One-Eye-Success for 10+ users on LEDStrain

I want to add here that despite almost 3 years of visual therapy by now, this method also works for me. I have far less issues now using both eyes with new displays than before, but I still get vertigo and dizziness and pain around eyes especially when trying to work with text for longer periods on new devices.When I patch one eye or alternate them, the issue is almost gone (using only one eye is exhausting in its own different way, but the muscle pain and headaches do not emerge).

I found this article - https://www.newjerseyeyesite.com/2015/03/10/lazy-eye-is-patching-effective/

There is a chance that patching one of your eyes rests the whole binocular system and allows you to work with both eyes on new tech for longer periods later also. Most people with BVD have already strained vision even during daily tasks, they just dont realize it, since it has always been like that.

Mrak0020

Thanks! I did not know that.

SunnyD Did you try to use the eye-patch during the day with natural light? Next, I want to try that and see if I still see the shadow. I also want to try the eye-patch on the left eye.

SunnyD I did cover the other eye - the left one - last night. I was quite surprised by how smooth the reading was. I always thought that was my weak eye but I could not tell the difference. Actually, it was probably easier to read with the right eye patched than the vice versa. I also confirmed that with my left eye I could read from closer. I wonder if that is due to the minimal astigmatism of my left eye. I once read that minimal astigmatism is often better not corrected because it somehow facilitates accommodation while reading.

I read for about 45 minutes and when I turned off the light the shadow effect was there, so it is eye-independent. I still need to try using the eye-patch during day time.

Just wanted to add that I am trying a second type of eye patch that I can mount on my glasses with neutral lenses and blue filter. Covering the right eye makes the reading less clear at the distance my laptop screen is (~45-50 cm). The focus is much neater if I put the patch on the left eye. I assume this noticeable difference to reading from my Kindle while in bed is due to the increased distance from the reading source (I estimate I keep my Kindle at 30-35 cm). Fortunately, in the office there are fluorescent overhead lights of the old type rather than LEDs as at home. However, I still get the "shadow effect" when I remove the patch after more than 30 minutes of practice, even if the I am not looking up against the lights as when I am in bed. The effect is less pronounced and fades more quickly, though.

I just want to add that using only one eye helps me with most backlit screens, be it OLED or LCD. But, it has no effect on how I see projectors or frontlit displays (E-ink).

Has anyone considered that LED backlit displays themselves may be causing the impaired binocular vision?

Perhaps it's through excess binocular fatigue just during use, or actual binocular degradation over time.

xelaos yeah, I didn't know how to make that part clear.
I do not still have a problem with e-ink and projector screens. However, covering one eye and viewing them doesn't change what they look like, vs. how I can immediately tell the difference on most LCDs and OLEDs when I use one eye (regardless of fatigue).
I guess what I'm trying to say is, the purely visual difference between using one vs. two eyes is not there with indirect-light displays.

Today is Day 7 of using a patch on my dominant eye. I bought a cheap eyepatch from Amazon, and have used it at least 4-5 hours per day while using problematic screens. Here are my impressions so far:

Devices used for the week: 2021 MacBook Pro 14", OLED LG TV, iPad 7th Gen. All caused the usual symptoms (gritty eyes, eye strain, headaches, pulsing feeling above eyes, dizziness, etc) with normal use without wearing a patch.

• While patched, I'm able to use problematic screens for longer periods of time without symptoms.

• When I do get symptoms, they're definitely less painful and less noticeable. For example, without the patch, I would frequently get a pulsing migraine-ish pain above my eyes while using problematic screens. This occurred less often with the patch and was much less painful when it did occur. Also, it seems to clear up faster.

• I've noticed very little side effects from using a patch for 4-5 hours a day. I also spoke to my opthalmologist and she said that there shouldn't be any cause for concern regarding overuse of the patch in my case. My uncovered eye has gotten more tired than usual, but that seems to be a side effect of using it much more than usual.

  To summarize: the patch seemingly reduces my symptoms and lets me use problematic screens for longer periods of time. I still get the usual symptoms, though they seem to be less painful and clear up a bit more quickly.

  I'm going to finish out the day, then take a day completely off of screens tomorrow. Then, I'm going to spend a week with the patch on my non-dominant eye and see if there's any difference in symptoms.

  IMO, this is absolutely worth exploring further. I've spent four years now trying as many possible solutions as I could think of, and this is the first thing that's actually made some kind of tangible difference. I'm interested to see what happens when I patch my non-dominant eye, I'm really hoping it lessens the symptoms even further.

I would also like to report that patching is continuing to help me. I had an early scare when the inner eye muscle on my patched eye had a spasming session lasting at least a couple of minutes. I really thought it was the end of my schooling, but surprisingly I recovered quickly.

As I’ve continued to wear the patch, I’m not waking up as “pre-strained” as I normally would, a sign I take to mean my eyes are relaxing, at least a bit.

I am using it for at least several hours a day. Although there seems to be benefits to patching either eye, I mostly patch my left eye as the vision out of my right is much sharper.