Many of us have been told countless times by our parents not to do something or we will ruin our eyes, but how many of these things are actually true. Here I have listed 5 things that I remember hearing about while I was growing up.

Is it true that sitting too close to the television will cause you to need glasses?

Parents have been telling kids that if they sit too close to the TV they will ruin their eyes ever since the television was invented. The truth is that sitting too close to the TV will not ruin your eyes, but it can cause your eyes to become blurry and tear up, the strain to your eye muscles can also cause headaches but the effects will go away after you turn the TV off, and will not require you to go and get prescription glasses. If you find yourself or someone you know constantly sitting very close to the television it may be a sign that they are having problems seeing and may need glasses.

Will eating carrots stop me from needing glasses?

The short answer to this is no, the explanation is much longer. Carrots and many other vegetables contain Beta Carotene in them. When ingested the body turns Beta Carotene into a form of Vitamin A called retinal, which combines with another protein and more or less helps feed and strengthen the rods and cones in the eyes and helps feed the receptors that you need to see. A vitamin A deficiency will cause poor night vision, and as teh vitamin defency gets worse your eyesight will start to deteriorate and in extreme cases can cause blindness, but loading your body with Beta Carotene will not prevent you from needing glasses.

Is it true that what you use to stimulate your child's interest can affect your child's vision when they grow up?

Yes and no. When a child first opens their eyes their sight is blurred. As they try to look around the blurred reception will actually stimulate the eye growth that is needed for them to be able to see. Over the next 16 years your eyes will continue to grow. Many believe that children that read more at an early age develop their nearsightedness and those who play outdoors more will develop a better ability to see over a distance. This does not mean if your child spends lots of time outside they will need glasses for reading, or that reading will cause you to need prescription glasses for distance, it just means they may develop one type better than the other.

Does staring at a light cause eye problems that will require eyeglasses?
While it is not good for the eyes to stare into a light, there is no evidence at all that shows looking into a light will cause a person to require prescription eyeglasses when they get older. However, if you find that your child is starring into a light they may be bored. Try giving them a toy with bright colors and chances are they will stop staring at the light.

Can dyslexia be cured with glasses?

No, dyslexia is not caused by poor vision, and can't be corrected with prescription glasses. Dyslexia is a neurological disorder that causes the brain to invert letters and sometimes numbers. It should be noted that it is not a sign of low intelligence; as a matter of fact Albert Einstein was dyslexic.