Almost a quarter of North American adults are nearsighted, and everyone over age 40 will have increasing difficulty reading fine print, or seeing in dim light. While most people understand that age is the main reason our vision starts to decline, there are some popular myths still running amok out there. So, here’s what you need to know about your eyes and their health, courtesy of the Bottom Line Personal.

• Myth #1: Sitting too close to the TV will hurt your eyes. Dr. Brett Levinson is a clinical instructor of ophthalmology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He says this might have made sense back in the 1940s, when TVs emitted fairly high levels of radiation – but it isn’t a factor anymore. Today, you could sit with your nose pressed against the monitor and it wouldn’t hurt your eyes. You might get a headache, since eyes aren’t designed for prolonged, short distance viewing, but that’s it. It won’t hurt your vision.
• Myth #2: Using stronger reading glasses than you need weakens vision. Again, no. Dr. Levinson says using stronger lenses than you need won’t make your eyes “adjust” to that power. You can wear any strength of reading glasses that you want. You need to choose them based on your distance from things. You may want a stronger power for reading the newspaper than for working at the computer.
• Myth #3: Computer monitors cause eye damage. Nope. Dr. Levinson says that computer monitors are no more likely than TVs to damage your eyes. People who spend a lot of time in front of the computer might get dry eyes more often. That’s because when you’re working on the computer, you might blink less than once every 10 seconds – and that’s not enough to lubricate the eyes. So, during your computer sessions, take an “eye break” at least once an hour. Shift your vision to something farther away, for at least a minute, and blink every few seconds. This’ll help keep your eyes moist, and cut down on the eyestrain.