Can Everyone's Eyes Be Repaired

Doctors Explain the Truth Behind 11 Popular Eye Myths

Why eating more than carrots won't give you super sight.

October. 27, 2009— -- Reading this -- no matter how large or small yous've set the font size, no matter how dark the room is -- will not permanently damage your eyes.

And the number of carrots you swallow isn't likely to affect how well you can read this either.

Many of us have gotten advice growing upwards about how we can protect our eyes, but much of this communication would be better off going the way of those thick frames you lot wore to schoolhouse in the third class.

Yous may know that crossing your eyes too many times won't get them stuck that fashion, only you may think that reading in a dimly lit room will put you on the path to early on nearsightedness.

And then, keep your optics on your brightly lit monitor -- it won't exercise more than perchance some temporary eyestrain.

With the launch of our OnCall+ Eye Health section, nosotros're going to take a closer look at 11 of these eye myths, and dispel them -- or explain what truth there may be behind them.

Fact or Myth? Squinting a lot amercement your vision.

Answer: Myth

Squinting may be a sign that yous need glasses, but it isn't going to brand your need for spectacles whatever worse.

"Y'all can squint all you want," said Dr. Jay Pepose, an ophthalmologist with the Pepose Vision Institute in St. Louis and an OnCall+ contributor.

"Squinting is an attempt to brand the pupil smaller -- it lets in less calorie-free," said Dr. Richard Rosen, director of ophthalmology inquiry at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. "By endmost your lids together it further enhances your focus."

For this reason, squinting can help someone who might demand glasses meet better.

"Squinting suggests that you really have a refractive error [where the eye cannot bend calorie-free correctly, resulting in blurry vision -- such as almost- or farsightedness], and this is how someone can get around wearing glasses," said Dr. Kenneth Chang, a comprehensive ophthalmologist at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

People who squint a lot aren't permanently damaging their vision, but at that place are some side furnishings:

"What it does, it gives you a headache sometimes because information technology [involves] wrinkle of the muscles of your face," said Rosen.

Fact or Myth? Reading in poor low-cal or reading too much fine print will eventually harm your vision.

Respond: Myth

"It's similar maxim if you accept a picture in poor light, then the photographic camera is going to be damaged," said Rosen, who worked equally a photographer before he went to medical school and became an ophthalmologist.

The photographic camera analogy may also explain why vision becomes worse in the dark.

"In low low-cal the pupil is enlarged, so whatever defects there are in the lens…are not corrected," said Rosen. "When it'south vivid, you lot take a much greater depth of focus."

And then, more than outside calorie-free can certainly help y'all see better. At the same time, though, your retina is not damaged by the high amount of calorie-free that is allow in by an expanded pupil in the nighttime.

Similarly, having to focus on a smaller area is likely to cause strain on the eyes, but non lasting damage.

"Basically, it's getting light to the retina and getting information technology in focus," said Rosen.

Fact or Myth? Sitting too close to the TV or staring at a computer screen is bad for your eyes.

Answer: MythSitting likewise close to a Television set or staring at a computer screen for too long will hurt your eyes -- merely but temporarily.

Much of the problem can come from the screen, because people staring at them for long periods of fourth dimension tend not to blink.

"If a tear moving-picture show is a little on the dry out side from not blinking sufficiently…then the quality of vision suffers," said Rosen. "It's sort of a temporary miracle."

Some of the strain tin can be avoided, Chang said. If you are looking at something upwardly close, information technology's a good idea to take breaks and look into the distance.

"I don't recollect people were meant to be looking at a estimator screen all day long," he said, only "it'south non going to crusade long-term damage."

He said children may sit shut to the screen because they can. "You have more of a range of accommodation and you tin can sustain it for long periods of time."

Of form, it may also signal a problem.

"If a kid is doing that, it may be that they need a pair of glasses," said Chang.

Fact or Myth? We are bound to suffer the same eye issues as our parents.

Reply: SometimesMany eye problems are genetic, but as with all genetic problems, inheritance is not guaranteed.

"There's a higher risk, but it doesn't hateful you lot're going to suffer," said Pepose.

"The important thing is that some eye conditions can definitely be passed downwards," said Chang.

"Things similar glaucoma are definitely inheritable," he said. "That really reinforces the fact that information technology's generally adept to get a general middle exam."

Chang said some problems are grayness areas -- combinations of inheritance and environment -- such as refractive errors.

Studies show that bug such equally nearsightedness and farsightedness seem to accept some relation to whether a parent had the trouble.

Of form, some vision bug have zilch to practise with genetics.

"Cataracts is an age-related degeneration of the lens -- that's something that happens to everybody," said Chang.

Fact or Myth? As you get older, in that location'due south nada you tin do nearly your worsening vision.

Answer: Myth

Some historic period problems are inevitable.

"Cataracts are not a disease," said optometrist Harvey Moscot of Moscot Eyewear and Eyecare in New York City. "It's a normal aging alter, not unlike gray hair. If anybody lived long enough, they would go cataracts."

But at the same time, cataracts, like many vision issues, tin be fixed.

Cataracts, a clouding of the lens caused by the folding of proteins, can be removed to fix the problem.

"There'southward a lot of research now on preventing cataracts," said Moscot. Simply for other ailments, preventatives are known.

Many of the eye ailments that affect people when they age can be eased by following general health advice. A balanced diet can play a part in preventing some issues, as can giving up smoking. Rosen added that controlling cholesterol and sugar levels could assistance also.

Of course, not all problems tin be stock-still completely. Moscot said that for many eye ailments, he tells his patients that their options are express to LASIK light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation eye surgery and spectacles.

Fact or Myth? Eating carrots will meliorate your vision.

Answer: Myth -- more often than not

Diet is important to good vision, just that doesn't mean that eating carrots all day volition give you eagle eyes.

Vitamin A deficiency may pb to poor vision, but having an backlog of the vitamin does non enhance vision farther.

"In America it's not an outcome, because our diets take plenty of vitamin A," said Moscot.

Some foods can help eyes, all the same.

Night green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, for instance, comprise lutein, which is establish as a yellow spot in the retina, chosen the macula.

Rosen explained that these nutrients -- which tin besides be plant in egg yolk -- can protect the macula, and may play a office in preventing macular degeneration, a condition in older adults where they lose vision in the center of the eye.

"Information technology's probably of import to encourage people to swallow those sorts of foods," he said.

Fact or Myth? Centre exercises can improve your vision.

Answer: Sort of

Unless you are an unusually precocious kid who has started reading the health section of our site, chances are that there'southward petty that centre exercises tin can practice for your vision.

Eye exercises are often used in the preteen and teenage years to assist children with convergence -- bringing their eyes together for objects that are closer in. They're much less effective for adults.

"Typically in adults the organisation is pretty rigid," said Moscot.

"Focusing difficulties and convergence issues tin be improved with eye exercises," he said, but noted that "information technology does take a delivery and it does accept time. In some adults those exercises are helpful, just not all and those are variable."

However, eye exercises that are promoted as helping people go rid of glasses -- known as Bates exercises -- have not been shown to help.

"It'due south non a scientifically supported method," said Moscot.

Rosen said that while vision does deteriorate -- and exercises volition non reverse that -- the exercises may have an event on utility.

"A lot of it is learning how to apply the vision that you have," he said.

An example, Rosen said, is that someone who had a defect in the center of the lens may exist aided if they learn to look through other parts.

Rosen said he had some patients who are able to role with 20/400 vision (20/xx is optimal, 20/200 is legally blind).

"A lot of information technology is how you're able to utilize that sensory input that you get from the eyes," he said. "It may help them to employ the vision they practice have, especially if they've lost some vision."

Fact or Myth? Using glasses for a long period of time will cause your vision to deteriorate, leading to dependence on cosmetic lenses.

Answer: Myth

"Using the right pair of glasses for yous does non make your vision worse. You don't grow more dependent on them," said Chang. The myth, he said, is based on the misperception that "if y'all were to wear spectacles or contact lenses, that somehow changes the physiology of your center, and that does non happen."

Natural aging and its effects on the eyes may have played a role in spreading this myth.

With age, peoples' eyes deteriorate, and then, someone who needed reading glasses at 40 is likely to demand a stronger prescription for them at l -- whether they've actually been using glasses or not.

"Everybody does need stronger and stronger reading glasses -- it's inescapable," said Rosen.

In this case, the out-of-focus earth that develops over time is due to the growing of the lens of the centre -- the only part of the eye that continues to grow significantly, and a procedure that prevents the centre from accommodating every bit hands as it did when one was younger.

Fact or Myth? If you wear glasses, not wearing them will cause your vision to deteriorate faster.

Reply: Myth

The immediate side outcome of not wearing glasses if you need them is the equivalent of an art gallery tour without bothering to go a ticket.

"Everything will be out of focus -- yous'll have an Impressionistic view of the globe," said Rosen.

But while trying to focus without glasses may strain your eyes, it volition not cause lasting damage. While a person may squint in an attempt to see meliorate, the centre itself will not be affected.

In the end, the primary side upshot of non wearing glasses is likely to be the temporary one that accompanies accommodation -- excessive squinting is likely to requite someone who typically wears spectacles a headache.

"Eyeglasses help you see better," explained Chang. "By wearing glasses your vision doesn't become worse faster, and by not wearing them, you're doing your vision a disservice."

Fact or Myth? Children will outgrow a lazy or crossed middle without intervention.

Answer: Myth

Children with lazy or crossed optics crave intervention, and assertive this myth could create permanent impairment.

"If the parent or caretaker feels that the child has a crossed centre…or the child seems to be rubbing his eyes a lot, it is absolutely essential that he encounter an ophthalmologist," said Chang. "If they don't address a vision problem in a certain amount of time, it'due south too late."

When a child'due south vision develops, problems with crossed or lazy eyes can get permanent.

The reason, said Rosen, is some cells responsible for fusing the images you lot see with each eye are responsible for a three-dimensional image, and "If, early on in life, those cells aren't stimulated, they never develop," he said.

"The earlier you recognize these things, you lot enhance the person'due south chances for stereo vision and for depth perception," said Rosen. "If you recognize there's a weakness in one center early on…and so they will showtime patching the skilful eye [in order to strengthen the weak eye]."

Fact or Myth? It'southward O.G. to skip my child'due south first eye test every bit long every bit they don't seem to take whatever problems with their sight.

Answer: Myth

There was a lack of consensus over when, exactly, a child should have his or her first center exam, but a kid should be seen relatively early on in life.

"By age three, it's a good thought to have a general middle exam," said Chang, citing the benefits of catching a number of vision problems -- such as amblyopia and strabismus -- early.

Many nursery schools have routine screenings of children, only some say those are inadequate.

"Schoolhouse screenings tin be very deceptive," said Moscot, noting that some school nurses are non properly trained to perform a full heart exam and some children will cheat by peering at the charts beforehand.

"When they come up to an office, at that place's objective tests we can do amend than reading an eye chart." A lot of things are missed in these screenings," he said. "But they're ameliorate than nil."

Moscot also said that family unit medical history tin can accept an affect on when the starting time heart exam should exist washed.

"Typically, when at that place's a family history of an heart problem or a strong prescription, we like them to be checked earlier a year former," he said, but noted that for some, "that's a state of thinking now -- that whatever kid should exist examined in the get-go year of life."

---

---

Top Stories

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/EyeHealthNews/11-eye-myths-debunked/story?id=8919023

Posted by: hardenbace1941.blogspot.com

Share this post