As a family-friendly optometrist near the Paoli, PA, area, we’re all about serving our community by providing the highest quality eye care every day in our office. We also love to educate our patients whenever we have the chance.
You’ve probably heard some advice about how to care for your eyes over the course of your life and, even as you followed it, you wondered, “Is this for real?” Maybe, for instance, your mom told you not to sit so close to the TV or you’d ruin your eyesight, and she didn’t want to pay for glasses!
Turns out, Mother doesn’t always know best. Here are a few common beliefs about eye care that are more fiction than fact.
- Eating carrots will improve your eyesight. Don’t think for a second that we’re absolving you from finishing your vegetables. It’s true that the beta carotene in carrots aids in the body’s Vitamin A production, which is vital to a lot of different functions, including eyesight. However, if your vision is blurry or you find yourself straining to see, chomping on a bag of carrots isn’t the solution. You need to see an eye doctor.
- Reading or working in a dark room will ruin your eyesight. While it’s smart to turn on the lamp before you dig into your studies or your favorite novel, it’s not really going to harm your eyesight if you don’t. Straining to see in the dark will definitely tire out your eyes, and you could develop a headache. So, if you want to work longer and more efficiently, get up and hit the lights!
- Don’t cross your eyes, or they won’t go back to normal. Most likely, you heard this from a grumpy older relative when you were a kid. Don’t worry; they just didn’t have a sense of humor. Crossing your eyes is perfectly safe…even if someone hits you on the back while you’re doing it.
- Never try on someone else’s glasses! The biggest danger here is walking around with impaired vision and injuring yourself because you walked into a door or fell down a flight of stairs. So, while it’s a good idea to avoid wearing your friend’s prescription around the office, the only risk in trying them on is developing a headache.
- If you can see clearly, you don’t need an eye exam. Absolutely not true! Everyone needs periodic eye exams to help keep their eyes in the best health possible. It’s recommended to have your eyes checked every one to two years.
At Integrity Eye Associates, we specialize in eye exams, and patients love our friendly, personable staff. If you’re overdue for a checkup, come make sure your vision is the best it can be. Our eye care center serves Paoli, PA, Wayne, PA, and the entire King of Prussia and Main Line areas.