10 Common Eye Health Myths You Should Stop Believing
Top 10 Eye Health Myths Debunked by Experts | Trusted Vision Care in America
By Leah Whiticker - August 4, 2025
This information is in no way meant to provide medical advice, but contains information commonly thought to be true. Please consult your doctor if you have specific questions.
When it comes to protecting your vision, separating fact from fiction is crucial. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has identified several widespread misconceptions about eye health. We’ve compiled and clarified the most common ones below to help you better understand how to care for your eyes. In this article, we debunk 10 of the most common misconceptions and explain what the science actually says.
1. Eating Carrots Will Improve Your Vision
Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining healthy eyesight—but they won’t improve your vision or eliminate the need for glasses. In fact, the body only needs a relatively small amount of vitamin A for vision and there are plenty of vitamin A-rich foods like dark leafy greens, brightly colored vegetables, dairy, and fish. It is often recommended to consume vitamin A-rich foods with fat to enhance absorption.
2. If You Cross Your Eyes, They’ll Stay That Way
Eye muscles are designed to move in many directions, and temporarily crossing your eyes won’t cause them to "stick." Crossed eyes may result from disease, uncorrected vision, or from muscle or nerve damage. Eye muscles allow people to move their eyes in all directions, however your muscles won’t force them to stay that way.
3. Sitting Too Close to the TV Will Damage Your Eyes
While sitting close to the TV can cause temporary eye strain or headaches, it won’t damage your eyes. In fact, children habitually sitting close to the TV may signal that the person is nearsighted and may need glasses. Children might find sitting close to the TV more comfortable, because children have heightened ability to focus on nearby objects.
4. Looking at the Sun Can Improve Your Health
Looking directly at the sun—even for a few seconds—can seriously and permanently damage your eyes. The retina is extremely sensitive to light, and unprotected exposure can lead to blindness. The only safe way to look directly at the sun is through special-purpose solar filters that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. Even staring at the sun for a short period of time without wearing the right eye protection can damage your retina permanently or even cause blindness. Regular sunglasses are not safe for this purpose.
5. Reading in Dim Light Will Harm Your Eyes
Reading in low light can cause your eyes to tire more quickly, but it doesn’t cause lasting damage. Adequate lighting simply makes reading more comfortable and helps reduce eye fatigue, especially over long periods.
6. Using a Computer Will Ruin Your Eyes
Extended screen time can cause digital eye strain, dry eyes, or fatigue—but not permanent eye damage. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away or across the room. Blinking regularly and using artificial tears can also help reduce discomfort.
7. Wearing Glasses or Contacts Will Make You Dependent on Them
Corrective lenses don’t make your eyes weaker or more dependent—they simply help you see more clearly. If you need glasses for distance or reading, it is important for you to use them to avoid straining your eyes. Wearing them won't worsen your vision or lead to any disease.
8. Vision Loss Is an Inevitable Part of Aging
While some age-related changes to vision are common, significant vision loss isn’t inevitable. Many conditions, , like cataracts and presbyopia, are treatable. Regular eye exams can help catch problems early—often before they become irreversible. That’s why the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends yearly eye checkups for adults.
9. Eyes Can Be Transplanted to Restore Vision
Despite medical advances, full eye transplants aren't yet possible. Surgeons recently completed a transplant of an eyeball, but they were not able to restore vision. The eye is a complex organ connected to your brain by the optic nerve. The optic nerve is made up of more than 1 million tiny nerve fibers. Once these nerve fibers get cut, they cannot be reconnected. Ophthalmologists can transplant the cornea, which is the clear front part of your eye to correct corneal blindness. This means that, for now, restoring full vision through an eye transplant remains beyond the reach of modern medicine.
10. All Eye Doctors Are the Same
There are three main types of eye care professionals, each with different levels of training and expertise:
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in eye and vision care. They can diagnose and treat all eye diseases, perform eye surgery, and conduct scientific research. Their training includes medical school and a minimum of 8 additional years. They are the only eye care providers worldwide who are licensed to practice both medicine and surgery and are also involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders.
Optometrists are Doctors of Optometry (OD) who completes at least 3 years of college and 4 years of optometry training and are licensed to do eye exams and vision tests, prescribe and disperse corrective lenses, detect certain eye abnormalities, and prescribe medicine for some eye diseases.
Opticians are trained to fit and dispense glasses and contact lenses, based on prescriptions from ophthalmologists or optometrists. They do not perform eye exams or write prescriptions.
Final Thoughts
Eye health is often misunderstood, but knowing the truth behind these common myths can help you take better care of your vision. From scheduling regular eye exams to wearing the right lenses and avoiding dangerous habits like looking at the sun, small steps can make a big difference in preserving your eyesight for life.
Go Back When it comes to protecting your vision, separating fact from fiction is crucial. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has identified several widespread misconceptions about eye health. We’ve compiled and clarified the most common ones below to help you better understand how to care for your eyes. In this article, we debunk 10 of the most common misconceptions and explain what the science actually says.
1. Eating Carrots Will Improve Your Vision
Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining healthy eyesight—but they won’t improve your vision or eliminate the need for glasses. In fact, the body only needs a relatively small amount of vitamin A for vision and there are plenty of vitamin A-rich foods like dark leafy greens, brightly colored vegetables, dairy, and fish. It is often recommended to consume vitamin A-rich foods with fat to enhance absorption.
2. If You Cross Your Eyes, They’ll Stay That Way
Eye muscles are designed to move in many directions, and temporarily crossing your eyes won’t cause them to "stick." Crossed eyes may result from disease, uncorrected vision, or from muscle or nerve damage. Eye muscles allow people to move their eyes in all directions, however your muscles won’t force them to stay that way.
3. Sitting Too Close to the TV Will Damage Your Eyes
While sitting close to the TV can cause temporary eye strain or headaches, it won’t damage your eyes. In fact, children habitually sitting close to the TV may signal that the person is nearsighted and may need glasses. Children might find sitting close to the TV more comfortable, because children have heightened ability to focus on nearby objects.
4. Looking at the Sun Can Improve Your Health
Looking directly at the sun—even for a few seconds—can seriously and permanently damage your eyes. The retina is extremely sensitive to light, and unprotected exposure can lead to blindness. The only safe way to look directly at the sun is through special-purpose solar filters that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. Even staring at the sun for a short period of time without wearing the right eye protection can damage your retina permanently or even cause blindness. Regular sunglasses are not safe for this purpose.
5. Reading in Dim Light Will Harm Your Eyes
Reading in low light can cause your eyes to tire more quickly, but it doesn’t cause lasting damage. Adequate lighting simply makes reading more comfortable and helps reduce eye fatigue, especially over long periods.
6. Using a Computer Will Ruin Your Eyes
Extended screen time can cause digital eye strain, dry eyes, or fatigue—but not permanent eye damage. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away or across the room. Blinking regularly and using artificial tears can also help reduce discomfort.
7. Wearing Glasses or Contacts Will Make You Dependent on Them
Corrective lenses don’t make your eyes weaker or more dependent—they simply help you see more clearly. If you need glasses for distance or reading, it is important for you to use them to avoid straining your eyes. Wearing them won't worsen your vision or lead to any disease.
8. Vision Loss Is an Inevitable Part of Aging
While some age-related changes to vision are common, significant vision loss isn’t inevitable. Many conditions, , like cataracts and presbyopia, are treatable. Regular eye exams can help catch problems early—often before they become irreversible. That’s why the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends yearly eye checkups for adults.
9. Eyes Can Be Transplanted to Restore Vision
Despite medical advances, full eye transplants aren't yet possible. Surgeons recently completed a transplant of an eyeball, but they were not able to restore vision. The eye is a complex organ connected to your brain by the optic nerve. The optic nerve is made up of more than 1 million tiny nerve fibers. Once these nerve fibers get cut, they cannot be reconnected. Ophthalmologists can transplant the cornea, which is the clear front part of your eye to correct corneal blindness. This means that, for now, restoring full vision through an eye transplant remains beyond the reach of modern medicine.
10. All Eye Doctors Are the Same
There are three main types of eye care professionals, each with different levels of training and expertise:
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in eye and vision care. They can diagnose and treat all eye diseases, perform eye surgery, and conduct scientific research. Their training includes medical school and a minimum of 8 additional years. They are the only eye care providers worldwide who are licensed to practice both medicine and surgery and are also involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders.
Optometrists are Doctors of Optometry (OD) who completes at least 3 years of college and 4 years of optometry training and are licensed to do eye exams and vision tests, prescribe and disperse corrective lenses, detect certain eye abnormalities, and prescribe medicine for some eye diseases.
Opticians are trained to fit and dispense glasses and contact lenses, based on prescriptions from ophthalmologists or optometrists. They do not perform eye exams or write prescriptions.
Final Thoughts
Eye health is often misunderstood, but knowing the truth behind these common myths can help you take better care of your vision. From scheduling regular eye exams to wearing the right lenses and avoiding dangerous habits like looking at the sun, small steps can make a big difference in preserving your eyesight for life.