot of debate over blue light glasses, science has not yet fully developed in this topic. Not all blue light is harmful, we receive a lot of blue light naturally from the sun. There’s little evidence to indicate that the amount of blue light from screen is doing much harm to the eyes. That being said, looking at screens for hours at a time will result in digital eye strain (though that’s more to do with the way we use our eyes when looking at screens, not blue light itself). Taking a break is probably going to be more useful than glasses.
Misconception #6: Wearing other people’s glasses will ruin your eyes
Wearing your friend’s glasses won’t harm your eyes, even if they have a very strong prescription. It might give you a headache or feel like your eyes are hurting, but these are temporary. Your eyes won’t quickly adapt to the incorrect prescriptions in that amount of time. So, sharing glasses isn’t a good idea from a hygiene perspective, but it won’t harm your vision.
Misconception #7: Children can outgrow the need for glasses
While some children’s vision issues can improve over time, many vision deficiencies don’t disappear overnight. Near-sightedness or astigmatism typically persist. Children need to undergo frequent eye tests to monitor changes and receive the proper prescription. Getting proper vision correction early on is important to a child’s learning and development.
Misconception #8: Eye exercises can render glasses obsolete
Despite what a few online stories claim, eye exercises will not fix refractive conditions like nearsightedness or farsightedness. They are conditions that are a matter of your eye or lens’s physical form and exercises cannot change that. While eye exercises may fix certain issues like convergence problems or misaligned eyes, they will not replace the use of glasses if you need to get your vision corrected.
Are you surprised by some of these revelations? You’re not alone. Many of us have assumed these myths about eyeglasses our whole lives. The truth is that taking good care of one’s eyes is simpler than myth would have us believe. Wear glasses if you wear glasses, take breaks from the screen from time to time, eat balanced diet for overall eye health, and see your eye care professional regularly.
Understanding facts about eye glasses helps us to properly care for our precious eyesight. So the next time someone tells you that reading in dim light will ruin your eyes or that you should eat carrots to improve your eyesight, you can correct them. Our eyes are incredible organs that deserve the finest care based on fact, not fiction.
