Debunking vision care myths

By KIMBERLEY MCGEE

VIEW ON HEALTH

Your mother probably warned you about ruining it with squinting, crossing and rerun watching, and your first few memorable trips to the family doctor probably concentrated on it, but what do you know about one of your most valuable senses?

Most people take their eyesight for granted, or are operating under false pretenses of what good eye health actually is. Eighty percent of what we learn by middle school comes through what we take in through our eyes as growth, education and development are connected through good vision, according to the American Optometric Association -- and a daily dose of carrots will not increase that percentage.

According to the Vision Council of America, approximately 75 percent of adults use some sort of eye wear to correct their vision, and most of those are not current or correct prescription glasses. Of those, about 64 percent wear traditional eyeglasses with only 11 percent opting for the many types of contact lenses now available in this growing medical industry that has turned some myths around in the past few years. More women don eyeglasses than men, at a difference of 8 percent, with more than half of women in the United States wearing glasses. And if you wear contacts as well as glasses, you more than likely choose the little discs over the heavy face wear at 62 percent more often.

With so many Americans suffering from less-than-stellar vision, it seems there may be some good reason to confront the most popular myths that are floating around the vision world.

Dr. K.C. McCandless, O.D., a primary care optometrist at VisionSource Las Vegas in Anthem, said some myths actually can be more harmful than helpful and technology has moved to dispel traditional myths, particularly when it comes to contact lenses. McCandless has practiced in Las Vegas for more than five years and is also the clinical director of refractive services at the Wellish Vision Institute. He focuses on pre-operative and post-operative LASIK, Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and cataract surgery. Vision Source Las Vegas is a network of optometrists with 10 locations around the valley since starting eight years ago locally with more than 12 optometrists.

MYTH: READING IN DIM LIGHT CAN SERIOUSLY HARM YOUR EYES

"No, this is false, reading in low light may cause the eyes to work a little harder to focus on what you are reading, which could cause strain and even some dryness because you don't blink as much, but no long term damage will happen if you read in dim light. However, if you are getting close to the age where you need reading glasses, which is between the ages of 40-45, the more light that you have the better up-close vision you will have."

MYTH: STARING AT A COMPUTER FOR LONG PERIODS CAN HARM YOUR EYES

"There is no good research that shows that using a computer makes your vision worse (than what it is)," McCandless said. "Using a computer can result in a condition called computer syndrome, which can cause headaches, eye strain, burning, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain. If you experience any of these symptoms, you may be helped by following the 20/20/20 rule. This rule states that if you are on a computer you should take a break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds and during that time look at something in the distance that is at least 20 feet away. It could also be beneficial to use artificial tears throughout the day as people tend to blink less than normal while working on a computer. It is also important to make sure to have good ergonomics. In addition, many people find relief by having a pair of designated computer glasses that are designed to make clear the computer and reading distances so that the eyes are not in a constant state of strain."

MYTH: WAITING TO RENEW YOUR LENS PRESCRIPTION CAN HARM YOUR VISION

"Your eyes can change (over time) and cause an out dated glasses prescription," McCandless said. "When that happens there can be some unnecessary strain on the eyes, which can cause general eye fatigue and even headaches. The prescription should be evaluated on a yearly basis to make sure everything is up to date and make sure you're getting the most out of your eyes."

MYTH: CHILDREN CAN OUTGROW CROSSED OR MISALIGNED EYES

"This really depends on if the eyes are crossing inward or outward and what is the cause of the crossing. If you notice that your child's eyes cross even occasionally they should be evaluated by an optometrist. If they are not seen and treated, your child may become amblyopic (develop a lazy eye) which could cause a reduction in their vision that will not be able to be improved with glasses, contact lenses, or LASIK, ever."

MYTH: SITTING TOO CLOSE TO THE TELEVISION CAN HARM YOUR VISION

"No, sitting too close to the TV will not damage your eyes," he said. "However, parents should be aware if their child continues to inch closer to the TV screen, not because of potential damage but because it may be a sign that your child may be in need of some glasses (due to vision loss or damage)."

NOT NECESSARILY A MYTH: SUPPLEMENTS, DIETARY CHANGES CAN IMPROVE VISION

"It is becoming more and more apparent that the saying, 'we are what we eat,' is true," McCandless said. "Omega 3 oils have been shown to help the tear quality of the eyes. By using omega 3 oils, dry eye can be reduced and make the eyes more comfortable, but can also improve vision. Also, by eating nutrients such as zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamins A, C and E, (it has) been shown to either slow down the progression or lower the risk of macular degeneration."

NOT NECESSARILY A MYTH: A CATARACT MUST 'RIPEN' BEFORE REMOVAL

"In order for your insurance to cover cataract surgery, the natural lens in the eye needs to have become cloudy enough that even with the vision being corrected with glasses or contact lenses there is still a reduction in a person's ability to perform activities of daily living," he said. "Most commonly there is a reduction in night vision, where people see more glaring, ghosting or star bursting of lights. Another sign might be that the vision isn't as clear as it was before, even with new glasses. If somebody is experiencing any of these symptoms they should be seen by an optometrist."

MYTH: ALL EYE DOCTORS ARE THE SAME, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PARTICULAR

"No, different doctors focus on different aspects of eye health and vision care," McCandless said. "Some doctors focus more on specialty contact lenses, some focus more on dry eye, allergies, diabetes, macular degeneration, cataracts, or glaucoma. The network of VisionSource doctors in the Las Vegas area is able to give complete vision and eye health exams."

MYTH: PEOPLE WITH DRY EYES CANNOT WEAR CONTACT LENSES, EVER

"Yes, it is true that dry eyes can cause more discomfort and decreased wearing time of contact lenses, however a good, attentive optometrist is able to evaluate somebody for dry eye and treat the dryness with individual treatment options to allow for comfortable contact lens wear," McCandless said. "The optometrist can also make recommendations for a different brand or design of contact lenses or solutions that work better in our dry, arid environment."

MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ASTIGMATISM CAN'T COMFORTABLY AND SAFELY WEAR CONTACTS

"Yes, every single year, better options of contact lenses that treat astigmatism are made available," McCandless said. "If someone wasn't a candidate in the past, it is worth a phone call to an optometrist to see if the improvements in contact lens technology would allow them to wear contact lenses now."

MYTH: AFTER A CERTAIN AGE PEOPLE CAN NO LONGER WEAR CONTACT LENSES

"Eventually everybody starts to lose their ability to see things up close, a condition called presbyopia (a progressive condition that comes with age)," McCandless said. "There are contact lenses that allow people to see all three levels of vision distance, (which includes) intermediate (computer range), and near (reading, cell phone, iPad range)."

MYTH: CHILDREN CANNOT WEAR CONTACT LENSES

"Children can often be allowed to wear contact lenses," he said. "If a child is responsible (as in able to clean his or her own room, or bathe without needing to be reminded) they will do very well in caring for and being able to wear contact lenses. Children between the ages of 10 to 12 are usually well suited to be responsible to wear contact lenses, with the girls being ready a little earlier than boys."

Myth: After LASIK surgery, you no longer need to see the eye doctor for checkups

"There is more to seeing the eye doctor than checking your vision," McCandless said. "LASIK is a great option to correct the vision but a good eye exam also checks the health of the eyes. It is important to evaluate the eyes for glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, cataracts, dry eyes (and) ocular allergies,"