Author: Uroš Bole

Uroš Bole

Are your eyes sensitive to light … or just blue light!?

Eyes sensitive to light!? Evidently I am talking about light sensitive eyes as in photophobia, light aversion, discomfort glare, pain, eye fatigue and computer eye strain induced by light and glare. Increasingly scientific evidence shows that eye sensitivity to light tends to be caused only by a small portion of visible light that carries most of its energy – blue light, i.e. High Energy Visible (HEV) light. This article:

  • highlights key scientific reports indicating that eye sensitivity to light tends to be caused by blue light
  • suggests a way to test if and to what extent your eye sensitivity to light is blue light induced
  • proposes solutions to help you improve your light sensitivity pain threshold and/or cope with your blue light sensitive eyes

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Uroš Bole

Less light sensitivity, computer eye strain: BlueLight filtering diet

You can reduce computer eye strain and light sensitivity with diet! Light sensitivity and computer eye strain may be due to low macular pigment, your natural bluelight filter. Nearly 80% of Americans have this condition! Research shows that low macular pigment is associated with lower threshold of light sensitivity or discomfort glare (Enhancing performance while avoiding damage: A contribution of macular pigment; 2013). Moreover, since glare is a known computer eye strain cause (Computer vision syndrome: A review; 2014) low macular pigment, i.e. lower threshold to glare, may make you more prone to computer eye strain. Luckily macular pigment bluelight filtering capacity can be improved with appropriate fruit and vegetable diet or dietary supplements (Lutein and zeaxanthin dietary supplements raise macular pigment density and serum concentrations of these carotenoids in humans; 2003).

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Uroš Bole

Glare, worst driving comfort enemy: driver fatigue, eye strain causes and solutions

glare driving comfort enemy driver fatigue eye strain causes and solutionsIt’s a sunny Sunday morning. You feel rested and you’d love to go on a daytrip. But you dread the drive! You know that in less than an hour you’ll feel exhausted, with a headache, and tension around the eyes. Like on many occasions in the past the fatigue will remain your companion all day! But what causes tiredness when driving (or just riding in a car)? Why driver fatigue and eye strain from driving? Think about it: unless traffic is nerve-wrecking you just sit and watch!? Curiously for some people driving is resting?!? This post draws from vision science to suggest that your driving fatigue (and glare sensitivity) may be associated with low macular pigment optical density. It then suggests solutions: blue light filtering (and polarized) tinted glasses, an antiglare dashmat, and macular pigment carotenoids rich food or dietary supplements to decrease your glare sensitivity.

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Uroš Bole

Best anti-glare screen protector: Glare-free computer lighting

The best anti-glare screen protector or anti-reflective filter could only be anti-reflective & glare-free computer lighting. In spite of the proliferation of anti-reflective and antiglare products computer glare and reflections continue being a major cause of Computer Vision Syndrome, i.e. eye-strain, tired eyes, irritation, red eyes, burning sensations, dry eyes, blurred and double vision (Computer vision syndrome: A review; Jour. of Clinical Ophthalmology and Research; Bali, J. et al. 2014). Anti-reflective & glare-free computer lighting is tricky, goes beyond buying and installing a computer light, and requires some fine tuning to your eyes. But antiglare computer lighting is possible and it is neither difficult nor expensive once you figure it out. Below the principles of anti-reflective & glare-free computer lighting are explained; some specific solutions and products are suggested.

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Uroš Bole

10 ways to change background color & reduce screen brightness

How to reduce screen brightness is important if you have light sensitive eyes (some level of photophobia), or if you use your computer in dimmer environment. Either way extended computer screen viewing will likely cause eye strain (eye fatigue or computer vision syndrome). This post should help you solve your screen brightness and text-to-background eye strain problem principally by showing you how to change background color and text color in Windows 7 (affects Word, Excel, and other MS Office programs), Adobe Reader, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, … Windows 10 users see this post.

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Uroš Bole

How to prevent eye strain: 10 anti Repetitive Strain Injury apps

how to prevent eye strain and repetitive strain injuries from computer workWhen you have light sensitive eyes glare and brightness are the most important issue to tackle when figuring out how to prevent eye strain from computer work. But you also have to make sure to prevent against other sources of eye strain. Otherwise you run the risk of the negative effects of computer work summing up. To that end, there are several computer programs that can help you prevent eye strain and other computer related Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI). In this post I first answer the questions what is repetitive strain injury and what is computer eye strain. Then I suggest 10 anti repetitive strain injury apps.

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Uroš Bole

How to protect your light sensitive eyes from computer blue light?!

protect your light sensitive eyes from computer blue lightProtect your light sensitive eyes from computer blue light

Digital eye strain and nearsightedness have long been known as side effects of increasing digital device use. However, recently computer blue light has been investigated. Since blue light can reach deeper into the eye than ultraviolet light, it might damage the retina. But, what will computer blue light do to your retina if you have light sensitive eyes?

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