Voyager39 Hi, if you want to send a private message you have to click on the name of the user, then private discussions on the left and discuss privately:

      Lauda89 Thank you for your reply. I managed to get part of the way there. However, after clicking on private discussions and touching what appeared the text entry area, my virtual keyboard did not appear, thereby not allowing text to be emtered.

      Separately, I would like to know whether it's possible to receive email notifications of posts made to discussions that I've contributed posts to. So far, I only seem to receive notifications if a poster replies to me personally on a thread.

      Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

        a month later

        Hello

        I'm a 28-year old male in Canada who has been dealing with eye issues with technology dating back to mid-2021. The problem started out of nowhere but thought it was computer vision syndrome given how much I'd been consistently using technology up to that point going back to March, 2020 (laptop usage along with smartphone). In the past (around 2018) I had issues with my new laptop and needed to have night vision on all the time as otherwise the display hurt my eyes (though apparently some video games would turn it off which I didn't realize until much later). I ended up getting glasses in late 2021 to help though still had issues which was traced back to dry eyes which I didn't pursue much until late 2022 when it was found my oil glands had blocked up. Although the oil glands are no longer blocked, and I continue to use my glasses, I still have issues with my eyes and am pursuing autologous serum eye drops at the recommendation of my doctor.

        More recently, our main TV of 9 years stopped working and the replacement TV (Samsung TU690T) gives me tension headaches with any form of usage which has meant I have to watch on an older TV. The TV that stopped working was a Samsung UN46EH5000F and didn't seem to give me any specific troubles compared to its replacement that gives me a headache that doesn't really go away even. Oddly enough, the older TV was an LED backlit LCD so don't understand why the replacement would be a problem as it's similar technology (I would really like to just go back to the old TV but my parents prefer having something new at this point).

        I'm hoping I can get some helpful insight from this group as I've felt parts of my life taken away the past couple years with these eye issues regarding technology along with other unrelated health issues

        2 months later

        Greetings,

        Sadly, I have joined the ranks of eye strain sufferers, yet I am encouraged by this community of people taking these issues seriously and sharing information that may help others. I am in my mid thirties, live the southwestern United States, and work in the field of digital forensics (which of course involves extensive screen time, mostly in a Microsoft Windows environment).

        My issues began about two years ago, when several things changed in my life within a relatively short period of time (some of these factors seem less pertinent, but I have learned to have an open mind):

        1. I updated my personal/home Mac Pro computer from macOS Mojave to Monterey
        2. I upgraded the same computer from an NVIDIA GTX Titan (Kepler) to an AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100
        3. Our home was renovated with LED lighting everywhere
        4. I purchased an Apple MacBook Pro 2021 14-inch M1 Pro (a common theme here, it seems), along with several modern monitors with WLED backlights, to use as a new home setup
        5. I started a new regimen of vitamins (I would not consider this pertinent, but I experienced some brain fog after about a week, and I recently saw another person here who mentioned probiotics and brain fog)

        By far, the most impactful factor seemed to be the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the modern screens connected to it. My symptoms were:

        1. Eye focus problems (shifting between UI elements on the screen felt like I had to completely re-focus)
        2. A sensation that everything on the screen was constantly moving under my eyes
        3. An uncomfortable sensation similar to a flashlight being pointed into my eyes
        4. After a period of time, a feeling of pinching between my eyes, headache, slight vertigo, dizziness, etc.

        After extensive research and trying many suggested remedies (operating system settings, ICC calibration profiles, different monitor models, etc.), I cut my losses (of several thousand dollars), sold the MacBook, sold/returned the newer monitors, and went back to my original setup (still running macOS Monterey). I also tried to reduce LED home lighting usage and rely more on incandescent desk lamps. While my most acute symptoms were alleviated, I was never the same as before. I am now sensitive to most LED-backlit monitors made after around 2015, including the high-refresh gaming monitor I had previously used for years without problem (I believe those who noted the switch to red phosphors for LED backlights in the mid 2010s are onto something). No modern MacBooks are usable for me, and even the 2015 MacBook Pro (which I had used for years as a secondary machine) now gives me issues after a period of time. My Mac Pro (with older monitors) is tolerable for moderate use, but after a few days of heavy use I will have bloodshot eyes, headaches for several days, etc.

        Currently, a comfortable setup is my Windows machines at work, connected to older monitors from the early 2010s. Actually, the most comfortable machine for me hands-down is a colleague’s machine at work, an older HP Zbook 15u G4 running Windows 10 (not sure which panel, as there were several configuration options). I can use my iPhone 6S and iPad Air 2 all day. Getting a good night’s sleep seems to be a huge help, although that is difficult at times with work-related stress and small children at home.

        As far as I can tell, my main sensitivity seems to be to modern LED monitor backlights. My secondary sensitivity seems to relate to macOS, whether it be the UI (blurry fonts seemingly completely unaware of pixel boundaries), temporal dithering, GPU drivers, etc. I do not believe my particular issue is related to PWM, as my work-issued iPhone 12 does not seem to bother me.

        I am still on my journey of learning, and I hope to contribute to the brain trust here as I learn more, as well as to help raise general awareness about our condition(s). Thanks once again to all who have contributed here.

          2 months later

          Hi there, I'm in Maryland near DC. I work as an editor and writing coach for novelists. I'm in my 40's. I had brain surgery to remove a tumor in 2018 and I've had LOTS of vision trouble, but have only recently learned that LEDs are part of the problem. Vision changes were how they found my tumor. I've seen 6 different eye doctors since the surgery trying to fix what the tumor and the surgery mucked up. I have vision troubles that go beyond LEDs. I've lost the lower-left part of my visual field. I have a hard time seeing the edges of objects. (I see them as moving.) Riding in cars makes me nauseous from all the movement. But I'm pretty sure now that LEDs are the culprit behind a large number of my terrible headaches.

          In December I stumbled across an article on NPR about how people were getting migraines from LED Christmas lights. I thought that if normal people who haven't had brain tumors or brain surgery were getting headaches from LEDs than I better learn more. A couple Google searches later I found this forum and the flicker alliance. The bulbs I got that the flicker alliance tested made a HUGE difference. My headache frequency dropped dramatically. Now I'm working to figure out to do with the more challenging light fixtures in the house so I can drop the headaches down to near zero. At least, at home.

          2 months later

          Severe problems started for me after a couple months of using an M1 Pro machine (14" MBP). I couldn't look at any screen at all after that. Took some time off and realized blue blockers make it bearable.

          About a year later (recently) I discovered this site, and here is my current working solution.

          • Orange blue blockers full-time
          • Gamma Control app to significantly reduce contrast (kind of like "reduce white point" on iPhone)
          • Stillcolor -- thank you @aiaf!
          • Known good external monitor only.

          macsforme Thanks for sharing. My vision hasn't been the same either. Now all artificial lighting bothers me (in trains, stores, Tesla headlights are the worst, etc).

          I wear blue blockers pretty much everywhere: for driving, when the sun is too bright, etc.

            10 days later

            Hi. I was diagnosed with myopia at around 9 years old. I'm considered high-myopic: current prescription is -7.75. That said, my LED strain story doesn't start there. I used contacts comfortably for many years, up until around 3 years ago. I could no longer wear them comfortably, probably from years of overuse and bad habits. That said, I could still comfortably use the computer and my phone for hours on end, as long as I wore my glasses.

            That all changed ~8 months ago. I fell into a YouTube addiction due to a depressive period. During this time, I ruined my eyes. Cannot look at any LED screen without discomfort, extreme dryness, eyelid twitching, gritty feeling. Certain things seem to slightly improve the condition, like a heat mask, but even taking long (days-long) breaks doesn't restore my eyes to how they used to be. Went to multiple ophthalmologists and they've only confirmed extreme dry eye. Tried all sorts of drops but I'm back at square one.

            I'm thinking of trying a more natural route and look into some of the advice here. Also considering purchasing some e-ink devices. I don't want to be on eye drops my whole life, especially if they aren't addressing the root cause. Will also go to a dry eye specialist to determine if I've ruined some gland. Will report back with what I find from all my experimenting.

            2 months later

            New Jersey, US.

            PhD Candidate

            28

            I purchased a MacBook Pro 14 last June, got eye strain and dry eyes last November. I thought it was the screen size because my prior laptop was a MBP 15, but found my eyes can't see the texts clearly on my MacBook Pro 14's mini-LED display even after enlarging the texts, then I got my eye exam this May (nearly 12 months usage of MBP 14), nearsightedness 5.75 to 6.25 (+0.5), astigmatism 0.50 to 1.00 (+0.5).

            I have to deal with a lot of texts reading and editing to get my dissertation done (like 10-12 hours screen time every day). I think everyone is affected by PWM, Temporal Dithering, etc. but those who only consume lower-intensity information like videos/images for a shorter time would not notice the changes but blame it to their ages.

              Crear I'm sorry to learn that. I'm curious if you're using the new MBP 14 in naturally lit surroundings or like a dimly lit room?

                11 days later
                9 days later

                Slacor Do you know about the new incandescent monitors that ditch luminescent backlight altogether and use incandescent backlight instead, its incredible, changing the light fixes the strain and migraine, it has nothing to do with the OS or the monitor specs, is all about the kind of light, have ordered one and been using it for couple of months and it is hands down the holy grail for photosensitive users, spectrumview.com

                    beyondthelight it has nothing to do with the OS

                    FRC dithering (which many times comes from the OS, especially macOS on any M1 Macs or later as we have verified by lossless HDMI capture, and has only been able to be disabled recently after the Stillcolor app released) still affects me on a naturally sunlit display with no artificial light enabled at all.

                    As I said in the other thread, Boox e-ink tablets (which I use without the front light on) temporally dither in fast mode whenever scrolling is happening, it's fine when stuff is still since the dithering "freezes still" as well to save power, but I still consistently feel strain whenever I am actively scrolling because all the text starts twitching around until the scroll gesture finishes.

                      Yea I cant stand the refresh rate of e-ink displays either, but if there is no screen movement then its ok, depending of what the ambient light around it is, if its led lighting, then it would be just like looking at any ordinary screen, in terms of type of light, but if the light is from the day then it should not cause any problem, unless your eye is the one with the problem.

                      a month later

                      Dear Forum Members

                      My name is Attila, I live in Budapest, my occupation is that I am a member of the district council, I am forty-four years old. I started having eye and headache problems when I replaced my 22 inch, 1920x1080 75Hz monitor with a 27 inch, 2560x1440, 165Hz. I was seen by many doctors, ophthalmologists, neurologists, otolaryngologists, finally a psychiatrist, I had an MRI scan. I have had at least six different glasses. Tried a lot of things, downgrading refresh, adaptive sync off, different panel type than IPS. But nothing helped. I have no complaints with the 14 inch laptop monitor. However, I have noticed that I mainly experience complaints with static images, i.e. text, not with moving images or gaming.

                      I got the feeling from the doctors that they were not very interested in my complaint. But now I think that it is not deliberate negligence, they are simply not familiar with monitor technologies and do not understand them. To them a monitor is just a box that you look at. Things like image refresh, synchronization, panel types, image size, resolution, are unknown to them and they don't know what to do with it. Many times I've been sat down at the monitor in their office and asked if I had a complaint. I tried to explain that my own monitor was much bigger, had a different resolution and higher refresh, but they didn't understand what I was talking about.

                      I didn't give up, though, I'm still looking for a solution.

                      Thank you for your attention!

                        Attila The problem is the light itself, the actual photons, not really software or hardware related, i suggest you switch to incandescent backlight monitor, it will make all the difference in the world if you are that sensitive and nothing of what you have tried has worked.

                          24 days later

                          Hi all! So pleased to find a forum like this, I thought that I was alone. I'm in Australasia, I've had chronic migraine with brainstem aura since 2013, it was nearly non-stop for years and then after medication sat at ~ 60 h a month until a few years ago when I finally figured out it was from lighting. I've only just been introduced to the use of my phone camera to check for flicker in the past year, and it's cut my migraines down to 4 h of pain per month. I can walk again and work. I'm also now using a 160 Hz monitor with a DC backlight (the manufacturer is AOC).

                          My work is planning to change to LED lighting from 100 Hz fluorescents, so I'm really worried about getting sick again or having to leave my job. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. They're open to buying the right type of lighting for me, I just don't know what to ask for in the Australasian market as the Pst etc. isn't specified and bulbs advertised as 'flicker free' aren't necessarily any different from the standard ones when you plug them in.

                          11 days later

                          Hi, I'm Holden and I have been dealing with a sensitivity to screens since 2015 when I got Pericarditis. It happened suddenly, one day I had to turn my brightness and contrast on my monitor (An HPw17e, TN-LCD, CCFL backlit) from 100 percent to zero percent for the rest of the time I used it or else I felt like I was going to pass out. It was so much worse however for VA, IPS, and AMOLED monitors and televisions, and any LED backlit monitors whatsoever. I am currently using a VA monitor that has LED edge-lighting however it is still torturous and I feel like I am sedated every time I use it and shortly after. I have a Sony Bravia from 2008 that is CCFL backlit and is the only television I can watch without feeling like I'm staring at the sun. I use a Unihertz Titan smartphone which seemingly has a CCFL backlight and is an LCD screen, even though it's not mentioned in the manual that it is CCFL backlit, however I have found it to be the most comfortable phone for me. I use screens a lot because I have a spinal shifting disorder and neck issues that have not been solved. The back issue doctors have no idea what the cause is but if I bend a lot, my spine shifts, and it did two years ago. As a result electronics in the past have been my escape, however it is becoming increasingly difficult to find CCFL backlit LCD screens and they are only going to become more scarce and recently both of my monitors went out.

                            DecaHertz which unihertz titan do you have? I have a spectrometer I can test the screens with to figure out if they're ccfl or not. I am doubting they are ccfl though. I have the slim and the rugged one (wide one) in my possession currently. Is it fully comfortable for you ? I haven't tried them yet. Just something I plan to test at another time. The slim is on the far left and the rugged is middle. I'm assuming you have the rugged version?

                                jordan Oh okay cool and nice collection. Yes I have the original rugged version. If it goes out on me I'm getting the slim. And thanks for testing I appreciate it.

                                    dev