Dr. Steven Sainsbury
A graduate of the George Washington University Medical School Board, Dr. Sainsbury is certified in emergency medicine. He was a full-time emergency physician for 25 years, has lived on the Central Coast since 1990, and has written for many magazines. He currently has a housecall practice here.
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Vision Myths
by Steve Sainsbury, MD
Once again, a warning. Myth-busting is dangerous work. We love our myths, and hold on to them tighter than a winning lottery ticket. But ultimately, you will find that discerning fact from fiction is empowering, and frees us up for bigger and better things—like potty-training.
This month's group of myths involves our sense of sight. What a marvelous gift - the ability to see. It makes sense that we would make every effort to protect our vision, and the following myths probably stem from that desire. But let us not get so caught up in optometric fervor, that we lose sight of the facts. (Sorry)
Myth #1: Reading in dim light will ruin your eyes.
Nope. Not true.
In spite of countless parents, informing countless children, that they need better light to read by, or else they will "strain" and possibly damage their eyes, it just isn't so. True, dim light makes it harder to read, and forces the reader to squint, thereby concentrating their focus on a smaller area. The reader may also move the book closer and closer to their face in an effort to actually see the printed page. But short of poking their eye physically with the binding of the book, reading in dim light will not harm our children's vision.
Myth #2: Sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes.
Hold on, you might be thinking. I know for a fact that my eyes get "tired" and worn out if I am up too close to the TV or movie screen.
And I would agree.
You have probably noticed this fatigue when forced to sit on the front row of a movie that is nearly sold out. Focusing on the big screen right in front left you with tired eyes. Why? The closer a person sits to the object they are watching, the more strenuous it is to focus. Focusing requires the tensing of certain eye muscles - these muscles fatigue just like your quadriceps might do in step-up classes. But neither your thigh muscles, nor your child's eye muscles, are harmed by getting fatigued.
What we allow our children to watch on television presents far more potential harm, than any risk posed by how close they sit to the screen. Eye doctors agree: Sitting too close will not harm their vision.
Myth #3: Eating carrots is good for your eyes.
Yes, carrots do contain healthy amounts of Vitamin A.
Yes, Vitamin A is important, as are all vitamins, for every bodily function including healthy vision.
But no, eating carrots (or taking extra Vitamin A) will not make us see more clearly in the day or night.
Perhaps this myth was started by the Carrot Growers Association of America, but I suspect a more likely source was some frustrated parent trying to get their 5 year-old twins to eat their vegetables.
MYTH #4: If you keep crossing your eyes, they will get stuck.
We choose to cross our eyes. It is a voluntary action. As a result, once we decide to stop crossing our eyes, the eye-crossing muscles relax, and both eyes resume their normal positions. They are no more likely to get stuck in a tensed position than any other muscle of the body. Eventually, all muscles get worn out and simply relax.
Undoubtedly, this myth was perpetuated by parents who wanted their children to quit making those awful faces. Fat chance.
Mountain Gorilla image on banner by Steve Sainsbury
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