Reading in Dim Light Hurts Your Vision And other common eye myths

Brett Levinson, MD
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Almost one-quarter of all American adults are nearsighted, and everyone over age 40 will have increasing difficulty reading fine print or seeing clearly in dim light.

Most people understand that age is the main reason for declines in eye health and vision, but there's still a lot of confusion about other factors that help or hurt the eyes. Common myths...

Myth: Sitting too close to the TV hurts the eyes.

Reality: Generations of mothers have scolded their children for sitting too close to the television. This might have made sense in the 1940s, when TVs emitted fairly high levels of radiation, but it isn't a factor anymore.

Today you could sit with your nose pressed against the screen, and it wouldn't hurt your eyes. If you do watch TV up close, you might experience eyestrain because the eyes aren't designed for prolonged, short-distance viewing. This may result in a headache, but apart from this, there aren't any risks associated with up-close TV watching.

Myth: You'll damage your eyes if you read in dim light.

Reality: Using your eyes, even under difficult viewing conditions, doesn't hurt them. You won't damage your vision by reading in dim light any more than you could hurt your ears by listening to quiet music, but you may develop eyestrain.

Myth: Computer monitors cause eye damage.

Reality: Computer monitors are no more likely than TVs to damage the eyes. However, people who spend a lot of time in front of the computer might experience an increase in eye dryness. People don't blink normally when they're engaged in prolonged, up-close focusing. When you're working on the computer, you might blink less than once every 10 seconds. That's not enough to lubricate the eyes. Infrequent blinking causes additional problems in older adults because their tear film is effective for only about seven or eight seconds between blinks -- about half as long as in younger adults.

Recommended: During computer sessions, take an "eye break" at least once an hour. Shift your vision to something farther away, and consciously blink every few seconds. Use an over-the-counter natural teardrop to remoisturize your eyes. Good brands include Systane, Optive, Soothe XP and Refresh.

Myth: Using stronger reading