This document summarizes several common eye myths. It dispels myths such as reading in dim light or poor vision harming the eyes, holding books or sitting close to the TV being harmful, using eyes too much causing them to weaken, and glasses damaging vision. It also addresses myths about cataracts, contact lenses, eye color inheritance, color blindness, eye transplantation, UV light exposure, diet and vision, sleeping in contacts, eye size at birth, and dry eyes. The document provides factual information to replace each myth.

1. Eye MythsEye Myths !!
By
Dr.Ahmed Alsherbiny
MSc. Ophth

2. Reading in poor light will
hurt the eyes

3. Myth!
Reading in the dark or dim light can certainly
make your eyes tired or may even give you a
headache but it will not harm your eyes

4.
Remember !

5. Holding a book too close or
sitting too close to the
television set is harmful to the
eyes

6. Myth!
kids can actually focus up close without
eyestrain better than adults, so they often
develop the habit of sitting right in front of the
television or holding reading material close to
their eyes. However, sitting close to a TV may
be a sign of nearsightedness.

7.
Remember !

8.
Remember !

9. Using the eyes too much and
"wear them out"

10. Myth!
We wouldn't lose our sense of smell by using
our nose too much or our hearing by using our
ears too much. The eyes were made for seeing.
We won't lose our vision by using our eyes for
their intended purpose.

11. Wearing eyeglasses that are
too strong or have the wrong
prescription will damage the
eyes

12. Myth!
Wearing glasses that are too strong or
otherwise wrong for the eyes cannot harm an
adult, although it might result in a temporary
headache. At worse, the glasses will fail to
correct vision and make the wearer
uncomfortable because of blurriness, but no
damage to any part of the eye will result.

13. Remember !

14. Wearing eyeglasses will weaken
the eyes

15. Myth!
The eyeglasses worn to correct refractive error
will not weaken the eyes any more than they will
permanently "cure" these kinds of vision
problems. Glasses are simply external optical
aids that provide vision to people with blurred
vision caused by refractive errors. Exceptions
are the kinds of glasses given to children with
crossed eyes (strabismus) or lazy eye
(amblyopia). These glasses are used
temporarily to help straighten the eyes or
improve vision. Not wearing such glasses may
lead to permanently defective vision.

16.
Remember !

17. Crossing the eyes can make
them permanently crossed

18. Myth!
Our eye muscles are meant to allow us to move
our eyes in many different directions. Looking
left, right, up, or down, will not force the eyes to
stay permanently crossed. Crossed eyes result
from disease, from uncorrected refractive error,
or from muscle or nerve damage, not from
forcing the eyes into that position.

19.
Remember !

20. Having 20/20 vision means
that the eyes are perfect

21. Myth!
The term "20/20" denotes a person with
excellent central vision. But other types of
vision-such as side vision, night vision, or color
vision might be imperfect. Some potentially
blinding eye disease, such as glaucoma or
diabetic retinopathy, can take years to develop.
During this time, they are harming parts of the
inner eye, but the central vision can remain
unaffected.

22.
Remember !

23. A cataract must be ‘ripe’
before it can be removed.

24. Myth!
The time to remove a cataract is when it
hinders your eyesight or interferes with your
daily activities. Consult with your
ophthalmologist about your particular situation
and the latest developments in cataract surgery

25.
Remember !

26. Cataracts can be removed
with lasers.

27. Myth!
Cataracts cannot be removed with laser
surgery. Cataracts are a clouding of the lens in
the eye. In order for vision to be restored, the
cloudy lens must be removed through a surgical
incision and replaced.

28.
Remember !

29. It is okay to swim while
wearing soft contact lenses.

30. Myth!
No, it is not okay to swim while wearing contact
lenses. That fact is, serious or potentially
blinding eye infections can result from
swimming or even using a hot tub while wearing
contact lenses.

31.
Remember !

32. Two green-eyed parents can’t
produce a child with brown eyes.

33. Myth!
Two green-eyed parents can have a child with
brown eyes, although it's very rare. Likewise,
two brown-eyed parents can have a child with
green eyes, although this is also uncommon.

35. Only males can be color
blind.

36. Myth!
It's estimated that up to 8% of boys have some
degree of color blindness, whereas less than 1%
of girls do.

37.
Remember !

38. Eyes can be transplanted.

39. Myth!
The eye as a whole cannot be transplanted.
Each of our eyes is connected to the brain by an
optic nerve. This optic nerve is highly complex
and is made up of a large bundle of nerve fibers;
like a cable wire. Once the optic nerve is
severed, it cannot be reconnected so eyes
cannot be transplanted.

40.
Remember !

41. It is not harmful to watch a
welder or look directly at
the sun if you look through
narrowed eyelids.

42. Myth!
ultra-violet light still gets in your eyes and over
time can cause damage to the cornea, lens, and
retina. Exposure to ultra-violet light has been
linked to eye disorders such as macular
degeneration, solar retinitis, and corneal
dystrophies. You should never look at a welder
without the appropriate eye protection because
light from this process can damage your eyes
and/or foreign matter can get into your eyes. As
always, it is best to wear eye protection or
sunglasses to protect your eyes as much as
possible.

43.
Remember !

44.
Remember !

45. Eating a lot of carrots will
improve your vision.

46. Some Truth / Myth!
Although it's true that carrots are rich in vitamin A,
which is essential for sight, so are many other foods
(asparagus, apricots, nectarines, and milk, for
example). A well-balanced diet can provide the
vitamin A needed for good vision

47.
Remember !

48. Contact lenses can get
lost behind your eyes

49. Myth!
The membrane that covers the white of your eye
(the conjunctiva) also lines your eyelids, so it is
impossible for a contact lens to get lost behind
your eyes

50.
Remember !

51. Wearing someone else’s
glasses may damage your
eyes

52. Myth!
Although you may not be able to see very well
with them and may get a headache or double
vision, you won’t come to any harm from
wearing glasses that are not your prescription
(unless you’re driving a motor vehicle(.

53.
Remember !

54.
Remember !

55. You can sleep in your contact
lenses

56. Some Truth!
Unless you have been told specifically by your
optometrist that you can sleep in your contact lenses,
you should avoid this. Your eyes need to breathe whilst
wearing contact lenses, and this is more difficult when
your eyes are closed.
This – and the fact that when you are not blinking your
contact lenses will not move on your eyes as much as
when you are awake – can mean that you are at more
risk of infection if you sleep in contact lenses. Always
follow the guidelines given to you by your optometrist. If
in doubt, take them out.

57.
Remember !

58. The eye is full size at birth.

59. Myth!
The eye is NOT full size at birth but continues to
grow with your child. This growth partially
accounts for refractive (glasses) changes that
occur during childhood.

60.
Remember !

61. If you wear glasses, not
wearing them will cause your
vision to deteriorate faster.

62. Myth!
trying to focus without glasses may strain your
eyes, it will not cause lasting damage.

63.
Remember !

64. Doctor Said “ You have dry
eye ! “ My complaint is
lacrimation , How Comes?!!.

65. Myth!
Though the most common ocular symptoms are
feelings of dryness, grittiness and burning that
characteristically worsen over the course of the day but
you can have dry eye and you do lacrimate as dry eyes
maybe due to poor quality of tear films and instability on
ocular surface

66.
Remember !

67. From Synechia, With Love
Happy Valentine’s Day

68. Thank You