Myth: Does Reading in dim light ruin your eyesight?

One of the oldest myths in medicine that has persisted for centuries is a general belief among parents that one can develop poor vision by reading in the dark. In many parts of the world, even today, electricity is not widely available or reliable. Consequently, many people including children read under dim light. In fact, in African and Asian countries students often read late into the night with just a dim light or under a lantern. When this happens, parents always scold the child to stop reading, otherwise they insist the child will go blind.

The origin of this myth probably relates to the development of eyestrain. People who read under dim light frequently develop eyestrain and this fatigue usually makes people think that they will probably lose their vision very soon. Other features of reading under dim light includes difficulty focussing. The dim light also cases a decreased rate of eyelid blinking, which in turn causes symptoms of a dry eye. All these features induce panic among parents that this will be followed by permanent vision loss.

The most important thing for everyone is to understand that eyestrain or stress only causes local symptoms and does not affect vision in the long run. As soon as the individual stops reading in dim light, the symptoms improve, rather immediately.

The majority of eye doctors agree that reading under dim light does not affect vision or cause any internal damage. Even though the symptoms of eyestrain may appear bothersome, they do not cause any long lasting effects.

Many animals are nocturnal and use their eyes very effectively to move around. There is no evidence that using eyes in the dark or dim light causes any harm in animals either.

In fact, researchers have followed many children who once read under dim light and discovered that the majority did not have vision problems, as they grew older.

However, several recent studies reveal that people who read in dim light may be more prone to development of shortsightedness (myopia). The cause of myopia is not known and eye doctors believe that it is not primarily the dim light that is the cause of myopia but more likely intense reading. Another association with myopia is the amount of time spent indoors. Studies from Asia reveal that children who spend more time indoors not only develop early myopia but are likely to need eye glasses at an early age. The best way to prevent myopia is by spending at least one hours outdoors everyday.

For those who are worried about going blind while reading under dim light, fear NOT. The only bad thing that can happen is that you will develop is eyestrain, dry eyes and be constantly nagged by your parents.