Common myths about eye health
Health is one of the topics that many people like to talk about and give their own unprofessional opinions. These are turning into widely credited myths that are hard to disprove
Today, I decided to write an article that would put a smile on your face. Most of the advice about health you hear from elder people are unfortunately generally myth. But, since we start to hear these myths since childhood, when we hear that the opposite is true we try not to believe it in order to stay faithful to our memories. This article will discuss some myths about eye health.Reading at dark would impair your eye sight! Really?Some of you might have a habit of reading in the dark in your bedroom at late hours. You may read a book at night before going to sleep just to relieve yourself or clear up your mind after a stressful day. If you do the same, I am sure that at some point in your life you have heard that this habit would impair your eyesight. No one knows where this info came from, and there are a lot of people who believe in this without question!Scientists who perform research on the effect of reading in the dark on eyesight have found different results. This research has shown that reading in the dark will increase your focusing power, will significantly reduce eyelid blinks, dehydration of eye surface, and constrict your circular ocular muscles.Are these effects permanent? The outcomes of reading at dark listed above would be very discomforting when felt together. If they all become permanent, they would really reduce quality of life. So the researchers extended their research and looked at all these outcomes after turning back lights on. Guess what happened? All were gone! Scientists commented that reading at dark would cause temporary discomfort in your eyes, but all will be gone when the light goes on.People, who read in the dark, would keep the book that they read very close to their eyes in order to focus more clearly. Would this cause myopia, or increase your myopia (near sightedness)? This is now the important answer! Research has found out that if you have myopia and read in the dark, your myopia would become more severe. But if you do not already have myopia, reading at dark wont give you myopia. This is what research says about reading at dark, so happy reading!Your eyes will get stuck in that position if you cross them! Really?Even if it is not told to you personally, it is obvious that all of us would have heard this myth. Yes it is a myth! I personally have done this in my childhood, and not only this but I also had trained my eyes to move them separately! Mothers who see such children would directly warn them and say not to cross eyes or it they would stuck in that position. I don't know if they really believe in this or just being precautious.Squint eye is a common disease. Worldwide, it is seen about 2-4% in people with effecting either one or both of the eyes. Researches who look in to the causes of squinted eyes found out that it may be a congenital condition or can be acquired throughout life with either an infection or a neurological disorder.Scientists who have done research on the causes and outcomes of crossing eyes have not found any evidence that crossing intentionally would cause permanent squinted eyes. Before being comfortable about this, read on. Research has also shown that if you cross your eyes and keep tem in this position for long it will cause short-term pain and blurry vision. Be comfortable, but for a short time!For healthier eyes, you should eat smart!l Vitamin AWe all know that eating carrots is good for the eye. Well indeed, it is due to high vitamin A content. Vitamin A is important for eye maintenance and to prevent night blindness. Vitamin A is important, but the fact is we all have enough of it unless we are very sick, malnourished or frail. Only in these conditions we need to increase our intake for maintenance.l Lutein and ZeaxanthinHave you heard about these essential nutrients? Well, they are found in leafy green vegetables. The best examples are kale, spinach, and collards. These essential nutrients literally put a shield on your eyes to protect them from the harmful UV rays of sunlight. Research has found that these nutrients reduce the risk of macular degeneration that causes age related blindness. These nutrients are lipophilic, that being said they need fats in diet to get absorbed. In order to absorb these nutrients from your diet you should use olive oil with these leafy greens.l ZincZinc plays an important role in our immune system. It is important nutrient that helps in healing process of so many diseases. But when it comes to the eye, zinc play two important roles. It is the cargo truck of Vitamin A, and helps to carry this vitamin from liver to the retina for the process of producing melanin. On the other hand it is also concentrated in the retina and the ocular vascular structures. If you are a vegetarian you should aim for beans and chickpeas to get your daily dose. If you do eat animal protein than oysters are a great source, as well as red meat.
Last Update: January 02, 2015 10:22