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Did Benjamin
Franklin really "invent" electricity by
flying that kite in the electrical storm?
Did he really invent bifocals to read the
Declaration of Independence?
My grandparents told me those stories. If
you are like me, you have heard many
stories like these that have been retold
for so long they are generally accepted as
absolute truth.
Every day I am asked or often told old
wive's tales and myths that just are not
true.
Myths about Babe Ruth, Paul Bunyon or
Johnny Appleseed are innocent. But myths
and misconceptions regarding your eyes
have more serious consequences, and if
your "facts" are wrong, your eyes, or
those of a loved one, might be lost or
blinded.
Why not test yourself with the following
true or false statements and see how much
you know about your eyes and vision?
Q: The laser specialist has a light
treatment that can restore vision and
prevent blindness. True or False?
A: True! This light is called the laser.
The new miracle is that this light can
prevent blindness and restore sight in
many eye patients with scar tissue,
diabetes, glaucoma or macular
degeneration. The newest method, called
LASIK, removes all of the nearsightedness,
farsightedness or astigmatism so that many
people can throw away their glasses.
Q: A cataract must be "ripe" before it is
removed. True or False?
A: False. A cataract is the cloudy lens
that clouds the vision. Surgery is the
only way to remove a cataract. Actually,
it is "ripe" when the vision is blurry for
what the patient needs to see -- driving,
reading or watching television or sports
-- or when the cloudiness blurs the
doctor's view inside the eye and hides any
problems.
Q: Cataracts can be removed with a laser.
True or False?
A: False. I must hear this 500 times a
year. Cataracts are not removed by lasers.
Lasers have never removed a cataract. The
cataract is the cloudy lens from aging or
injury that clouds the vision. The
cataract is removed with surgery, and
almost 100 percent of the patients get an
artificial lens replacement, called a lens
implant. This almost always restores
excellent vision. Cataract surgery is now
so simple, safe and successful at
restoring vision.
Q: Contact lenses can prevent
nearsightedness from getting worse. True
or False?
A: False. There is no evidence that
wearing contact lenses produces a
permanent improvement in vision. Nor does
wearing contact lenses prevent
nearsightedness from getting worse.
Contact lenses can be very successful, but
when they are removed, it's as if you were
taking off your glasses.
Q: Eyes can be transplanted. True or
False?
A: False. What is transplanted
successfully is the cornea. The cornea is
the clear front window of the eye. Corneal
transplants are the Number 1 successfully
performed transplant in the world. A
corneal transplant is sometimes confused
with and eye transplant. Actually, this is
understandable, since we ask members of
the public to be "eye donors," and we read
stories about grieving parents who donate
"the eyes" of their deceased child so that
others may see again with the corneal
transplants.
If you have any eye questions, you should
get answers with a professional eye exam.
So many eye problems that can cause
blindness have no symptoms -- no pain, no
pus, or poor vision -- until it is too
late. It takes an eye exam by your medical
doctor or eye specialist to detect these
diseases. The good news is almost
everything can be treated and cured if
caught in time. |
