Glare Reduction for Eye Problems

Glare from the sun or any light causes eye discomfort and annoyance, interfering with activities enjoyment and, possibly, productivity. If you have general eye problems, you want to take precautions to ensure that light glare does not worsen your eye issues.

Outdoors

• If you participate in outdoor activities, the sun's glare could impair your vision. While wearing a baseball cap and regular sunglasses may take care of some light issues, try wearing polarized sunglasses to reduce glare from surrounding areas. These sunglasses selectively eliminate light reflection from a certain area and block intense reflected light that moves in a horizontal direction. Regular sunglasses, by comparison, lessen intensity of everything in sight by the same amount.

  Polarized sunglasses help with outdoor vision, but if you have light-sensitive eyes, recently had cataract surgery or have constant view of a window's bright light, also wear the sunglasses indoors.

  Aside from polarized sunglasses, you also can wear polarized bifocal sunglasses or progressive lenses. If you're in and out of the sun a lot during the day, polarized photocromic lenses help your vision by changing from dark outside to light inside.

  Be conscious of instances in which wearing polarized sunglasses may do more harm than good. For instance, if you ski downhill, you do not want to wear the glasses, as they will block light reflecting off icy patches. This lets you know of upcoming hazards).

  Also, avoid wearing polarized sunglasses if you need to view images that liquid crystal displays (LCD) display on instrument panels (for instance, if you're boating, driving or flying a plane, remove them when necessary, to make important decisions). Polarized sunglasses also may affect your ability to view items like an ATM's digital screen, your cell phone and GPS unit.

Driving

• When you experience strong sun during daytime driving, wear polarized sunglasses to reduce the direct light from your eyes, but not so much that the lenses make your view too dark. In regards to nighttime driving, some manufacturers claim that tinted glasses could help by reducing the glare of oncoming headlights. However, according to the Sunglass Association of America, they actually reduce your ability to see a roadway's darker portions.

  If you normally wear spectacles and have general eye problems, wear spectacles with clear lenses and an anti-reflective (AR) coating when driving in the evening. AR coating increases the lens' light transmission to your eye and minimizes internal reflections within the lenses (reducing halo problems).

Computer Screens

• Many people experience glare on their computer screen, which may cause chronic headaches and much eyestrain. Position your monitor so it does not reflect bright light sources. Sit at least an arm's length from your screen (between 45 to 60 cm). Make sure the room's illumination is no more than three times brighter than your screen, and take regular-interval breaks from sitting at the computer.

  Use an anti-glare screen or product--such as a glare guard or an LCD glare filter--to eliminate or reduce overhead or direct light, or move your station to an area with limited glare, that has no light above your head or coming in through curtained widows

  Other methods to try in combating glare on your computer screen include AR coatings, tinted glass or plastic layer or circular polarizer, each which you use in conjunction with another glare-reducing method for best results. You also can use an inexpensive black mesh screen or a screen hood, the latter which is limited because it does not reduce glare from its primary sources--light or illuminated areas behind you or that face your computer screen.