Five Common Myths About Your Eyes

Let’s do some more myth-busting!

Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation about our eyes and eyesight. Even some “common knowledge” has actually been shown to be wrong, in light of scientific research. So today, we’re going to address some more eyesight myths we’ve heard – along with the actual truth.

Don’t Believe These Myths About Your Eyes!

1 – A baby’s parentage CANNOT be told from their eye color

A lot of people have gotten in trouble over this one, for no actual reason. Current estimates are that at least 16 genes, both dominant and recessive, determine a person’s eye color. It is easily possible for a child to have a totally different eye color from their natural parents.

Just because both parents have brown eyes, and the baby’s are blue, means nothing.

2 – Carrots DO NOT improve your eyesight

Don’t get us wrong, carrots are a great healthy snack. Just don’t believe the stories about them improving your eyesight. It’s true that Vitamin A is necessary to maintain our eyes, but only in small doses – and it can be obtained from a wide variety of vegetables, not just carrots.

3 – “Eye Exercises” DO NOT improve vision

We occasionally see articles online talking about “eye exercises” supposedly improve your vision or remove the need for corrective lenses. Sadly, that’s just not the case. Most vision problems are caused by internal issues within the eye that can’t be addressed just by moving them around or focusing on certain things.

There are very rare exceptions, such as exercises to reduce convergence deficiency, but your optometrist would tell you about them if it were applicable.

4 – NOT only men can be color blind

This one is understandable: for genetic reasons, males are far more likely to develop color-blindness. It happens in around 8% of men. However, it is possible for women to be color blind as well, just much more rare – only about 0.5%.

5 – Reading or working in dim light DOES NOT hurt your eyesight

A lot of us heard this one when we were growing up, that we should only read or work in well-lit rooms. Fortunately, it’s not true. Working in dim lighting will not do any permanent damage to your eyes. However, it could cause eye strain headaches, so it’s still better to turn the lights on.

If you hear any other questionable ideas or myths about eyesight, please don’t hesitate to contact Valley Eyecare Center in Phoenix to learn the facts!