There’s an abundance of ideas and misconceptions about vision and keeping your eyes healthy out there. At best, they’re funny and harmless, like if you cross your eyes for too long they’ll stay that way. At worst, they can be damaging to your health.
The big problem is, because there are so many, it can be difficult to know which are fact and which are fiction. To know what’s fake news and what’s legitimate, and ultimately how you can best look after your eyes.
Here, we’re going to take on four common misconceptions about eye health to help you see the truth. Eye problems and poor vision are a reality, but they don’t have to take over your life.
1. Poor vision is just an eye problem
If you have poor vision, it quickly becomes your new normal. One day, texts appear blurry or you realise while driving at night you’re seeing glare around lights. The next, you start wearing glasses, the problem is solved, and your life seemingly goes back to normal.
However, contrary to how they may seem, vision problems don’t just affect what we see. They also impact everything from our ability to learn, understand, and focus to our ability to work, navigate, and generally exist in the world.
The interconnected nature of the visual system means that if it is weak or starts to falter, then it can’t help but affect other parts of the body. One of the ways this can happen is with increased eye strain and other muscular compensation that can lead to headaches and neck/shoulder pain.
Your ocular health is not separate from your general health. And so, if you neglect your eyes, you neglect other parts of your body. In the same way, if you look after your eyes, you look after your whole body.
