Vision & Eye Care, Some of the Myths, Busted!

Oct 27, 2011 in Leightons News

Vision & Eye Care, Some of the Myths, Busted!

Myth 1: We are, biologically destined to have the same eye problems our family has had!

Our eye sight or vision gets affected due to various direct and indirect reasons. Based on our family history, we do face a genetic higher risk for certain conditions however we are not absolutely destined or determined to get affected by the same conditions our parents did. By all means we should be aware of the family history related to eye problems and mention it to the Optometrist during the routine eye tests, identifying any conditions affecting the eye sight at an early stage help to slowdown or correct most causes of vision loss. Further with the advancement in the medical technology it is now possible identify conditions at an extremely early stage. For instance, at Leightons Opticians we recently installed the “Nidek RS-3000” Optical Coherence Tomographers, the OCT; image the very back of your eye, including the retinal layers, enabling us to study your eyes in incredible detail from the surface of your retina right down to the underlying surfaces, not visible by any other means. The OCT instruments use the most advanced technology to detect abnormalities at an incredibly early stage. Ask your Opticians about the Optical Coherence Tomography Test while you visit your Optician for your next eye-test.

Myth 2: Sitting very close to the television will cause the vision to deteriorate!

This is most common belief amongst mothers, who worry about kids sitting too close to the television screens while watching their favourite cartoon characters. However, there is no strong evidence that watching TV from close deteriorates the eye sight permanently. Besides kids seem to have a much better ability to focus, close-up, and therefore they naturally develop the habit to watch TV closely. This habit might get their eyes tired sooner, and therefore it is definitely a good idea to make them sit at a substantial difference, however there is no need to panic that the kid’s eyes will get affected permanently.

Myth 3: Eyes can be transplanted!

Majority of the people tend to believe that it is possible to transplant an eye. As much advanced as the Medical Science is, it is still not possible to transplant an eye. There are more than 1 million nerve fibres that connect the eye to the brain, and there is no technology currently that can enable doctors to reconstruct those connections. As a result if an injury or diseases causes damage to an extent that the eye must be removed, then the person can only use a prosthetic eye for cosmetic purposes. Corneal transplant, however, is a possibility and performed very routinely across the globe.

There are many more myths about eyes & vision that we will keep busting, so please watch the space.

You can always speak with our eye experts on 0800402020, or visit the Leightons Opticians branches for more info.