Eye Care Myths

You might be surprised to know how many eye myths there are out there. It only takes a small amount of people to spread a myth around before it becomes common knowledge. We’re here to help you sort the fact from fiction.

Sitting close to the TV will damage your eyes

Although sitting close to the television won’t harm your eyes, prolonged use of screens can cause temporary eye strain because you naturally blink less.

Feeling the need to sit very close while watching TV may indicate that someone is near-sighted and they may need to wear prescription glasses. If your eyesight has changed and you aren’t sure if you need vision correct, you can use our do you need glasses? tool.

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Eating carrots improves your night vision

Night vision doesn’t really exist, however, there is some truth to this myth. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which allows your eyes to function better in low light conditions, but you won’t be able to see as clearly at night as you can during the day.

The myth came from propaganda during World War 2. Advertisements at the time showed soldiers eating carrots to improve their night vision, but this was only done to distract the Germans, so they didn’t find out Britain was using radars to stop bombings at night.

You can’t sneeze with your eyes open

A lot of people believe that if they sneeze with your eyes open their eyes will pop out. If you also believe this gruesome tale, then you’ll be glad to hear that it’s just a myth. The eyes closing when you sneeze is a natural reflex, probably so you don’t transfer bacteria to your eyes while sneezing.

Contact lenses can get stuck behind your eye

When a contact lens appears to have disappeared from your eye, it is usually just stuck to the inside of your upper eyelid. Thankfully, a contact lens cannot become lost in the back of your eye. If you’re struggling to remove your lenses, you can read our article on how to get a lost or stuck contact lens out of your eye.

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All babies are born with blue eyes

You may have often heard that children all start off with blue eyes when they are born, but it isn’t true. In fact, more people worldwide are born with brown eyes than blue.

Eye doctors all do the same thing

Although all eye care professionals specialise in eyes, there are distinct differences between an Ophthalmologist, Optometrist and Optician.

Eye exercises improve your vision

Doing eye exercises won't give you good vision, however, eye yoga can aid eye fatigue which is especially helpful for those who spend a lot of time in front of screens.

Eye twitching means someone is thinking about you

Although we technically can’t prove that someone isn’t thinking about you when your eye twitches, it seems unlikely enough! For more information on why your eyes might be twitching, visit our Eye Care Hub.

Reading in dim light is bad for your eyes

Although reading in low light won't harm your eye health, it will cause your eyes to strain which can cause temporary discomfort.

Learning difficulties are because of vision problems

Learning disabilities are to do with the way your brain processes information in front of you. Although it’s possible to have eye problems and learning difficulties at the same time, one is not the fault of the other. Sometimes visual issues in children are mistaken for learning problems so it’s a good idea for them to get assessed both for learning issues and has an eye exam.