Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. Screens do not damage your eyes, but long use without breaks can cause eye strain.
Sources: [1, 2]Eye Tips & Fun Facts
Four things about your eyes that you may not know, with a new set every day. Tap a card to reveal the answer. How many did you already know?
Playing outdoors. In a large school study, children who spent more time outdoors each day were less likely to become short-sighted. Encourage outdoor play every day.
Sources: [3]No. A newborn's eyes are about two-thirds of their adult size, and they keep growing through childhood and puberty.
Sources: [2]As many as 16 genes may play a part, which is why eye colour can be hard to predict from the parents' eyes.
Sources: [2]Not yet. A whole eye cannot be transplanted because the optic nerve cannot be reconnected. But the cornea (the clear front window) can be transplanted, and this restores sight for many people.
Sources: [2]Usually not. Most people with colour blindness see some colours, but find it hard to tell reds and greens apart. It is much more common in men, but women can have it too.
Sources: [2]Yes, every year. Diabetic eye disease often has no early symptoms. Yearly screening finds it early, when treatment can prevent most serious vision loss.
Sources: [4, 5]Your own risk is higher. Tell your brothers, sisters and children to get their eyes checked, especially after age 40. Glaucoma takes side vision first, with no pain.
Sources: [6, 7]Avoid it, unless your eye doctor says your lenses are made for this. Sleeping in lenses raises the risk of a serious eye infection. Never rinse lenses or cases with tap water.
Sources: [8]No. Many eye problems that come with age, like cataract, can be treated, and others can be slowed if they are found early. Regular eye checks matter.
Sources: [2]At least 2.2 billion people. For at least 1 billion of them, the problem could have been prevented or still needs treatment, often just glasses or cataract surgery.
Sources: [9]Yes. In the first year of life, the iris slowly makes more pigment (melanin), so a baby's eyes may darken over the first 12 months.
Sources: [2]Researchers predict that by 2050, about half of the world's population may be short-sighted. Outdoor time and regular eye checks for children matter.
Sources: [10]About 1 in 5 people with diabetes worldwide have diabetic retinopathy, often without knowing it.
Sources: [11]In a large study of Malay adults, more than 9 in 10 people with glaucoma had never been diagnosed. An eye check is the only way to find it early.
Sources: [12]An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who treats eye diseases and does eye surgery. An optometrist tests your eyes and prescribes glasses. An optician makes and fits glasses.
Sources: [2]No. Reading and close work do not wear out your eyes. Your eyes may feel tired after a long time, but this is temporary. Take short breaks.
Sources: [2]No, but the wrong glasses can cause headaches, tired eyes or blurry vision. Get your eyes tested if your glasses no longer feel right.
Sources: [2]The number of people with glaucoma was expected to reach about 112 million by 2040, with the largest numbers in Asia.
Sources: [13]Myths or Facts?
Test yourself! Read each statement and tap Myth or Fact. You will see the answer and why straight away. Can you get 4 out of 4? There is a new set of questions every day.
1Eating lots of carrots will improve your eyesight.
Myth! Your body needs vitamin A for healthy eyes, but only a small amount. If you already eat a normal diet, extra carrots will not sharpen your vision or stop you needing glasses.
Sources: [14]2Sitting too close to the TV damages children's eyes.
Myth! It does not damage the eyes. But a child who always sits very close may be short-sighted, so it is a good reason to get their eyes checked.
Sources: [14]3Wearing glasses makes your eyes weaker over time.
Myth! Glasses help you see clearly. They do not make your eyes weaker or cause eye disease. Your eyes may change with age anyway, with or without glasses.
Sources: [14]4A cataract must be "ripe" before it can be operated on.
Myth! This is an old belief. A cataract can be removed as soon as it affects your daily life. Waiting until it is very thick can make surgery harder.
Sources: [14, 15]5Looking straight at the sun, even for a short time, can permanently damage your eyes.
Fact! True. Staring at the sun without proper eye protection, including during an eclipse, can burn the retina and cause permanent damage. Never look directly at the sun.
Sources: [14]6Glaucoma can steal your sight without any pain or early warning.
Fact! True. The most common type of glaucoma has no symptoms at first. Side vision is lost slowly, and many people do not notice until a lot is gone. Regular eye checks after age 40 catch it early.
Sources: [16]7If you have diabetes but can see well, you do not need an eye check.
Myth! Diabetic eye disease is often silent in the early stages. Everyone with diabetes needs an eye check every year, even with perfect vision.
Sources: [17]8Children will grow out of a squint.
Myth! A true squint is unlikely to get better on its own. Early treatment, often before school age, helps prevent a "lazy eye" and permanent poor vision.
Sources: [18]9If you cross your eyes for too long, they will get stuck that way.
Myth! Your eye muscles let your eyes move in all directions. Crossing your eyes on purpose will not make them stay crossed.
Sources: [14]10Rubbing your eyes hard and often can harm them.
Fact! True. Frequent, hard eye rubbing is a risk factor for keratoconus, where the cornea becomes thin and cone-shaped. If your eyes are itchy, see a doctor rather than rubbing.
Sources: [19]11Reading in dim light damages your eyes.
Myth! Dim light can make your eyes feel tired, but it does not harm them. Good lighting just makes reading more comfortable.
Sources: [14]12Using a computer or phone for a long time damages your eyes.
Myth! Screens do not damage your eyes, but long use without breaks can cause eye strain and dry eyes. Try the 20-20-20 rule.
Sources: [14]13Eye exercises can fix your eyesight so you don't need glasses.
Myth! Eye exercises will not improve your vision or remove the need for glasses. They only help a few specific eye muscle problems.
Sources: [14]14All babies are born with blue eyes.
Myth! Many babies are born with darker eyes. Eye colour can change in the first year as the iris makes more pigment.
Sources: [14]15Wearing the wrong glasses will damage your eyes.
Myth! The wrong glasses will not damage your eyes, but they can cause headaches, tired eyes and blurry vision.
Sources: [14]16Losing your vision is a normal part of getting old.
Myth! Many eye problems that come with age, like cataract, can be treated, and others can be slowed if found early.
Sources: [14]17Sleeping in contact lenses raises your risk of a serious eye infection.
Fact! True. Avoid sleeping in your lenses unless your eye doctor says they are made for it.
Sources: [20]18Glaucoma can run in families.
Fact! True. If a parent, brother or sister has glaucoma, your risk is higher. Get your eyes checked, especially after age 40.
Sources: [21]19Cataract surgery is usually done as a day case, while you are awake.
Fact! True. It is usually done under local anaesthetic (the eye is numbed) and most people go home the same day.
Sources: [22]References
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Computers, Digital Devices and Eye Strain. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eye Myths and Facts. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/five-vision-myths
- He M, Xiang F, Zeng Y, et al. Effect of time spent outdoors at school on the development of myopia among children in China: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2015;314(11):1142โ1148.
- National Eye Institute (NIH). Diabetic Retinopathy. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/diabetic-retinopathy
- Flaxel CJ, Adelman RA, Bailey ST, et al. Diabetic Retinopathy Preferred Practice Patternยฎ. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2020;127(1):P66โP145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.09.025
- Wolfs RC, Klaver CC, Ramrattan RS, et al. Genetic risk of primary open-angle glaucoma: population-based familial aggregation study. Archives of Ophthalmology. 1998;116(12):1640โ1645.
- National Eye Institute (NIH). Glaucoma. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Preventing Eye Infections When Wearing Contacts. https://www.cdc.gov/contact-lenses/prevention/index.html
- World Health Organization. World report on vision. 2019. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516570
- Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global prevalence of myopia and high myopia and temporal trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(5):1036โ1042.
- Teo ZL, Tham YC, Yu M, et al. Global prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and projection of burden through 2045. Ophthalmology. 2021;128(11):1580โ1591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2021.04.027
- Shen SY, Wong TY, Foster PJ, et al. The prevalence and types of glaucoma in Malay people: the Singapore Malay Eye Study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2008;49(9):3846โ3851.
- Tham YC, Li X, Wong TY, Quigley HA, Aung T, Cheng CY. Global prevalence of glaucoma and projections of glaucoma burden through 2040. Ophthalmology. 2014;121(11):2081โ2090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.05.013
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eye Myths and Facts. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/five-vision-myths
- Miller KM, Oetting TA, Tweeten JP, et al. Cataract in the Adult Eye Preferred Practice Patternยฎ. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(1):P1โP126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2021.10.006
- National Eye Institute (NIH). Glaucoma. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma
- National Eye Institute (NIH). Diabetic Retinopathy. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/diabetic-retinopathy
- NHS. Squint. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/squint/
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Can Eye Rubbing Cause Keratoconus? https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/can-my-excessive-eye-rubbing-cause-keratoconus-2
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Preventing Eye Infections When Wearing Contacts. https://www.cdc.gov/contact-lenses/prevention/index.html
- Wolfs RC, Klaver CC, Ramrattan RS, et al. Genetic risk of primary open-angle glaucoma: population-based familial aggregation study. Archives of Ophthalmology. 1998;116(12):1640โ1645.
- NHS. Cataract surgery. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/cataract-surgery/
This page is for general education and does not replace advice from your own doctor.