Do words seem to move, blur or glare on the page? You may be experiencing visual stress. The good news is that the right colour can make a real difference. Coloured overlays or tinted glasses can help text look clearer and steadier, so reading feels easier.
Our optometrists will take the time to understand what you're experiencing, check whether visual stress is the cause and help you find the colour that works for you.
Visual stress is when certain patterns feel uncomfortable to look at, most often lines of black text on a white page. Words can seem to shimmer, move or blur, making reading, studying and working more tiring than they need to be.
It isn't a problem with your eyes themselves. It's thought to happen when the part of the brain that processes what you see becomes over-stimulated by these patterns. Researchers are still learning exactly why, and you can find out more about visual stress in our guide.
For many people, the answer is surprisingly simple. Looking at text through the right colour can calm those disturbances, so words settle and reading becomes more comfortable.
Visual stress isn't the same as dyslexia, although the two often go hand in hand. Studies suggest visual stress affects between 5% and 20% of people. It's more common among people with dyslexia and other conditions linked to learning or visual difficulties, such as ADHD and autism, where it's thought to affect 30 to 45%[1].
Easing visual stress won't change how the brain processes language. What it can do is take away the extra effort of reading uncomfortable text, so you can focus on the words themselves.
Everyone's experience is different, and you may notice some of these signs but not others:
Children don't always realise that what they see isn't what everyone sees, so they may not tell you anything's wrong. You might notice your child avoiding reading, rubbing their eyes, moving closer to the page, losing their place or skipping words or lines when reading, or tiring quickly with homework. If this sounds familiar, an eye test is a simple first step.
Take a look at this pattern for a few seconds. If it seems to shimmer, flicker, show colours or simply feel uncomfortable, it may be worth speaking to one of our optometrists.
We'll guide you through each step, and you'll only move on to the next if it's likely to help.
Both help you find the colour that makes reading more comfortable. The difference is how precisely that colour is matched to you, and how you use it day to day.
You'll sit with your optometrist and look at a page of black text on white paper. They'll place different coloured overlays over it, one at a time, and ask whether each one makes the words easier to read, harder to read or makes no difference.
Once you've found your most comfortable colour, you'll read a short passage with and without the overlay, so we can see how much it helps. If it does, you can take an overlay home, and we'll invite you back to see how you're getting on.
Colorimetry uses a machine called a colorimeter, which is about the size of a desktop computer. You'll look through a small viewing window at a page of text while your clinician adjusts the colour of the light shining on it.
As they change the shade, strength and brightness, you'll tell them how the text looks. Together, you'll narrow it down to the colour that makes the words clearest and most settled. We'll then check it with trial lenses, so you can see the difference for yourself before your glasses are made.
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Colorimetry
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|---|---|---|
| What it is | A transparent coloured sheet you place over a page | A detailed test that matches your exact shade for tinted glasses |
| How precise | Chosen from a set range of colours | Fine-tuned by adjusting shade, strength and brightness |
| What you take home | An overlay for printed pages | Glasses with precision-tinted lenses |
| Best for | Books, worksheets and printed text | Everyday use, including whiteboards, screens and writing |
| Cost | £60 assessment, plus £9 per overlay | £99 assessment, plus £250 for lenses and the cost of your frame |
| Where | 12 branches across the South of England | Our specialist centres in Farnham and Hempstead Valley |
| When | After your eye test | Once an overlay has been helping |
Source:
1. Alanazi, M. (2020). International Journal of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 5(1). doi:10.11648/j.ijovs.20200501.11
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