Eye Myths: Dispelling Four Common Misconceptions About the Eyes

Chances are when you were a little kid your mother told you to quit making faces or your face will stay that way. We know this not to be true, but when you were a kid it made you stop and think. Well, life is full of old wives tales that many of us still believe to be true. In the case of our eyes, there are a lot.

The goal of this blog is to dispel some of these popular misconceptions about our eyes.

Does Too Much Reading or Too Much TV Ruin Our Eyesight?

Although you may feel eyestrain from reading, watching TV, or working at your computer too long, this does not permanently damage eyesight.

Your eyes are like a digital camera and your brain a computer: the camera (your eyes) captures the image, uploads to the computer (your brain), then the computer (your brain) processes the images to make sense of them. The camera is not damaged taking pictures neither are your eyes for what you are looking at.

Eating Carrots Will Give You Superior Vision

First of all, eating carrots is good for your long term vision and overall eye care since it provides vitamin A and beta carotenes which help stave off macular degeneration. However, going overboard on carrots will not give you superior vision. If this was the case then Bugs Bunny would have had X-ray vision.

Unless you are suffering from a severe deficiency of vitamin A, which can cause night blindness and possibly lead to permanent blindness, then going nuts on carrots will not improve your vision.

Children will Outgrow Crossed Eyes (Strabismus)

At times newborns and early infants may have unsteady eye alignments as their vision develops. However, after about four months of age any strabismus should be a concern and you should take the child to an eye care specialist.

If a strabismus is left untreated it can result in a lazy eye or lead to other vision impairments.

Tea Bags and Cucumbers to Reduce Puffiness and Swelling Around the Eyes

We condone healthy eating habits and smart home remedies that have the backing of modern science. However, there are some home remedies and beauty secrets that lack any scientific credibility: tea bags and cucumbers as natural compresses for the eyes. Although these may work to slightly reduce puffiness it’s a health risk. The only reason that these methods work is because they are cold which shrinks blood vessels, thus reducing swelling. So there are other, safer remedies.

Putting food directly against your eyes is unsafe because food may contain bacteria, especially once it is exposed to the environment for a period of time. Bacteria in the eye is never a good thing especially if you wear contacts, such practices could lead to nasty infections.

If you would like to reduce temporary puffiness around the eyes try a cold compress, such as a wash cloth wrung out under cold water.

With these myths debunked we hope that we can help you make healthy decisions about your eye care. If you have any more questions or need an eye care exam please call one of our Vision Pro locations today!

What is Pink Eye? The Story of Conjunctivitis

Almost everyone has had pink eye. You probably had it as a little kid and don’t even remember it. Still, knowing about pink eye can help prevent future infections. So this can help you keep an ‘eye’ out for the pink.

What is it? What to do?

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outer layer of the eyeball) and is a common cause for a sore eye. There are several types of conjunctivitis: viral, bacterial, herpes simplex, and allergic, or it can be caused by eye drops.

Viral conjunctivitis, as the name implies, is caused by a virus and is the most common kind of pink eye. Similar to the common cold, the immune system will work the virus out over a couple of weeks. Viral conjunctivitis is very itchy and will emit a watery discharge. It is typically treated with eye drops to relieve the symptoms otherwise the virus must run its course.

For a period of 10 to 12 days those that have the virus are highly contagious. To prevent the spread:

*Avoid touching your eyes then people or objects.

*Avoid sharing towels and linens

*Wash your hands often

*Handle and clean all eyewear to sterilize it

Bacterial conjunctivitis is obviously caused by bacteria. Bacterial conjunctivitis will emit a pus like discharge from the eye but is rarely itchy. This is typically treated with antibiotic eye drops.

Herpes simplex conjunctivitis is caused by the herpes simplex virus. This typically causes more pain and discomfort than other kinds of pink eye. Blisters may present themselves on your eyelids of conjunctiva. Doctors will likely prescribe anti-herpes medicines.

Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by allergies such as hay fever that lead to itchy, watery, and red eyes. Typically, antihistamines to treat the allergy will help to cure the condition.

Eyedrop conjunctivitis can result from regular use of medicated eyedrops. Sometimes the preservatives or the medication in the eye drops can cause sensitive eyes to redden and become sore. Switching to a different kind of eyedrop is usually the solution.

Although pink eye is a common eye condition there are other eye ailments that can present themselves similar to pink eye. If you are having any sort of prolonged eye redness please call Vision Pro today. Our on staff of optometrists are here to help you maintain healthy vision.