What is visual discomfort?
Visual discomfort is a term used to describe eye strain, which may be headaches, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or difficulty focusing. These symptoms can mean you experience difficulty when reading.
Sometimes, coloured filters, in the form of lenses or overlays are used to treat visual discomfort when reading, but do they work?
What do we know about coloured filters?
- There is no firm evidence, but many people feel that coloured filters help reduce or get rid of the symptoms
- There is no real risk of harm in using coloured filters, although your colour perception may be affected
- Before using coloured filters, your optometrist should investigate whether there are other causes of your symptoms
- Your optometrist can advise you on the types of coloured filters are available.
Types of coloured filters or lenses
Overlays
These are the most simple and cheapest method to test if coloured filters help. We can test different colours to see which one benefit you the most.
Precision tinted lenses
These are lenses tinted to a precise colour that aims to help reduce visual discomfort. They will often be a different colour to the overlay.
Colour filters and dyslexia
Visual discomfort can affect anyone, but coloured filters are most commonly used by people with dyslexia – often of school age – to improve reading.
It is important to make a distinction between visual discomfort and dyslexia. While the symptoms of visual discomfort are often identified in people with dyslexia, there is no clear evidence visual that this affects patients with dyslexia more than others.
Using coloured filters is not a cure for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and won’t help every patient with visual discomfort, dyslexia or reading problems.
What should I do if I’m experiencing visual discomfort?
The first thing, is to have an eye examination, to check your eyes are healthy and find out whether a first time prescription or updated prescription would help. Then, before enquiring about coloured filters, try these easy steps:
- avoid bright light and be aware of glare from windows
- reduce glare from screens (including overhead lights)
- take regular breaks from screen use or near tasks
- hold digital devices further away, when its closer it takes more effort to maintain focus
For more information, see Tinted Filters