Visual Stress & Colorimetry

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VISUAL STRESS & COLORIMETRY

Visual stress is a condition where the brain finds it difficult to process certain visual information, particularly text and high-contrast patterns like black print on a white page. This can make reading uncomfortable or tiring, even when eyesight is otherwise normal.

People with visual stress may experience symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, blurred or moving text, glare, or difficulty concentrating while reading. It is commonly seen in children but can affect people of any age.

A visual stress assessment can help identify the condition and determine whether coloured overlays or lenses may improve comfort and reading performance.

Symptoms may include:

Text appearing to move or shift
Blurred, doubled, or fading letters
Colours seeming to appear within the text
Patterns within words or lines (sometimes described as “rivers” or “worms”)
Glare or pages looking uncomfortably bright
Skipping words or lines when reading
Needing to use a finger to track text
Eyestrain and frequent eye rubbing
Feeling tired very quickly during close work

At Crofton Park Opticians, our visual stress assessment follows a clear three-step process, detailed below

Step 1: Eye Examination

A full eye examination is recommended as the first step in diagnosing and aiding visual stress. An up-to-date examination allows your Optometrist to establish if there are any refractive errors or health problems with your eyes which may be affecting vision. If you’re under the age of 19 then your eye examination may be eligible to be funded by the NHS.

Step 2: Visual Stress Screening

This will involve an assessment with visual patterns, reading tests and coloured overlays (plastic coloured sheets). If symptoms are reduced you may be referred for an Intuitive Colorimeter assessment

Step 3: Colorimetry

If overlays are beneficial, a Colorimetry examination can determine the exact colour (both shade and intensity) of lenses needed to reduce your visual stress. This colour will be more specific to your individual’s needs than that found in an overlay and is often even a different colour altogether. The precision tinted lenses can then be added to your choice of spectacles to give you a great combination of comfort and convenience.

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