Eyesight: What Your Mother Always Told You Versus the Truth

Chances are either you, your family members, or a friend of yours wears glasses or contacts. If this is true, chances are also very high that you have probably been exposed to some of the common myths surrounding the topic of eyesight. There are numerous beliefs about common everyday activities being the cause of weakened eyes. However, most of this information is not correct.

You have most likely heard someone tell you not to read in the dark because it will hurt your eyes and you will end up needed glasses. The truth is, you may get a headache from straining your eyes and having to work harder to read the words on the page, but this will not weaken your eyesight.

The same is true for sitting too close to the television. If you sit close enough, you may develop a headache, but your eyes will not be weaker because of it. Years ago, television sets emitted damaging radiation, and therefore TVs were capable of causing harm to eyes. These days, televisions are no longer made that way and therefore, cannot hurt your eyes.

Another common myth is that if you hold off getting glasses and continue straining your eyes, you will cause you eyesight to become even worse. This is also incorrect. Again, you may develop an uncomfortable headache and your eyes may feel strained or dry, but you cannot make your eyes weaker in this way. The same applies to people who think overusing their eyes can cause eye weakness. Whether they are referring to watching too much television, reading for a long period of time, or staring at a computer screen all day, none of these things will physically change the strength of your eyes.