Myths and misconceptions

Myths and misconceptions

At Conlons, we are fascinated by the eyes and ears in regard to both their health and maintenance. There are a number of interesting facts as well as other logical assumptions many of which have little or no basis in fact. We have all been told at some time, "You will hurt your eyes if you do that!", but do you really know what is or is not good for your eyes? From eating carrots to watching TV, here's the lowdown on some vision facts and old wives tales. Test yourself with the following Myths and Facts, and see how much you know about your vision.

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Eye care myths (top)
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Myth: Two parents with blue eyes cannot produce a child with brown eyes.

Fact: It is possible for two blue-eyed parents to have a child with brown eyes but it is very rare. Likewise, it is possible for two brown-eyed parents to have a child with blue eyes, although this is also uncommon.
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Myth: People with brown eyes are more likely to go blind.

Fact: Brown-eyed people are more common in warmer environments. It is the sunshine and its UV light that damages the eyes rather than the eye colour.
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Myth: Girls cannot be colour-blind, only boys can.

Fact: It is estimated that around 7-8% of boys have some degree of colour blindness, whereas less than 1% of girls are colour blind.
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Myth: When you are born, your eyes are full size.

Fact: The eye is not fully formed at birth and continued to grow as you do. It is this growth that partially accounts for refractive changes that occur during childhood and make it necessary to correct a prescription (through glasses or contact lenses).
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Myth: Reading too much will harm your vision.

Fact: Reading frequently causing no degradation of vision. The worst thing that can happen from reading too often is headaches and eye-strain.
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Myth: Reading in dim light can harm your eyes.

Fact: Using your eyes in dim light does not damage them. For centuries, all nighttime reading and sewing was done by candlelight or with gas or kerosene lamps. However, good lighting does make reading easier and can prevent eye fatigue.
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Myth: Sitting too close to the TV will harm the eyes.

Fact: There has been no scientific evidence to prove this. The worst that can happen is that eye muscles will strain after trying to focus from a short distance. A rest is sufficient to help the eyes recover.
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Myth: Long periods of computer usage can damage the eyes.

Fact: Staring at the computer for long periods won't harm the eyes but is not advised. Similar to reading or watching television for long periods of time, the eyes will blink less than normal. This makes the eyes dry giving the feeling of eye strain and fatigue. It is recommended to take frequent breaks.
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Myth: Carrots are good for the eyes.

Fact: Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, an essential ingredient that replenishes the nutrient intake the eyes require to function to the best of its ability. Vitamin A also plays an important role in the protection for the eyes.
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Myth: Children can inherit poor eye sight from their parents.

Fact: One of the biggest factors about sight conditions is that it is genetic. There may be a few external factors as well, but poor eye sight is mainly a genetic inheritance determined by genes.
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Myth: If there's nothing wrong with your eye-sight,
there's no reason to visit the Opticians.

Fact: Totally untrue. Opticians are health professionals who can diagnose a lot of health conditions (including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, liver disease and more) through a routine eye checkup. Also, many eye diseases do not have instantly noticeable symptoms. In glaucoma's case, by the time you notice it's effect, you can no longer recover the vision you have already lost. All this can be prevented by regular check ups with an Optician. Click here to book an eye-test with Conlons opticians.
Glasses myths (top)
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Myth: Wearing the wrong prescription glasses will damage the eyesight.

Fact: This is only true for children as their vision and eyes have still not fully matured. For adults, wearing the wrong prescription at worst can lead to eye strain and possible headaches. However, it will not damage your eyesight.
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Myth: Wearing spectacles will make the eyes dependent on them.

Fact: Wearing spectacles does not make your eyes dependent on them. Your eye vision (short-sightedness and long-sightedness) will change over time. If changes at different rates depending on the person, therefore some people do not require glasses. The biggest factor for this (but not limited to), is due to genetics.
Contact lenses myths (top)
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Myth: Contact lenses can cure sight conditions.

Fact: Contact lenses is just a temporary solution to help aid vision the same way spectacles do. Both glasses and contact lenses cannot cure sight conditions such as near-sightedness and far-sightedness.
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Myth: Contact lenses can slip behind the eye.

Fact: The eye is surrounded by tissue (skin and muscle membrane) which prevents contact lenses from slipping behind the eye. It is impossible for the contact lens to disappear behind the eye.
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Myth: Contact lenses are uncomfortable.

Fact: After a brief adaptation period, most people don't even notice they're wearing contact lenses. For those that do experience contact lens discomfort, there are several remedies available once the cause is pinpointed.
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Myth: Contact lenses are unsuitable for everyone.

Fact: The contact lenses of today are so advanced they even incorporate bifocal and varifocal technology. There are contact lenses for people who have astigmatism and other sight conditions. This means they're suitable for people of all ages.
Hearing care myths (top)
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Myth: Hearing aids are only for old people.

Fact: Hearing aids are suitable for people of all ages, not just for old people. Your hearing ability is at its prime during your teen years, but after that continues to deteriorate. This is the main reason why hearing aids are associated with elderly people, but old age is not the only reason for people to wear hearing aids.
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Myth: Turn the volume down, you'll go deaf.

Fact: Being constantly exposed to loud sounds can temporary or permanently damage the hearing organ. The two most common problems are tinnitis (ringing sound within the ear) and permanent hearing loss (hearing ability does not fully recover). Construction workers, factory workers, musician performers and people going to concerts and gigs are always wearing or advised to wear hearing protection for a reason.
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Myth: I can or will certainly know if I have any hearing loss.

Fact: This may be the case but often a hearing impairment develops slowly and subtly making it hard to detect a noticeable change. Our defences may make it difficult for us to determine whether we do or don't. A simple hearing test would determine if a hearing loss exists.
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Myth: My doctor would have told me if I was suffering from hearing loss.

Fact: Statistics show only 14% of doctors routinely screen for hearing loss. Also, hearing is usually easier in a quiet environment such as the doctor's office, so the doctor may not notice your hearing loss.
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Myth: Hearing impairment means you can't hear as loud.

Fact: Hearing loss is not just limited to volume but also clearness and distinctness. You may have difficulty hearing in crowds or in group conversations. Words may also seem mumbled and slurred making it difficult to understand.
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Myth: Hearing tests are expensive and inconvenient.

Fact: Our hearing test is quick, easy and painless. Consider coming to Conlons opticians for a free hearing test.
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Myth: Hearing aids will make everything too loud.

Fact: The hearing aids of the current generation alter the volume according to the external sound levels detected automatically.
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Myth: Hearing aids will make me look old.

Fact: There are different types of hearing aids available. If you are worried the hearing instruments are too large and unappealing, you can choose the ones that fit in the ear and can even choose from the different skin colours available to make them less noticeable.