Despite being one of the most important parts of our body, there is a lot we do not know about our eyes, and how they react to different types of light.
This has become important as many people who work from home have started to feel the effects of eye strain and computer vision syndrome, for reasons similar to the urban myth that you should not read in the dark or under dim light, with many people buying designer desk lamps to avoid this.
Whilst having a well-placed desk lamp can help to reduce eye strain, it does not necessarily mean that not having one will lead to major, permanent vision damage.
This theory was, in fact, debunked in 2007 in a study published by the British Medical Journal, which highlights that whilst staring at a computer screen or reading in low light causes eye strain it does not actually damage eyes.
However, a desk lamp can help to reduce tiredness in our eyes, which can affect how much we can read, as well as our ability to focus our eyes quickly.
The reason for this is that when we stare at a screen in a dark room, our eyes dilate to allow in more light, and a desk lamp can help cut down on this eye strain, especially when placed behind the computer screen, as it creates a diffusion of light.
This, in combination with the 20-20-20 technique (every 20 minutes, stare at an object 20ft away for 20 seconds), blinking regularly and using mists and eye drops can help reduce computer vision syndrome and ensure your eyes feel better when you use them more.