Myths vs Facts About Eyes and Vision


Dr. Alex Romero has been an optometrist for 13 years and he’s been practicing in Old Towne Orange, with his wife Ly Nguyen at Orange Circle Optometry for the last seven of them. This dynamic husband and wife duo are partners in work and life, and love being part of our fantastic community. It’s no surprise that over the years Dr. Alex has seen and heard many different things when it comes to your vision. When I was in for my check up this week, we dug into some of the myths and facts about our eyes. Let’s find out what’s going on with these windows to our souls!

1. Will eating carrots improve your vision?

Many of you probably already know that carrots contain vitamin A, and vitamin A is vital when it comes to vision, especially night vision. But do carrots really improve your vision? It turns out that we eat a lot of foods that contain vitamin A like, fish, meat, dairy, and many different vegetables. So NO, eating carrots will not fix your vision or even improve it! That said carrots are delicious and nutritious, so why not snack on them anyway?

2. Will looking directly at the sun blind you?

If you’ve tried staring at the sun you know it can be quite painful. I can’t even open my eyes all the way without sunglasses on a sunny day (you light eyed lads and ladies can relate, I know)! But will the sun actually make you blind? The answer is – NO. But, and this is a BIG BUTT, you will likely get a blister inside your eye if you stare directly at the sun and this can distort your vision, as in you might be able to only see the peripheral and not straight on. The lesson here is simple, folks > Don’t stare at the sun, but it won’t make you blind!

3. Sitting too close to the TV will ruin your vision!

Dr. Alex notes how parents come into the shop concerned about how their children sit too close to the TV. Seriously, kids just love sitting a few inches away from the TV and can spend hours watching, you parents know what I’m talking about! You’re not gonna like this answer, mom and dad, but Dr. Alex tells us that it’s perfectly fine for kids to watch TV up close no permanent damage to worry about. Great news, right kids? The worst thing that’ll happen to you is you might get a headache. If that happens, just head outside for a fresh air cure!

4. Can you get Pink Eye from someone farting on your pillow?

It’s true that Pink Eye is very contagious but the myth that you can get it from someone having passed gas on your pillow is highly unlikely. Pink Eye is a virus that spreads in the exact manner as any cold virus would spread. This is especially seen in young kids in kindergarten and first grade. Children touch so many objects and then rub their eyes (so do adults for that matter!). It spreads fast. The best way to treat Pink Eye is to avoid it in the first place. Wash your hands and your child’s often during an outbreak and clean all objects like pens and pencils that kids touch often. Maybe skip the hugs and kisses that night before bed. Just blow each other a kiss!

5. Does stress cause a Stye?

Ok, so first and foremost, a Stye comes from oils clogging a pore on your eyelid. What you might not know is that oils on the skin around your eyes are actually good for you because they protect your eyes. The problem happens when you have too much oil which could lead to a Stye. If you are unlucky enough to get an annoying Stye, a hot compress is the best remedy. Treat it SOON and OFTEN! The longer you take to address your Stye, the worse it will get. Now, for the ladies out there who don’t always take their makeup off before going to bed, she says raising her hand, Dr. Alex notes that not removing makeup before you go to bed can also lead to a Stye, doh! It all depends on your sensitivity level. Oh, and if you ask me, I think stress plays a role in just about every ailment in existence, imho.

6. Is it true that the older I get, the worse my vision?

It is true that when you hit 40 years of age your vision starts to decline but there’s good news! By about age 55, the decline rests. Maybe the 50s are the new 40s, after all! Dr. Alex says that after 55 your vision evens out and barring other health contributors, you should be good to go.

7. Won’t staring at devices all day ruin your kids eyes?

The answer is…NO. Are you sure, Dr. Alex? Positive? Ugh, can’t I just tell them it will and that you said so??? Ok, fine! It is true that their eyes will feel tired and dry after looking at screens for hours on end, but no permanent damage will remain. Dr. Alex says to just rest your eyes, and after a while, they’ll get re-energized and your sight will feel restored.

We hope that you enjoyed these” eye-opening ” tips about your vision and remember if you have any eye-popping problems, big or small, go visit Drs. Alex and Ly at Orange Circle Optometry. Oh, and get to know them on Instagram!

Last Updated on February 6, 2020 by