Most of us are familiar with the sensation of stepping outside on an exceptionally sunny day and squinting or shading our eyes to allow time for adjustment to the new level of light. While light is sight and we need light to see, too much light or the wrong kind of light can impact vision negatively. That harsh light that reduces a person’s vision is called glare.

The good news is that glare can be managed in a variety of ways. Take the example of stepping outside on a sunny day. The most common solution would be to put on a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses manage some of the extra light and protect our eyes from harmful UV rays. Wearing sunglasses, or filters as we call them at Spectrios, is one of the easiest ways to reduce glare and protect your eyes.

We favor a fit-over style of filters at the Little Yellow House because many of our patients wear glasses full-time. Fit-overs can be worn over everyday glasses, so you don’t have to go without them while protecting your eyes from glare. They come in a variety of colors for different environmental light conditions.

If indoor lighting at stores is bothersome or the headlights of oncoming traffic at night reduces your vision, a lemon-yellow lens might be the right filter, while that sunny day would require a dark brown or gray filter. When glare sensitivity is a persistent and significant problem, we might even suggest tinting a patient’s full-time glasses.

 In our own homes and environments, we can control the amount of glare through the type of lighting we choose and window treatments, like blinds and curtains. Sheer curtains can maintain privacy while still allowing enough light to stream into space through the windows. Blinds can be rotated to tilt upward to reduce the amount of light in a room. Task lighting positioned below eye level and shining directly on the task provides much-needed light without causing as much glare as excessive room lighting.

If you have questions about managing glare, come see us at Spectrios for a filter or environment assessment! You can make an appointment with Katrina at 630-690-7115.