Reading books during traveling?

For some people, the process of keeping the eyes focused on a slightly moving/jiggling target (the book) may be tiring or even carsickness inducing. I don't know of any optical ill effects. A medical forum might be more informative.

Epileptics can get a seizure triggered by oscillations at certain frequencies.

Seizures have been reported in persons in buses moving under a canopy of trees, where the dappled sunlight matched the trigger frequency.

Am seventy one and have been reading in moving vehicles all my adult years without any demonstrable ill effects.

This is very true - if the person in question is driving the bus.

Not related to your question, but my optician tells me that sitting too close to the TV is not bad for the eyes (contrary to popular belief).

When ballet dancers do that pirouette thing, they fix their eyes on a particular spot in the theatre. As the body rotates, they quickly snap their head around to keep looking back at that fixed spot. This stops them getting giddy. Not sure if that relates to your question either, but it may in part.

If reading on a bus was bad for the eyes, I reckon that you would either be unable to focus, or a headache/whatever would tell you to stop.

I once got into trouble for reading a magazine on a train, but it's not something I'd like to elaborate on .

Had you been reading the articles, rather than the pictures, you might have avoided this repercussion. But then, busybodies looking over your shoulder.... I understand perfectly.

I wouldn't feel so aggrieved, but for the fact I was trying to hide it inside a copy of Playboy ! My eyesight seems to fade with each year, so I suspect my fathers advice about 'it'll make you go blind, son' may be true . I hope my sharing this experience will save other compulsive bus readers - Gents, only read at home and in the presence of spouse.

I'll try to stay away from the medical end, but I worked as a bioengineer in a vestibular lab for some time and know the phenomenum you refer to. Your vestibular system (inner ear) contains a number of accelerometers, both linear and angular, that feed into the cerebellum to enable the vestibulo-occular reflex (VOR) that normally moves your eyes against head movement in such a way as to keep images steady on your retina (For those of you that know any neurophysiology, I just did a whole bunch of hand-waving and muttering). Anyway, when you're reading, you're fixating your gaze on the written words and suppressing that VOR. Your brain notices that it is getting movement input from the vestibular system, but the eyes are not seeing movement and thinks something is out of whack. Possibly, we retain an evolutionary artifact that, when vision gets screwed up like, we empty our stomachs in an attempt to combat poisoning. It's the same response as when we drink too much booze and mess up the density balance between the perilymph and endolymph - up comes dinner!

I used to spin people in a rotary chair with goggles on so they had no visual input. If I would suddenly ramp down the velocity, I had to be prepared to duck out of the way of projectile vomiting.

So, instead of reading, trying finding license plates for each of the 50 states. Or watch for Burma-Shave signs.

I've found that you can stimulate the pv reflex by having the nurse use one of those vibratory ear syringe substitutes, with cold water. In just a couple of minutes you can be writhing on the floor with cebum intactum and ocular spinnyroundus.

I believe these devices were introduced into the UK as a safety measure.

Fortunately Spain still uses the old fashioned version which works a treat.

Yep, they work well and are used in the US. They have a very low bandwidth.

The others have given some interesting information. Nice to have the mention of ballet which I grew to like to watch. Nice that it is okay to stare at ballerinas and strippers while sitting in the dark.

Which brings us to the influence of the dark.

I have often read books on buses, trains, and even on planes, without experiencing any particular nausea or headaches.

Could be I just got used to it, though I know I was more likely to be reading while traveling at night, than during the day, and wonder if that might have obviated any ill effects. I suspect that it is easier to focus on the point lit page when moving, and it is dark out the window, than when it is lit out the window and a bunch of stuff is going by in the edges of your eyesight.

Speed is likely as well a factor. I suspect constant speed in one direction will allow less likelihood of nausea, or headache regardless of the lighting.

Further I suspect that your age has influence for I do remember discomforts either personally or among my siblings when traveling in cars that I haven't experienced much as an adult.

While some say there is a negative effect, overall the evidence would not support this much since it is very common for adults to read on trains and buses.

Overall I'd say to answer your question directly, no it is not true.

Staring at the Sun, is another matter, and is known to hurt your eyes.

Welding without eye protection isn't recommended either, nor should you stare into laser beams.

I've never known the reading of books to be prohibited when a passenger on a bus though I've been discouraged because it is said to cause motion sickness. I haven't experienced the sickness because I ignore all else when reading which seems to annoy some others sometimes.

Possibly reading on the bus is not encouraged due the discomfort of close quarters and the result someone's sickness. I remember when in the USN having the top bunk was advantageous at times and reading didn't seem to help those with motion sickness or was me eating raw oysters while smoking a cigar that caused them discomfort

That whole sea-sickness thing is odd. Couple of days ago I watched a re-run of Lobster-Men (or whatever it was called on the Sky docu channels). The guy had been at sea before, but that time it just hit him. Sea-sick for about 4 days, throwing up etc. He wound up so dehydrated his body went into convulsions. The Coastguard and ship crew pulled off an amazing nighttime rescue - a couple of hours later and he'd have been dead. Awesome good how they all did it. Main lesson I observed was that if you get sick like that, getting fluid into the body is the most important thing. You can go for weeks without food if needs be, but without water you're a gonner.

We administered Pedialyte from a eye dropper to keep hydrated sometimes when they couldn't take much at a time. It acts much as an IV to stabilize the electrolytes.

Hi Signode,

It depends on the condition of the road you are travelling. If roads in Lahore are bumpy then may be your eyes may get strained. I used to read my morning newspaper in local metro trains in Mumbai, it has never affected my eyes. May be rail travel is smoother than road.

Suresh Sharma.

There is no prohibition like that sort being imposed any where.

What could be worth saying is reading is not advisable during travelling, which is again depend upon your mode of travel.

During travelling -by cars,bus etc, the vibrations, jolting usually disturb steady holding of the book, head, spinal, legs being under constant shaking's ,reading is no more worth. The strain caused as well as disturbances makes reading no more enjoyable and sure to strain eyes in the long run.

Flight journeys and next train journeys are better for reading because of the steady state of disposition. Boring long journeys reading could be the best time pass.

Other aspects of reading in buses- you may miss the stopping's, distraction by co passengers, lack of vigilance on personal possessions etc.The audios, blasting videos in public buses are other menaces for reading as well bother pleasantness of the journey.

The best way to enjoy travel is to take long breaths, keep a relaxed mind, see landscapes and free one's mind.

BEST CREATIVE IDEAS FREQUENTLY COME DURING RELAXED LONG JOURNEYS.CATCH THEM UP.

Thanks a lot. Very useful info flound.