Is it harmful to read in the dark? Is it possible to ruin your eyesight by reading in the dark?

What are the dangers of reading in low light? Doctor explains

Valeria Smirnova

October 18, 2022, 16:45 MSC

3 reasons why you shouldn't read in the dark

3 consequences you may face.

Ophthalmologist at the Eye Microsurgery Center “I See”

Why shouldn’t you read in the dark?

Short-term reading in darkness is not capable of causing fatal damage to eyesight. It will only lead to fatigue, which is accompanied by a temporary decrease in visual acuity, a feeling of sand in the eyes, dryness. As a rule, after a rest it goes away. But it is important to emphasize the details. We tell you what can be dangerous reading in poor lighting.

By the way, reading lying down is also not recommended. Read more about it in the material at the link.

Зміст

The appearance of symptoms of myopia

It is important to create the most favorable conditions for prolonged visual load: this is the ergonomics of the workplace, the level of illumination of the general and working space, the distance to the surface of the object, the contrast between the object and the background. Compliance with these factors reduces the symptoms of visual fatigue. While reading in low light conditions creates tension, impedes blood supply to the head and eyes, which can lead to symptoms of myopia.

Eye fatigue

In low light conditions, the pupil dilates reflexively. The wider the pupil becomes, the more light reaches the retina. This makes it possible to distinguish objects in twilight conditions, but on the other hand leads to an increase in the number of deviations. Light waves are not focused precisely on the retina and can create “interference”, which complicates the work of the visual analyzer and leads to eye fatigue from long work in such conditions.

Increased intraocular pressure

People with farsightedness and initial cataract have anatomical prerequisites for increased intraocular pressure (the size of the anterior chamber of the eye is smaller than average, which reduces the path of outflow of intraocular fluid). When dilating the pupil, the edge of the iris creates an additional obstacle to the outflow of fluid from the eye, and the position with the head tilted over the book contributes to the displacement of the lens forward. The combination of these factors can lead to a short-term increase in intraocular pressure and even an attack of glaucoma.

It is very important that reading in the dark is not a habit, and the workplace, where we spend most of our time, is properly organized. Read more about this in the article at the link.