Eye Health, Debunking the Lies We Tell Our Kids About Their Eyeballs

This is probably going to be the worst thing I will ever write in my life! I can write sad, happy, humorous and even scary however, for me the most disturbing thing ever is the mere thought of eyeballs and things that can happen to them.

Back in my days as a child, we definitely heard this one all the time. For years I lived in fear of what would happen to my eyes if I even accidentally crossed them. This may have even been what sparked my eyeball phobia to begin with. The truth is, this condition is caused by other underlying medical issues and can usually be corrected with treatment by a doctor. Crossing your eyes will not freeze them that way, the will always return to normal position.

Carrots are a great source of vitamin A, (and so are many other things) which is great for your overall eye, skin, hair, nails, immune system health. However, carrots will not give you any sort of super eyesight. This was actually a rumor started back in WWII by the british military in an effort to hide their RADAR technology. They spread word that their pilots had superior night vision due to their high carrot diet.

Personally, I do not enjoy being super close to the tv. I have seen plenty of children do it though. In each case, it wasn't that the tv was causing vision problems, it was that sitting that close to the tv was a sign that vision problems were already present.

Back in the days when reading a book was a major form of entertainment for kids, I was definitely one who would sneak a book under my blankets at night and try to read. I also got the lecture each time I got caught that I was ruining my eyes by reading in the dark. Now a days, I have more of an issue reading if it is too bright! Currently, there is not solid evidence that reading in dim light can hurt your eyes. Your eyes adjust to light and darkness. This being said, reading in the dark can put a bit of a strain on your eyes and in the first ten years of a humans life, while the eye is going through major developmental changes, the strain could have an effect on development.

Putting on a friends glasses is not going to damage your eyes. When you do this, you are not going to be able to see to the best of your ability while the glasses are on you. It could also cause a headache if you wear them for too long. It will not however, ruin your vision.

So now that we know some things that are NOT true, let's talk about habits that will definitely affect your eyesight...

UV rays will not immediately burn your eyeballs out of your head however, they can be harmful. It is important to wear sunglasses for protection.

Conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can cause eyes problems such as vision loss. Be sure to eat healthy and exercise in order to help control these issues.

Smoking affects nearly every organ in your body including your eyes. Smoking can cause eye issues such as cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes, infant eyes disease, uveitis and diabetic retinopathy.

Staring at a computer, phone, tablet or tv for too long can cause issues such as blurry vision, dry eyes, headaches as well as muscle pain.

I shouldn't even have to stress the importance of wearing safety glasses. The things that could happen to your eyes without them are the things my nightmares are made of! I even wear them when I am enjoying my favorite hobby, wood burning as it helps keep the smoke from my eyes.

Never skip an eye exam. Ignoring problems will only cause them to get worse. This is especially important for your children who may not know they have an issue. My daughter has been struggling in school with her reading and it was only this year that we found out she had developed a condition that if left untreated could have led to her having a lazy eye.

She never complained of vision issues and her previous eye exams were fine. She did not realize a problem due to her age and the fact that her good eye was compensating for her bad eye which was causing her bad eye to completely shut down. Now she wears glasses and is doing much better in school!

Happy Eyeball Health!!!