Although you’ve been told reading in the dark will hurt your eyes, it’s actually a myth! There is no evidence that reading in dim light will cause any long-term damage to your eyesight.
So go ahead and keep reading into the wee hours of the night! You can buy supplement which can help you to get rid from eye health issues from Theyavue.com.
Darkness causes your pupils to dilate. As a result, you’re allowing more light into your eyes, which can be damaging.
But the real problem is that you’re not allowing enough light into your eyes. Your eyes need a certain amount of light to focus, and if they don’t get it, your vision can suffer.
Is Reading In The Dark Bad For Your Eyes?
While growing up, your parents may have told you not to read in the dark because it was bad for your eyes.
As it turns out, this idea isn’t entirely untrue – reading in the dark will not cause any permanent eye damage, but it can lead to temporary eye strain.
What’s The Difference Between Eye Damage And Eye Strain?
Eye damage occurs when your eyesight is permanently harmed.
Eye strain, by contrast, is not permanent – it’s temporary discomfort or pain that can result from working intensely on a computer, driving for a long time, or focusing on small print without adequate lighting.
This can lead to headaches, as well as soreness, itching, burning, and oversensitivity in the eyes.
Why Is It Bad To Read In The Dark?
When you are in a dark environment, your pupils have to dilate to allow more light to enter the eyes.
The rods and cones in the back of the eyes are then forced to work harder than usual to transform what you see into information for your brain to process.
Less light also means less contrast between the dark letters and the white page, which further exacerbates the problem.
This means that your eyes have to work even harder to be able to see the text you are reading. This overworking of the eyes for long periods of time is what eventually leads to eye strain.
Is It Bad To Read On Your Phone?
Woman Reading in the Dark You may be wondering if it’s better to read on a Smartphone or tablet since they themselves are light sources.
Unfortunately, reading on a digital device can also lead to eye strain.
According to the AOA, letters on digital devices aren’t as sharp as letters on paper and they have lower contrast levels, which can cause eye strain.
Uncorrected vision can compound this issue even further, so it’s important that you test your vision often.
With the Vision Check, you can test your vision as often as you would like, and you can use the Eyeglass Numbers it provides to buy new glasses online.
Easy Ways To Increase Eyesight
While we cannot see clearly, we understand what we can. While we cannot improve vision without the help of lenses or surgery, there are some basic ways you can improve your vision and eye health.
Improves Vision Naturally
The best way to improve your eyesight naturally is to give your eyes what they need to stay healthy. A steady supply of nutritious foods and vitamins keeps your eyes — and your body in general — at their peak.
Vitamins And Antioxidants
Two common vitamins and antioxidants that help improve vision include:
- Vitamin A (deficiency impairs our supply of a pigment called rhodopsin which is important for seeing in low light and at night)
- lutein
How Lutein Helps Your Eyes
Lutein is a pigment found in high concentrations in the lining of the retina where pigment cells help protect against excess light. Solid scientific research shows that lutein supplementation helps our eyes to naturally improve vision by this process.
Fortunately, lutein is an antioxidant found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as spinach, kale and Swiss chard.
Food To Watch
Many vitamins and antioxidants that naturally improve vision are found in common foods, including:
- Carrot, kale, spinach and collard greens (vitamin A and lutein)
- Liver (Vitamin A), including cod liver oil
- Swiss Chard, Zucchini and Brussels Sprouts (Lutein)
- Sweet Potatoes and Butter (Vitamin A)
Will Eye Exercises Save My Vision?
Many eye exercises are touted as ways to naturally improve vision and eliminate nearsightedness.
The Bates method prescribes palming, motion and visualization techniques to reshape the eyeball and improve vision.
However, none of these exercises are confirmed to be fake or exceed placebo results.
While vision therapy is a serious field of optometry that addresses problems with alignment, tracking and tension, there is no convincing evidence that vision exercises can affect clarity.
We cannot improve our vision without professional help, and there is no quick and easy solution to vision problems.
But with tools like good nutrition and diet, you can still help your vision naturally and on your own. As always, please discuss with your eye doctor.