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Vision Facts and Myths

Old wives' tales abound about the eyes. From watching TV to eating carrots, here's the lowdown on some vision facts and fiction.

MYTH: Sitting too close to the working on computers won't harm your 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, it's a good idea to make sure your child takes frequent breaks from the computer or video games.

MYTH: Two blue-eyed parents can't produce a child with brown eyes.

FACT: Two blue-eyed parents can have a child with brown eyes, although it's very rare. Likewise, two brown-eyed parents can have a child with blue eyes, although this is also uncommon.

MYTH: Only boys can be color-blind.

FACT: It's estimated that up to 8% of boys have some degree of color blindness, whereas less than 1% of girls have the same condition.

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