Common myths about eyes

Wearing glasses does not weaken your eyes, neither does wearing the wrong ones.

You can't strengthen your eyes by not wearing glasses when you need them - you just don't see so well.

There are no exercises that will improve your sight. The only effect rolling your eyes has, is to strengthen the muscles that move them.

You cannot wear your eyes out by using them. If you lose sight in one eye, there is no extra work or strain on the other. As you get older, there is no way of delaying the need for reading glasses by limiting your reading.

Remember your mother warning you against reading under the bedclothes by torchlight, because it would affect your eyesight?
She was wrong!

Watching television cannot damage your sight, neither does sitting close to it. The same goes for VDUs and photocopiers.

Sunglasses are not bad for your sight.

Contact lenses cannot get lost behind your eyes.

And finally:
(And this is the most common myth of all)
During an operation, the eye is never taken out onto the cheek and replaced afterwards - it is physically impossible! (The optic nerve is not elastic.)


(Taken from Eyes Their problems and treatments by Michael Glasspool FRCS: Martin Dunitz 1984)