There’s a lot of confusion about what is good and bad for our eyes. Some of the most common myths are even super believable. Here are the most common myths our optometrists hear, busted:
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“Glasses can hurt my eyes”: It’s a myth that wearing frames can damage your vision. Our eyes naturally degrade or improve over time. A person’s eyes are not becoming worse because of their glasses, they are getting worse because it’s a natural process. Wearing glasses is like wearing a pair of basketball shoes: you can play barefoot, but you’ll perform better with the right shoes.
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“Sitting close to the TV can hurt my child’s eyes”: Worried parents always tell their children to sit back from the TV or computer screen. This does not actually hurt the eyes. A child sitting close is a symptom of poor eyesight, not the TV causing damage.
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“Reading in dim light will make me blind”: Poor lighting will not cause permanent damage to your eyes. It will lead to eyestrain and eye fatigue (or overall discomfort), but not a permanent decrease in vision quality.
Your eyes are constantly changing, especially as you age. Overall, you should think about a new pair of glasses or contact lenses like a pair of basketball shoes: wearing shoes won’t make your feet bigger or smaller; you might even need bigger shoes as you get older, and different arch support might be required as you hit your golden years. Similarly, if you scuff the shoes or break the laces, they’ll need to be replaced.