Some people find that when they read black text on a white page, either on paper or on a computer monitor, the text seems to move around, blur, or form strange patterns. They may also suffer from eye strain or headaches. This may be something that eyeglasses cannot correct.

Sometimes just decreasing your computer monitor's brightness or contrast can make a world of difference to you! If you have any of these symptoms, you might want to try it.

People who have trouble reading the text on a web page (or in books, magazines, class handouts, tests, etc.) can sometimes benefit by changing the paper color and/or the screen background color of their web browser. I have had students who found that they could read text (such as on their tests) better if it was printed on blue, yellow or violet paper.

Placing a colored clear plastic overlay onto the page of your book, magazine, or test may also make reading easier.

These types of reading problems are often not correctable by eyeglasses but may be caused by what is sometimes referred to as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome or Irlen Syndrome. Please note that I no longer provide referrals to any person or site associated with the Irlen Institute.