眼睛保健的事实与神话: 深入了解

关于眼睛保健的一个小册子 "Eye Care Facts and Myths: A Closer Look", 原文来自www.medem.com, 简单翻译了一下.

We have all been told by someone at some time, "You'll hurt your eyes if you do that!" But do you really know what is or is not good for your eyes?

我们都曾经被告知: 如果你这么做会伤害眼睛! 但是, 你是否真的了解哪些行为对眼睛有益或者有害呢?

Test yourself with the following true or false statements and see how much you know about your eyes.

下面做一些对或错的小测试, 看看你对眼睛了解多少:

1. "Reading in dim light is harmful to your eyes." True or False?
   
   在昏暗的灯光下阅读有损视力, 对还是错?
   
   False. Using your eyes in dim light does not damage them. For centuries, all nighttime reading and sewing was done by candlelight or with gas or kerosene lamps. However, good lighting does make reading easier and can prevent eye fatigue.
   
   错, 昏暗的灯光下用眼不会损坏视力. 千百年间, 人们晚上都在烛光、汽灯或者煤油灯下阅读或者缝纫. 然而, 良好的光线会使阅读更容易些, 而且能防止眼睛疲劳.
   
   
2. "Using computers can damage your eyes." True or False?
   
   用电脑会伤害眼睛, 对还是错?
   
   False. Working on computers or video display terminals (VDTs) will not harm your eyes. Often, when using a VDT for long periods of time, just as when reading or doing other close work, you blink less often than normal. This reduced rate of blinking makes your eyes dry, which may lead to the feeling of eyestrain or fatigue. Try to take regular breaks to look up or across the room. Looking at objects farther away often relieves the feeling of strain on your eyes. Keep the monitor between 18 to 24 inches from your face and at a slight downward angle. Also consider the use of artificial tears. If your vision blurs or your eyes tire easily, you should have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist.
   
   错. 在电脑或者视频显示终端前工作, 不会伤害眼睛. 通常, 长时间使用视频终端, 正如阅读或者其他近距离的工作, 你会比平时眨眼少一些, 眨眼频率的降低会使得眼睛干涩, 可能会感觉眼睛疲劳. 可以尝试隔一段时间休息一下, 或者看看室外. 经常看看远处的物体可缓解眼睛疲劳, 与显示器保持18到24寸(45到60厘米)的距离, 视角略微向下, 也可以考虑使用人造眼泪.
   
   
3. "Wearing the wrong kind of eyeglasses damages your eyes." True or False?
   
   佩戴不合适的眼镜会伤害眼睛, 对还是错?
   
   False. Eyeglasses are devices used to sharpen your vision. Although correct eyeglasses or contacts help you to see clearly, wearing a pair with the wrong lenses, or not wearing glasses at all, will not physically damage your eyes. However, children younger than 8 years old who need eyeglasses should wear their own prescription to prevent the possibility of developing amblyopia or "lazy eye."
   
   错, 眼镜是用来使视觉变得锐利的装置, 尽管正确的玻璃眼镜或者隐形眼镜使你能够看得清楚, 佩戴度数不正确的眼镜或者根本就不戴眼镜, 不会对眼睛造成实质性的伤害. 当然, 8岁以下的儿童, 需要佩戴眼镜的话, 应该选择定配的眼镜, 以免发展成弱视或者"懒惰眼".("amblyopia" 和 "lazy eye" 是同义词, "amblyopia" 可能是正式的术语, "lazy eye" 是通俗的说法)
   
   
4. "Children outgrow crossed or misaligned eyes." True or False?
   
   儿童随着年龄增长会克服对眼或斜视, 对还是错?
   
   False. Children do not outgrow crossed eyes. A child whose eyes are misaligned may develop poor vision in one eye because the brain will "turn off" or ignore the image from the misaligned or lazy eye. The unused or misaligned eye will not develop good vision unless it is forced to work, usually by patching the stronger eye.
   
   错, 儿童随着年龄增长不会消除对眼. 斜视的儿童有可能造成单眼的视觉障碍, 因为大脑"关闭"或者忽略来自弱视眼睛的影像.
   
   Children who appear to have misaligned eyes should be examined by an ophthalmologist. In general, the earlier misaligned eyes are treated, the better. Treatment may include patching, eyeglasses, eye drops, surgery or a combination of these methods.
   
   斜视的儿童应该让眼科医生检查, 通常治疗的越早越好, 治疗方法包括眼罩、眼镜、眼药水、手术以及这些方法的组合.
   
   
5. "Learning disabilities are caused by eye problems." True or False?
   
   学习障碍是由眼睛问题导致的, 对还是错?
   
   False. Difficulties with reading, mathematics and other learning problems in children are often referred to as learning disabilities. There is no strong evidence that vision problems cause learning disabilities or that eye exercises cure learning problems.
   
   错. 儿童身上的阅读、数学和其他方面的学习问题, 通常被称为学习障碍. 没有任何明显的证据表明视觉问题导致学习障碍或者视力练习能解决学习问题.
   
   Children with learning difficulties often need help from teachers and people with special training. Before such treatment begins, it is important for the child to have a complete medical eye examination to make certain he or she is seeing as well as possible.
   
   有学习障碍的儿童, 通常需要老师和专业人员的帮助, 在这之前, 重要的一点是, 给这些儿童做一次彻底的视力检查, 确保他们尽可能看清楚.
   
   
6. "Sitting close to the television can damage children's eyes." True or False?
   
   靠近电视坐着会损失儿童的视力, 对还是错?
   
   False. Children can focus at close distance without eyestrain better than adults. They often develop the habit of holding reading materials close to their eyes or sitting right in front of the television. There is no evidence that this damages their eyes, and the habit usually diminishes as children grow older. Children with nearsightedness (myopia) sometimes sit close to the television in order to see the images more clearly.
   
   错. 儿童比成年人在短距离内更轻易地聚焦, 而无需训练, 他们常常会养成近距离阅读的习惯, 或者近坐在电视机前的习惯, 没有证据表明, 这样会损失他们的视力, 这种习惯通常会随着年龄增长而消失, 近距离视觉(近视)的儿童有时会靠近电视机坐着, 以便更清楚地看到画面.
   
   
7. "Eating carrots improves your vision." True or False?
   
   吃胡萝卜能改善人的视觉, 对还是错?
   
   False. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for sight, but many other foods also contain this vitamin. A well-balanced diet, with or without carrots, provides all the vitamin A necessary for good vision.
   
   错, 胡萝卜富含维生素A, 视觉所必需的一种物质, 但是, 其他食物也含有这种维生素A, 平衡的饮食, 无论有没有胡萝卜, 会提供良好视觉所需的所有维生素A.
   
   
   
8. "People with weak eyes should avoid reading fine print." True or False?
   
   视力弱者应避免阅读字体小的印刷品, 对还是错?
   
   False. It is said that people with weak eyes or people who wear glasses will "wear out" their eyes sooner if they read fine print or do a lot of detail work.
   
   错, 据说视力弱或者戴眼镜的人, 如果阅读小字体的印刷品或者做一些精细工作, 那么会更快地"消耗"他们的视力.
   
   The concept of the eye as a muscle is incorrect. The eye more closely resembles a camera. A camera will not wear out sooner just because it is used to photograph intricate detail. You can use your eyes without fear of wearing them out.
   
   把眼睛当作肌肉的概念是不对的, 眼睛更像是一部照相机, 相机不会因为拍摄复杂的细节而磨损更快, 你不用担心用眼会使眼睛磨损.
   
   
9. "Wearing eyeglasses will cause you to become dependent on them." True or False?
   
   戴眼镜会使你离不开眼镜, 对还是错?
   
   False. Eyeglasses are used to correct blurry vision. Since clear vision with eyeglasses is preferable to uncorrected vision, you may find that you want to wear your eyeglasses more often. Although it may feel as if you are becoming dependent on your eyeglasses, you are actually just getting used to seeing clearly.
   
   错, 眼镜用来矫正模糊的视觉, 既然戴眼镜而看得清楚比看不清楚更称心如意, 你会发现, 在多数情形下你想要戴上眼镜. 尽管在感觉上, 似乎你变得离不开眼镜了, 但实际上, 你只是习惯于看得清楚一些.
   
   
10. "Older people who gain 'second sight' may be developing cataracts." True or False?
    
    获得“再生视力”的老人可能导致白内障, 对还是错?
    
    True. Older individuals who wear reading eyeglasses sometimes find themselves able to read without their eyeglasses and think their eyesight is improving.
    
    对, 戴眼镜的老年人有时会发现离开眼镜同样能够阅读, 以为他们的视力正在改善.
    
    The truth is they are becoming more nearsighted, which can be a sign of early cataract development.
    
    事实是他们正变得更近视, 这是发生早期白内障的一个信号.
    
    
11. "A cataract must be 'ripe' before it is removed." True or False?
    
    白内障在清除之前应该先“成熟”, 对还是错?
    
    False. With older surgical techniques, it was thought to be safer to remove a cataract when it was "ripe." With today's modern surgical procedures, a cataract can be removed whenever it begins to interfere with a person's lifestyle.
    
    错, 对于陈旧的外科手术技术, 当白内障“成熟”以后再摘除, 被认为是安全的, 而对于今天的现代外科手术处理, 无论白内障是否妨碍了一个人的生活方式, 都是可以被清除的.
    
    If you are unable to see well enough to do the things you like or need to do, you should consider cataract surgery. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract.
    
    如果你在想要做事情时, 看不清楚, 应该考虑白内障手术, 手术是清除白内障的唯一途径.
    
    
12. "Contact lenses can prevent nearsightedness from getting worse." True or False?
    
    隐形眼镜可以阻止近视加深, 对还是错?
    
    False. Some people have been led to believe that wearing contact lenses will permanently correct nearsightedness so that eventually they won't need either contacts or eyeglasses.
    
    错. 有些人被诱导而相信佩戴隐形眼镜可以永久性地矫正近视, 以至于最终不需要隐形眼镜或者玻璃眼镜.
    
    There is no evidence that wearing contact lenses produces a permanent improvement in vision or prevents nearsightedness from getting worse.
    
    没有任何证据表明佩戴隐形眼镜在视力方面起到永久改善的作用, 或者能阻止近视加深.
    
    
13. "Eyes can be transplanted." True or False?
    
    眼睛可以被移植, 对还是错?
    
    False. Medical science has no way to transplant whole eyes. Our eyes are connected to the brain by the optic nerve.
    
    错, 医学科学还没有任何办法移植完整的眼睛. 我们的眼睛通过视神经与大脑相连.
    
    Much like a fiber optic cable, the optic nerve is made up of more than one million tiny nerve fibers. This nerve cannot be reconnected once it has been severed. Because of this, the eye is never removed from its socket during surgery.
    
    与光纤非常相似, 视神经由100多万根细微的神经纤维构成, 这种神经一旦被切断, 就不能重新连接起来, 因为这个原因, 在手术中, 眼睛从来不会被移出眼窝.
    
    The cornea, the clear front part of the eye, has been successfully transplanted for many years. Corneal transplant is sometimes confused with an eye transplant.
    
    角膜, 眼睛的透明的前部, 就已经成功实现移植多年了, 角膜移植有时会与眼睛移植混淆.
    
    
14. "All 'eye doctors' are the same." True or False?
    
    所有的"眼科医生"都一样, 对还是错?
    
    False. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) with special training to diagnose and treat all diseases of the eye.
    
    错, 眼科医师是医学博士, 经过特殊的训练, 诊断和治疗眼睛的疾病.
    
    To become an ophthalmologist requires a minimum of eight years of medical school and hospital training after college. An ophthalmologist is qualified to provide all aspects of eye care, including cataract, laser and other eye surgery.
    
    要成为一名眼科医师, 需要最低八年的医学学业学习, 以及毕业之后的医院实现训练.
    
    Optometrists (O.D.) and opticians are other types of eye care professionals. They are trained and licensed to provide some aspects of eye care, but they are not medical doctors and have not attended medical school and residency training. In most states, they cannot prescribe all medications or perform surgery.
    
    验光师或者眼科医生是另一类型的眼睛护理专业人员, 他们经过培训并获得许可, 提供某些方面的眼睛护理, 但他们不是医学博士, 没有参加医学专业学习和住院医生实习, 在大多数州, 他们不能开具所有药物的处方, 或者施行手术.