No matter how many times you were told not to cross your eyes, you still did it. Somehow, your eyes didn’t end up “staying that way.” These types of eye-related tales have been passed down from generation to generation (mostly by well-meaning, highly-frustrated parents and caretakers of precocious children).
The problem is that some vision facts aren’t myths, like the damage that can be caused by sun exposure. Because the team at Stoggles is nothing if not incredibly vision-serious, we’ll help you separate fact from fiction and tell you once and for all if sitting too close to the television will cause you to end up in glasses by the time you’re 30.
Seven Vision Myths (and the Science That Busts or Supports Them)
We’ve heard them all, and you have too. Staring at the sun will cause blindness, crossing your eyes will cause them to lock into place, and all babies are born with blue eyes.
Here, we’ll discuss the top seven vision myths and tell you why they are or are not true.
1. Crossing Your Eyes
You did it repeatedly as a child, whether to trigger your parents or impress your friends. As you’ve probably already guessed, crossing your eyes will not cause them to lock permanently into place. Your eye muscles are capable of moving your eyes in numerous directions, and they aren’t subject to locking into place simply because you move them a certain way. (Although the longer you hold them in a crossed position, the worse the resulting headache will be.)
2. TVs and Computers Damage Eyesight
As a kid, you were probably told to sit further away from the television to protect your vision. That might’ve made sense until you first entered a movie theater and realized that there are seats intentionally located directly in front of the big screen.
Sitting close to media like computers and televisions won’t damage your vision, but it can result in eye irritation in the short term. Dry eyes, excessive tearing or watering, blurry vision, and eye strain are all hallmarks of a condition known as Computer Vision Syndrome. However, these irritations are usually more about the length of time you’re in front of a screen and not your distance from it.
If you find yourself getting tired eyes, headaches, or eye strain after computer work or a Netflix binge session, grab some blue-light-blocking glasses. These glasses filter out the blue light emitted from screens that can cause eye irritation, helping you work later, scroll farther, and watch longer than you could without them.
FYI, every pair of Stoggles comes preloaded with blue-light filtering lenses because we understand the importance of making it through the first season of The White Lotus so you can finally watch season 2.
3. Staring at the Sun Results In Blindness
This one is real. Any amount of sun can damage your vision. This is because UV rays can penetrate the eye and reach the retina, where retinal cells can be damaged. Even looking at the sun for a few seconds without proper protection can be harmful, and regular sunglasses are not designed for sun-gazing.
If you really can’t resist the urge to stare at the burning ball of fire, you’ll need a pair of specialized glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. This type of eyewear is safe for viewing solar eclipses or scratching that stare-at-the-sun itch.
For regular sun protection, you need UV-blocking lenses. Every time you are exposed to UV rays, whether outdoors or indoors, UV glasses are a must. That’s why we craft every pair of Stoggles from ultra-lightweight polycarbonate material, which is naturally UV-blocking. The polycarbonate allows us to provide UV protection without a heavy tint, so you can still see what’s going on even on cloudy days.
Not just that, but Stoggles go one step further. Our unique Top and Side Shields provide further coverage around the eyes than conventional sunglasses. Ensuring your eyes are protected from all sides, not just the front.
4. All Babies Are Born with Blue Eyes
Debatable. When a baby is born, their eyes naturally lack the total amount of melanin they’ll have as the eyes continue to form. This can result in eyes that appear blue initially but later change colors. It does not, however, mean that the baby has truly been born with blue eyes.
In fact, it can take up to a full year to determine a child’s true eye color. Something to consider before you start playing Brown Eyed Girl on repeat.
5. Wearing Glasses Damages Your Vision
Absolutely false. Corrective lenses help fix refractive errors that you’re either born with or that you develop over time. Spoiler alert for readers in your twenties with 20/20 vision: most of the time, these errors occur with age. Part of the natural aging process of the eye is vision impairment.
Corrective lenses help you see clearly and won’t cause your vision to become any worse than it already is, and won’t cause you to “depend” on glasses. This myth probably exists because people who need corrective lenses do, indeed, depend on them to see clearly.
However, that’s not because they started wearing the glasses in the first place. In the chicken-and-egg scenario, the vision damage happened first, then came the glasses.
6. Vitamin A Will Improve Your Vision
While it’s true vitamin A plays a key role in the development and maintenance of healthy eyes, it won’t reverse the natural effects of aging on the eyes or make your vision better. Vitamin A supports your eyes’ overall health, but unless you are vitamin A-deficient, there’s probably no need to take a supplement. Your doc can tell you more, though.
Bottom line: If you need glasses because you’re over age 40, eating a kale salad every day won’t make the letters on the screen any clearer. It will, however, provide digestive tract regulation, which is arguably another major concern for those of us in the over-40 crowd.
7. You Don’t Need Safety Glasses
Unless you work in construction or a factory, you don’t need safety glasses. This is a total myth. Every person needs safety glasses, regardless of their occupation. The retinal cells of the eye don’t regenerate, which means when they’re gone, part of your vision can be lost with them.
Protecting your eyes is important because eye-related injuries are incredibly common.
- On the job, more than 2,000 workers sustain eye-related injuries every day.
- Nearly half of all eye-related injuries happen at home through recreation, home improvement, cleaning, and lawn care. So, even if you type for work, your Nerf gun battles or woodworking hobby could really damage one of those typing eyes.
An eye injury is painful and could result in total vision loss, but experts say that 98% of all eye-related injuries are completely preventable simply by wearing protective eyewear.
Not into the science-lab look? Not a problem. Stoggles has you covered in protective eyewear that keeps aesthetics as top shelf as safety.
Safety Eyewear That Works
Over the past few years, we noticed an appalling trend. The options for safety eyewear sucked unless you really love chunky, uncomfortable goggles. Thus, we created a solution that provided protection and non-sucky visual appeal for everyone’s eyes.
Keep the Stoggles Difference In Sight
Our hybrid eyewear combines the protective safety features of safety glasses with the understated appeal of your favorite specs. Every pair of Stoggles features:
- ANSI Z87.1-2020 certification, so you’re protected from impact and know your eyewear won’t shatter if struck.
- UV-blocking lenses that don’t require a heavy tint. Plus, since our polycarbonate side and top shields are made from polycarbonate, they block UV rays, shielding even more of your gorgeous face from the sun.
- Blue-light filtering technology that keeps your eyes comfy during any activity.
- Anti-fog coating, so you never have to remove your eyewear to wipe it down.
- High-level comfort. Our polycarbonate frames and lenses are lightweight, durable, and crafted with side and top shields to protect vulnerable areas of your eyes without adding weight or bulk. Plus, you feel and look good in them.
- Prescription lenses. If you wear corrective lenses, just send us the script. We’ll make a custom pair of Stoggles for you in-house, so you can keep your eyes safe and see clearly. No more stuffing glasses under goggles. And no more lenses warping on the sides — we fixed that issue with our unique side and top shields.
- Eye-catching aesthetics. When you feel confident and comfortable, you’re more likely to wear the specs you need to. Safety eyewear doesn’t do much good when stuffed in a drawer with those random rubber bands and old concert tickets.
Whether you choose classic square frames, hipster rectangles, or trendy cat-eye frames, there’s no limit to the combination of shapes and colors you can create when you’re shopping the Stoggles website.
No more bargain bin glasses. No more uncomfortable days spent in goggles that squeeze your temples and give you a headache. Most of all, you can put your middle school science lab look behind you (for good).
Stoggles: No Myth, Just Legend
Now, you know the truth behind the most famous eye and vision-related myths. So go ahead, cross your eyes, stare at the sun (with solar-protective eyewear), and sit as close to the TV as you want.
While you’re at it, level up your eyewear game and grab a pair of Stoggles. You’ll protect your vision, reduce eye fatigue, and look damn good while you do it. An eyecare triple threat? We just did that.
Sources:
20 Eye and Vision Myths | American Academy of Ophthalmology
Computer vision syndrome | AOA