What happens to my eyesight if I read in the car? Answered by an ophthalmologist

What happens to my eyesight if I read in the car? Answered by an ophthalmologist

The same applies to reading on the bus and on the train. And it’s not just about books.

Ophthalmologist of the Eye Microsurgery Center “I See”

Why can not read in transportation?

Many people like to read in transportation – it helps to distract and brighten the time of the trip. It’s also common to see a person reading on the go. It used to be books, but today tablets and phones have joined them. However, we do not even think about the damage this habit does to our eyes. Let’s look at the harmful factors in detail.

Lighting

Lighting in transportation is not only not meant for reading. Since it is artificial, it is basically unstable – in one part of the car is darker, in another – lighter. Eyes are forced to adjust to the uneven light and thus experience increased strain. The result is overstrain and fatigue, headaches.

Shaking

While driving, there is shaking, even if we do not notice it. In such conditions, the lines are unstable and “jump”, so the eyes have to make a lot of setting impulses and significantly strain the muscles to read the text, as it is not static. This leads to computer vision syndrome, as well as motion sickness and vestibular disorders.

Neck strain

Uncomfortable head position, tension in the neck, which a person tries to fix, so that it was more comfortable to read, give a harmful load on the cervical spine. The result is the development of osteochondrosis and headaches.

Aggravation of already existing problems

Constant eye fatigue, impaired accommodation, blood circulation in the cervical spine lead to the development of such pathologies as dry eye syndrome, accommodation spasm (false myopia), asthenopia, astigmatism. And then you will not be able to avoid going to an ophthalmologist and treatment.

If you can’t imagine traveling without a book – choose the most illuminated place in the car, better at the window, read sitting (not standing in any case) and no more than 10 minutes, with mandatory breaks for visual exercises to relax the muscles. Better yet, choose audiobooks!