The A, B, Sees of Vision

(ARA) - Will eating carrots help to improve your vision, or will sitting too closely 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. This is a 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 beautiful lamps that offer a close simulation to the sun, creating a brighter, whiter light, and the lamp only uses 68 watts of energy, which is less than incandescent and florescent bulbs.
• Eating carrots will improve your sight. This too is a fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 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. This is a myth. Although it may cause a headache, it won’t damage your vision. Reading in dim or dull light also can cause headaches. Metal halide lamps, though, provide an incredibly bright light for reading. In fact, until recently, metal halide lamps were only used on a larger scale, such as in malls, factories and at sports arenas. The manufacturers of Microsun lamps were able to package this light for consumer use.
• There’s nothing a person can do to prevent vision loss. This is a 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. This is a fact. Looking directly at the sun will cause a headache, just like sitting too closely to the television, but it also can cause permanent eye damage. UV 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 diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes. This is 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 through dilated pupils.
• If you cross your eyes, they will stay that way. This, of course, is a myth. Contrary to everything your elders threatened, if you cross your eyes, they won’t stay that way forever.

Ultimately, regular vision exams are the best way to keep those eyes a’ smiling, and good light is essential to ease the vision strain for older adults and those with glaucoma, diabetes, macula degeneration and other eye diseases. Visit www.bestreadinglamp.com to find a Microsun lamp to match your needs, or call (888) 526-0033 for more information.

Courtesy of ARA Content