You’ve all heard the wives tales about your eyesight, and surprisingly some of them have a hint of truth in them. So, today we’re going to look at a few and see if we can clear up some misconceptions.

Sitting too close to the TV is bad for your eyes. This one started the day of the first television broadcast, but there’s no evidence that it’s true. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says that kids in particular can focus up close without eyestrain, so sitting close to the TV may just be a habit.

However, it also can be a sign of nearsightedness which should be examined by a medical professional.

Watching too much TV will make your eyes square. Oh yeah, we’ve all seen those square-eyed people walking around. I guess now they’ll get more rectangle-shaped thanks to the new flat-screened TVs. No truth here.

If you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way. Nope, that’s not going to happen either. But, if your child’s eyes are always crossed or has an eye that crosses or wanders it’s time for an evaluation. Right now.

Eating carrots can improve vision. The AAO says, “Although it’s true that carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for sight, so are many other foods (asparagus, apricots, nectarines, and milk, for example). A well-balanced diet can provide the vitamin A needed for good vision.”

Computer use can damage the eyes. “Computer use won’t harm the eyes. However, when using a computer for long periods of time, the eyes blink less than normal (like they do when reading or performing other close work).

This makes the eyes dry, which may lead to a feeling of eyestrain or fatigue. So encourage your kids to take frequent breaks from Internet surfing or video games,” the AAO says.

Reading in the dark or dim light will damage your eyes. The College of Optometrists website states, “Reading in dim light or in the dark is highly unlikely to cause any permanent damage to your eyes, but it could cause eye strain which can be uncomfortable. Your eyes adjust to the light around them and your pupils enlarge in order to collect the most light.

We are designed to see detail better in the light so although you will not harm yourself by reading in the dark, it is more difficult to see and may cause a headache.”

The list goes on and on, so we’ll step up the pace a bit. No, contact lenses cannot get lost behind the eyes, there’s a membrane there that prevents that from happening. Wearing someone else’s glasses may result in a headache or double vision, but isn’t harmful. Masturbation doesn’t cause blindness. Exercising the eye muscles most likely will not allow you to throw away your glasses.

You can’t tell someone’s health problems by looking at the patterns or colors of the eye. And, you cannot wear them out. Two blue eyed parents can produce a child with brown eyes as well as two brown eyed people can produce a blue eyed one. And, your eye is not full size at birth.

And, I must admit the one that actually surprised me is that not only boys can be color-blind. It’s estimated that up to eight percent of boys have some degree of color blindness, whereas less than one percent of girls do. But, females can experience some forms of it. A little research resulted in a lot of information that I’ll share another day.

Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Hospital Foundation Advisory Committee. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.