Vision Mythology & Fun Facts

Most of us take the ability to look around and see our world for granted. Vision is all but a birthright for most of us and we don’t often stop to think of just how intricate and magical the process of eyesight can be! Our eyes are actually muscles and boy, do they work hard: the eyes are the busiest muscles in our entire bodies!

With over two million parts in our eyes, it’s truly amazing that our eyes function as well as they do, for as long as they do. But, with all the magic comes myth. Here are a few common myths about vision and some fun and eye-opening facts about one of our most important senses!

First, let’s dispel some myths for you!

Bad vs. Good Eyes

One of the most commonly held beliefs about eyesight is that you can’t prevent it from degenerating. Most people just accept the myth that you’re either born with good eyes or bad eyes.

Nutrition and proper eye care play a large role in how our eyes react to our environments and how they age. Supplements, eye exercises and a healthy diet can all help prevent or delay many of the symptoms of common vision problems.

Wearing Glasses Helps Your Eyes Get Stronger

Though wearing glasses most certainly helps you to see better in the moment, glasses are not a treatment for poor vision. You know the teach a man to fish theory? Well, wearing glasses is akin to just giving your eyes fish whereas vision exercises and proper nutrition are like teaching your eyes to fish!

Carrots Cure Vision Woes

While carrots are rich in eye-important beta carotene, carrots alone can not cure your eyesight issues. If you want to try treating your poor vision with a healthier diet, It’s important to eat a diet that is rich in antioxidants as well as a variety of nutrients (carrots included).

Now that we’ve debunked a few vision myths for you, let’s move on to some fun facts you probably don’t yet know about eyesight.

Babies Don’t Cry Tears

It’s true! Babies that are younger than three months old actually don’t produce tears when they “cry”. What we think of as babies “crying” is more a signal that they need something such as milk, formula, sleep or comforting, but they're not actually crying real tears.

Beware of Baseballs and Basketballs

If you want to avoid getting an eye injury, you’d be well advised to steer clear of playing baseball or basketball in place of more eye-friendly pursuits. Baseball is, statistically, the sport most likely to cause an eye injury in children 14 and under. Between the ages of 15 and 24, basketball is the leader in sports related eye injuries.

Our eyes are incredibly important in our everyday activities and lives. As with any muscle, if we don't take care of them they will eventually degenerate.

While there are many myths that go along with true vision facts, the truth of the matter is we can take care of our eyes and vision in natural, healthy ways. We can avoid common vision problems but first things first, we need to understand how vision and our eyes work.