Let Harrold Opticians Help You With Visual Stress

Some people experience visual perceptual distortions and/or discomfort when they view striped patterns. Because lines of text on a page can appear as a striped pattern, people can experience these symptoms when reading too. 

Symptoms can include (but are not limited to):

• Illusions of lines bending, blurring or shimmering
• Illusions of shadowy shapes among lines
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Discomfort and unease

Sometimes individually selected coloured filters can alleviate adverse symptoms and/or increase reading speed. Coloured filters can be overlays (sheets of plastic that are placed over passages of text) or precisely tinted prescription spectacle lenses. 

Before we see patients for a visual stress assessment, we complete a full eye examination to rule out other visual problems, such as the need for spectacles. If appropriate, we will then book a visual stress appointment where we will assess:

• How the eyes move and focus in greater detail
• Symptoms of visual stress and pattern glare
• The preferred colour of overlay
• Whether the preferred coloured overlay improves reading speed

If a benefit is indicated, the individually selected coloured overlay can be prescribed and taken home. If the overlays help to resolve symptoms and are still being used after 3 months, a full colorimetry assessment is recommended (where we establish the precise tint required in a spectacle frame by changing the appearance of light using the latest digital Colorimeter). The preferred overlay colour and spectacle lens colour are often different.