Does reading at night really damage your eyes?

Question

Or cross-stitching for that matter.

My eyes are seriously bad; I can't see a foot away from me (it's really blurry) If you know what I can take or do to improve my eye sight (without any laser surgery) that would be awesome ^^ Thanks!

Answer 1

complete myth about reading at night will damage your eyes. I don't have much advice other then telling you to go to the eye doctor.

Answer 2

Urban legend

Answer 3

My eyes are just as bad as yours.  I constantly look for ways to improve my vision.  One easy way to maintain your eye health is to take vitamins containing lutein, beta carotene, and vitamin A.  You can find specific supplements labeled for "eye health" at Wal-Mart or any other stores selling vitamins.  Also, foods such as carrots, spinach, and blueberries have nutrients in them that help your eyes.  I also just read a recent article on how eating oily fish is beneficial to your eyes too.  

Reading at night or reading for long periods of time strains your eyes, and thats what probably causes damage to your eyes.  Watching a lot of tv and spending a lot of time on the computer also strains your eyes, so you should limit the time you do these things.

Good luck!  I hope you can improve your eye health with any of my suggestions.  :)

Answer 4

Not unless your reading under a light.

Answer 5

Reading or doing other nearwork in the dark will cause eyestrain, fatigue, or headaches, but it will not damage your eyes.

Nearsightedness (bad distance vision) is caused by a mix of genetics and environmental factors.  Some people have a genetic predisposition to develop myopia, and under the right circumstances (doing a lot of nearwork as a child/young person), it will develop and progress.  In most cases, the eyeball grows longer, causing light be focused in front of the retina (the back of the eye where it needs to focus for clear vision).  It usually stabilizes in the twenties.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can take to improve your eyesight.  Julia has listed a lot of good vitamins and foods that help keep your eyes healthy.  They cannot improve your nearsightedness, though, as they cannot change the size or shape of your eyes.

Glasses, contacts, and surgery are really your only options for seeing clearly.