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Eye Care Myths: Will Reading In Dim Light Ruin Your Vision?

January 19, 2012

Uncovering the truth and the facts behind this popular vision myth.

When we were growing up, our parents would often warn us with scary, haunting myths in order to prevent us from doing things they thought could potentially harm us―”If you keep making that face, it will stick that way” or even “sitting too close to the TV will make your eyes go cross.” While we always knew in the back of our minds that these threats would not pan out, the small chance that they might was enough to keep us listening to our parents.

As we grew older, some of these myths began to fade away as we learned better. However, there are still many myths that surround our health and wellness that people continue to believe and reinforce in their own homes. Universal pearls of wisdom that help to explain some of the more puzzling questions about the human body.

One tall tale that has been around since the early days of reading by candlelight is the myth that reading in dim light will ruin your eyes. We have all had those moments in childhood where we sneak a book under our covers to read by flashlight, or attempt to read our favorite book in the car long after the sun had gone down. Each time, these acts were met with scowls from our parents that we were hurting our eyes.

However, is there any basis of fact behind this popular myth? Many eye doctors are beginning to learn that there is not. To help you learn the truth behind this common vision myth, we are looking deep into the basis of this rumor and uncovering once and for all the truth behind reading in dim light.

The Myth: Reading in dim light can ruin your eyesight permanently and significantly affect your vision, causing life-long problems for your eyes.

The Truth: According the majority consensus in ophthalmology, and also outlined in a collection of education material for patients, reading in dim light does not do any damage to your eyes. However, it is possible to trigger eye strain by reading in dim light, caused by overexerting our eye muscles in order to see the words on the page clearly. In turn, eye strain can also lead to several other temporary negative effects. For instance, it may cause discomfort from dry eyes and difficulty focusing. However, none of these side effects will have a permanent affect on your eyes or your vision.

The Solution: If you are looking to combat the side effects caused by reading in dim light, there are several vision procedures available that will improve your vision and your eye sight. One of the most beneficial of these procedures is the use of a premium multi-focal implant, such as an IntraOcular Lens. This unique lens incorporates a hinge-design that allows the optic to move with the muscles responsible for changing the eye’s focus, giving patients excellent distance vision, the ability to focus on near objects and the chance to reduce their reliance upon glasses and contact lenses.

In addition to being an excellent New Jersey (NJ) Crystalens surgeon, Dr. Silverman also offers the ReZoom® and ReStor® IOLs to his New Jersey (NJ) cataracts patients. And, he provides Laser Vision Correction from his state-of-the-art LASIK New Jersey practice. If you are interested in learning more about one of these beneficial vision procedures, sign up for a free vision consultation today.

 

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