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Good vision facts and fairy tales

By TIMES STAFF
Published October 30, 2005

Will eating carrots help to improve your vision? Will sitting too close to the television impair your eyesight?

Here are a few facts and myths. Let's see if you can determine which is which.

Vision loss from eye diseases will increase as Americans age.

Fact.

According to the National Eye Institute, vision loss is becoming a major public health problem. Researchers have found that by the time a person is 60 years old, he or she needs up to 15 times more light than when that person was 10. Try using a metal halide reading lamp to see better and reduce eyestrain. Microsun makes lamps that offer a close simulation to the sun, creating a brighter, whiter light, and the lamp uses 68 watts of energy, which is less than many incandescent and florescent bulbs.

Eating carrots will improve your sight.

Fact.

Carrots are high in vitamin A, which is essential for good vision; however, a person only needs a very small dose. Milk, cheese, egg yolk, nectarines and liver, to name a few, also contain vitamin A.

Sitting too closely to the television will damage your vision.

Myth.

Although it may cause a headache, it won't damage your vision. Reading in dim or dull light also can cause headaches.

There's nothing a person can do to prevent vision loss.

Myth.

Blurred vision or flashes of light should be brought to your doctor's attention at the first sign. If an eyesight problem is detected early, there may be corrective treatments or at least the loss of vision can be halted or slowed.

Looking straight at the sun can damage your sight.

Fact.

Looking directly at the sun will cause a headache, just like sitting too close to the television, but it also can cause permanent eye damage. Ultraviolet exposure has been linked to eye disorders such as macular degeneration, solar retinitis and corneal dystrophies. Be sure to protect your eyes with UV sunglasses.

The leading cause of blindness in adults is a complication of diabetes, called diabetic retinopathy.

True.

According to the National Eye Institute, the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely that person is to develop diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes can damage blood vessels inside the retina, and a healthy retina is vital for good vision. People with diabetes should have regular examinations.

For information about Microsun lamps, log on to www.microsun.com or call toll-free 1-888-526-0033 for information.

-- Source: ARA Content

[Last modified October 28, 2005, 14:05:39]