Medical Misconceptions : Eye Q Test Offered to Separate Fact, Fiction

The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers this quiz to test your ability to distinguish eye fact from eye fiction. Are the following statements true or false?

1. Reading for prolonged periods in dim light can harm the eyes.

2. Watching a bright television picture in a dimly lit room for prolonged periods can harm the eyes.

3. Children should be taught not to hold their books too close when reading, since this can harm their eyes.

4. If children sit too close to the television, they may damage their eyes.

5. Children with crossed eyes likely will outgrow this condition.

6. Wearing glasses that are too strong can damage the eyes.

7. People who wear glasses should be checked every year to see if a change is needed.

8. Older people who may be having trouble seeing should not use their eyes too much since they can wear them out sooner.

9. People with weak eyes should rest their eyes often to strengthen them.

10. Contact lenses are good for correcting nearsightedness so that eventually neither lenses nor glasses will be needed.

11. Nearsighted people may outgrow their need for glasses, since they will become farsighted as they get older.

12. Cataracts can sometimes grow back after cataract surgery.

13. A cataract is actually a film over the eye, which can be peeled off with surgery.

14. A sign of healthy eyes in seniors is their ability to read the newspaper without glasses.

All the statements are false. The reasons are:

1. A common misconception is that the way light enters the eye is important. Except in extreme circumstances, this is just not so. Reading in dim light can no more harm the eye than taking a photograph in dim light can harm the camera.

2. The eye merely deals with light, regardless of contrast. If people do not like the marked contrast of a bright television picture in a dimly lit room, they can turn on some lights. It is important to distinguish between harm and discomfort.

3. Many children hold books close to read. Their eyes can focus on nearby objects easily and can keep nearby objects in sharp focus. In rare cases, holding the book close could also be a sign of severe nearsightedness. In any case, no harm can come of reading at close range.

4. It is common for normal-sighted children to want to get close to the television set just as they want to get close to reading material. People can hold reading material or watch television at a distance that is comfortable to them without harm.

5. Crossed eyes in children should always be considered serious. The condition will not disappear and requires referral to an ophthalmologist. Some children have apparent but not truly crossed eyes. In such cases, the apparent crossing is due to a broad bridge to the nose. As the nose matures, this apparent crossing will lessen and disappear.

6. Glasses treat light, not the eye. Incorrect glasses will not damage eyes but may result in blurring, which causes discomfort and may lead to a headache.

7. Glasses have nothing to do with the health of the eyes. As long as an individual is happy with the vision when wearing the present glasses, there is little reason to check for change.

8. There is no evidence that using the eyes can wear them out.

9. Conversely, eyes that are “bad” for whatever reason did not get this way from overuse and can in no way be improved by rest.

10. Only incorrectly fitted contact lenses can change the shape of the cornea to give the appearance of having corrected myopia. Intentionally fitting contact lenses in an incorrect manner is considered risky, since permanent harm to the eyes has been known to result from improperly fitted lenses.

11. All people become presbyopic with age. This has nothing to do with nearsightedness or farsightedness.

12. Since a cataract is an opacity in the lens of the eye and since in the standard cataract operation the entire lens is removed, the lens and, therefore, the cataract cannot grow back.

13. A common misconception is that a cataract is a growth or film that covers the eye. A cataract is merely an imperfection in the transparency of the normal lens of the eye. If the transparency is impaired to the point of significant visual impairment, the entire lens is removed.

14. People who are nearsighted to a certain extent can always read without glasses, no matter what their age. Sometimes a cataract will cause an eye to become nearsighted, giving what has been referred to as “second sight.” Thus, the ability to read without glasses in old age means nearsightedness, either since youth or due to cataract.