Top 5 myths about your eyes

We’ve all heard the old wives tales about our eyes! Carrots will improve your vision and sitting too close to the TV will give you square eyes. But is any of this actually true? In this blog, our Harrow opticians debunks some of the top myths about your eyes!

Eating carrots will improve vision

Although not strictly true, this one does have some truth to it. Carrots are high in Vitamin A, which is essential for good vision. So eating carrots will provide you with a small amount of Vitamin A, so technically will promote good vision. However, that being said, you’d need to eat a lot of them to be able to see in the dark! 

It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

A gruesome myth is that if you sneeze with your eyes open your eyes will pop out, scary right? But don’t worry it’s a myth! When you sneeze, your eyes close due to natural reflexes. Although it’s not impossible, it’s extremely difficult to keep your eyes open when you sneeze, but you don’t need to worry about your eyes popping out if you do!

Colour Blindness means you see in black & white

Achromatopsia is a condition causes people to be completely colour blind; meaning they can only see in black and white or in shades of grey. So this old wives tale is actually true! However, this condition is rare and for most people, it means they can’t differentiate between certain colours. The most common problems occur with the colours red, green, blue and yellow.

 

Reading in dim light weakens your sight

Whilst reading in low light isn’t the best, it won’t cause long-term eye problems, such as weakened eyesight. However, if you do spend a lot of time reading in the dark it can cause eyestrain, which can lead to other issues and problems. So our Harrow Opticians doesn’t recommend it!

20/20 vision means your eyesight is perfect

Many people who get told they have 20/20 vision think it means they have incredible eyesight…but that’s not strictly true. The term 20/20 vision refers to your central vision, but there are a lot of other factors to consider, like peripheral vision, eye-coordination and focusing ability. Sorry, but we’re just here to bust the myths…

Book your appointment at our Harrow Opticians, or pop into one of our branches and speak to one of our experienced team members. We look forward to welcoming you soon!

2024-04-25T09:30:48+01:00