SEVEN MYTHS ABOUT YOUR VISION

There are many myths about your vision and I will attempt to expel a few this month. I have borrowed this title and some ideas from the American Optometric Association and their literature on consumer education.

• Reading in dim light will hurt your eyes.

Reading or doing other close work in dim light won't harm your eyes but it does put more stress on them. You may experience headaches or tired, itching, burning or red eyes from using too little light.

• Sitting close to the television screen will harm your eyes.

Sitting two or three feet from the television screen won't hurt your eyes but it can put stress on them. A good viewing distance is about five to seven times the width of the screen. Many children sit close in order to "envelop" themselves in the action, but this is rarely an indication of any problem. However, if you see your child squinting and squirming when they sit back from the set, consult your eye doctor. Sometimes this is a sign of nearsightedness.

• You only need an eye exam when you notice problems with your eyes or vision.

There are three good reasons everyone needs a thorough eye exam every year or two: (1) to diagnose eye health problems, most of which have no early noticeable symptoms; (2) to diagnose subtle and gradual changes in vision that many people don't notice; and (3) to help in preventing the development of stress-related vision problems. In addition, patients wearing contact lenses should be seen more often, probably every six months, depending on the individual.

• Everyone who has cataracts needs eye surgery.

There is no need to rush into cataract surgery. Most cataracts are associated with aging and begin as tiny areas of cloudiness. The majority of them remain small and, with periodic prescription lens changes, most people can maintain good vision in spite of them. If a cataract reaches a stage where it interferes with a person's ability to do the things he or she wants to do, then surgery is recommended. Today, cataract surgery is one of the safest and most gratifying surgical procedures around.

• You will always go blind from glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a progressive disease that, without treatment, can most certainly cause blindness. However, there are many effective medications today that can stop or at least retard the progression of visual loss. There is also a relatively new laser surgical procedure that can arrest the disease without the use of eyedrops. It is most important to follow your doctor's instructions in regard to taking your medication. Glaucoma is very insidious in that you may have no idea you have it……another good reason to have a good eye exam every year or two.

• Getting glasses will make your eyes worse.

There is absolutely no evidence that wearing glasses will make your eyes worse. There are some people that report more "dependence" on their glasses after wearing them for awhile, but this dependence is transient. In most cases these are farsighted people and after wearing glasses that relax their focus, it may seem harder to focus after removing them. This is only natural. Wearing glasses DOES NOT weaken your eye muscles.

• You should wear tinted lenses at night to reduce glare.

This is a common misconception. Any tint you wear at night will REDUCE your visibility, not increase it. Although some people report seeing better at night with "yellow" lenses, this is merely an illusion. The only beneficial "tint" for night vision is actually not a tint at all, but rather a "coating". Reflection-free coatings will reduce reflections from the surfaces of your lenses and at the same time actually INCREASE the amount of light reaching the eye. This is the only desirable "tint" you should wear at night.

So, now you have seven myths about your vision. I'll look for a few more and include them in a future column.

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