vision myths

10 Common Eyesight Myths Debunked!

There are so many eyesight myths that we hear as kids: “Don’t sit too close to the television. You’ll go blind!”… “Turn on the light when you read. If you don’t, you’ll go blind!”… “Don’t cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way and you’ll go blind!” 

These classic bits of eye health wisdom still ring clearly in my ears.

Unfortunately, I sat way too close to the tube, I read in the dark more often than not, and my friends and I probably spent a collective week of our lives looking at each other through crossed eyes… and guess what? My eyes didn’t stay crossed and, believe it or not, I didn’t go blind! 

Fortunately, none of these timeless words of eye health advice shared for years by millions of mothers around the world have turned out to be true.

So where did these crazy eyesight myths—and the many others we’ve heard over the years—come from?  And more importantly: are any of them true, or are they all wise tales and myths?

Here are the 10 most common eyesight myths and my attempt to use facts and research to effectively debunk each.  I’ll start with the three mentioned above.

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ocular dominance

How to Determine Dominant Eye​ Using a Simple Test

When it comes to hand dominance, you’re either a “righty” or a “lefty.” But what about your eyes? Does one do more work than the other? Is your dominant eye the same as the hand you write with? I’m talking about ocular dominance, and while it doesn’t always play a pivotal role in your life, it can be useful to learn which of your eyes is dominant. Here’s how to determine dominant eye​ using a simple test!

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flashes and floaters

Eye Floaters and Flashes: When Should You Worry About Them?

Are you seeing lightning flashes (and there is no thunderstorm)? Do you feel like you are constantly living in a tornado of dust? You’re not losing it. It may be merely a visual phenomenon. If you have seen something moving across your field of vision, or you think you are seeing ants moving on the table, you could be experiencing eye floaters.

A floater is a universal term for specks, threads, or cobweb-type images that you see drifting in your vision. Sometimes, when you have eye floaters, you will also notice a flash of light similar to a camera’s flash.

Eye flashes and floaters can be harmless, but they can also be a warning sign trouble is on its way.

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tired eyes

How to Look Less Tired: 4 Tips to Refresh Your Eyes

Believe it or not, lack of sleep has been classified as an epidemic by the CDC. In fact, the issue is so widespread that over 110 million Americans, more than 33% of the population, report not getting enough sleep each night. Sleeping less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of developing a number of dangerous health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In addition, it’s one of the leading causes of why your eyes look swollen, strained, and just plain tired. Because of that, many people wonder how to look less tired every day.

Chronic lack of sleep, or just staying up too late too often, aren’t the only contributors to tired or swollen eyes. Allergies, the common cold, and eye strain have also been known to give your eyes that “been up too long” look.

Let’s take a look at two of the most common signs of tired eyes and learn how to look less tired and more refreshed!

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