Seeing Clearly
Experts dispel seven eye myths and give sound advice for protecting your vision.

By Yasmine Iqbal

Sight probably is the most treasured of all the senses because it plays an important role in your mobility and the enjoyment of life. Eager to hold on to sharp vision, you might be inclined to believe common fallacies about caring for your eyes, so MOAA asked eye experts to separate fact from fiction.

No. 1 - Ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians all have similar training.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (M.D.) who specializes in examining and treating the eyes. An optometrist (O.D.) is a health care professional who is trained and licensed to examine the eyes and, in some states, provide treatment. Although optometrists might be referred to as doctors of optometry, they are not medical doctors. Optometrists and ophthalmologists often work closely with each other. If an optometrist diagnoses a cataract, for example, he’ll refer you to an ophthalmologist for surgery. Opticians are like pharmacists for the eyes — they help fit glasses and contact lenses but do not diagnose or treat disease.

No. 2 - Blurred vision and dry, itchy eyes are signs of overuse.

“Use your eyes as much as you want,” says Dr. Thomas Ward, an ophthalmologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. “You’re not going to wear them out.”

Even reading in dim light and sitting close to the television won’t damage your eyes. None of the following common conditions is a symptom of overuse, and they don’t necessarily indicate disease. They usually are a consequence of aging, and your eye care professional can suggest simple remedies.

Dry eyes usually occur because the tear glands become less productive with age. High blood pressure, allergies, and some cancer medications can exacerbate dry eyes. Depending on the cause, artificial tears and ointments might provide relief. Using a humidifier to add moisture to indoor air and wearing sunglasses to protect against wind and bright lights also help.

Floaters, spots that float across your field of vision, are the result of debris in the aqueous humor, the jellylike substance that fills the eyeball. Floaters rarely are harmful, but if you notice a sudden increase in the number of spots you see or notice flashes of light with the spots, seek professional help immediately.

Blurred vision usually starts during middle age, when the lens (a clear, pea-shaped structure that helps focus light as it enters the eye) starts to stiffen, compromising the ability to focus on close objects. This is called presbyopia, and reading glasses usually are the solution. In time, the lens can become dense and cloudy, allowing less light to enter the eye. This is called a cataract, and if it becomes bothersome, it’s easily removed with a simple surgical procedure (see myth No. 7).

No. 3 - Eating carrots and doing eye exercises will improve your vision.

There’s a grain of truth to this — carrots contain beta-carotene, which is important for eye health. But eating bushels of them won’t do you any good. Also, don’t waste your time doing exercises that purport to strengthen your eye muscles, says Dr. Jeffrey Blice, an ophthalmologist at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. They are useful for correcting certain eye muscle disorders, but they won’t improve nearsightedness or farsightedness. However, exercise that works the entire body, such as walking, will improve overall health, which in turn will benefit your eyes.

“Eye health really does come back to basics,” says Dr. Dianne Lundy, an ophthalmologist at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. “Take your grandmother’s advice — eat your vegetables and play outside!”

Here is more advice your grandmother — and your doctor — would recommend:

• Eat a variety of colorful vegetables, including broccoli, spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes. They’re rich in antioxidants that help protect the eyes against damage from ultraviolet light and stave off eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Also, take a multivitamin to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need.
• Don’t smoke. Researchers have found smoking affects more organs than previously thought, including the eyes. Smoking is a risk factor for many eye disorders and can aggravate conditions you already have.
• Protect yourself from UV light, which can contribute to eye damage. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses when you’re outside, and make sure your sunglasses have a high UV rating and an anti-glare coating. Gray-tinted lenses ensure your color vision isn’t altered, and amber-tinted lenses help improve your contrast vision. Regardless of whether you’re wearing sunglasses, never stare directly at the sun — you could permanently damage your eyes in minutes.

No. 4- The more expensive the eyeglasses, the better they’ll help you see.

“Eyeglasses are pretty much the same,” says Blice. “If you purchase an expensive pair, you’re probably paying for style, service, or add-on features.”

Non-scratch coatings and polycarbonate lenses, which are more impact-resistant than traditional lenses, might make your eyeglasses more durable. Also, anti-glare coatings can make your glasses more user-friendly, but these additional features won’t help you see markedly better.

Wearing glasses or contact lenses will not make your eyes dependent on them and weaker overall. Your prescription might change with age or as a result of disease, but your eyeglasses are not the cause.

No.5 - As long as you don’t notice sudden changes in your vision, you don’t need regular eye exams.

It’s critical to get your eyes examined every one to two years — more often if you have chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. A typical exam will include a detailed medical history; a physical examination of the eyes; vision tests; and testing for eye diseases, which might not have any symptoms in the early stages. A thorough exam also can detect systemic problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even impending strokes.

No. 6 - All lamps and light bulbs basically are the same — as long as they’re bright enough, they probably are fine.

Proper lighting can drastically help you compensate for declining vision. Here are some general lighting tips:

• Set aside specific places in your house for reading or paperwork. The light in these areas should shine over your shoulder and be focused directly on your work, not on your eyes. For example, when you’re reading, use an adjustable gooseneck lamp that shines light directly on the page.
• Avoid using naked bulbs, which can produce painful, disorienting glare. Use lampshades to direct the light and incandescent or halogen bulbs that produce a pure white light. In general, the closer your home lights are to natural sunlight, the better.
• Install plenty of lights in the bathroom and in the shower, where accidents commonly occur.

No. 7 - Doctors can’t do much to treat vision loss.

Treatments for the most prevalent vision disorders have advanced considerably in recent years. Here are some of the latest developments:

Cataracts: Cataracts don’t need to “ripen” — they can be removed as soon as they start interfering with vision. Cataract removal is one of the fastest and least invasive eye surgeries. The surgeon makes a tiny incision, breaks up the cataract using sound waves, suctions the pieces away, and places an artificial lens inside the eye. In the future, artificial lenses will mimic the way young, natural lenses help the eyes focus on close objects, thereby correcting cataracts and presbyopia.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve, usually caused by increased pressure in the eye. This damage can’t be reversed, but there are many new medications that prevent the disease’s progression. These medications don’t need to be taken as frequently as those of the past, and they have fewer side effects. While today’s medications relieve pressure in the eye and on the optic nerve, the next generation of medications will protect the optic nerve regardless of eye pressure.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): In this disease, the macula, the central portion of the retina responsible for detailed vision, deteriorates. Recent research has suggested taking supplemental doses of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc oxide, and cupric oxide might slow some advanced forms of the disease. Doctors also are devising new surgeries to help halt AMD, and, in some cases, restore vision.

Diabetic retinopathy: In some diabetics, the blood vessels that feed the retina deteriorate, leak blood, or become enlarged, damaging the retina. Treatments include surgery and steroids to shrink the blood vessels or remove hemorrhages.

“We have everything we need to prevent blindness from diabetes — the key is catching it early,” says Ward. If you have diabetes, get your eyes examined at least once a year.

Although the eyes are among our most complex organs, caring for them isn’t as complicated as you might think. Maintaining good general health, using eye protection, and getting regular exams will help you see clearly for years to come.