Visual Stress

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Visual Stress

What is Visual Stress?

Visual stress is also often referred to as Mieres-Irlen Syndrome, Irlen Syndrome, or Scotopic Sensitivity. It is a perceptual difficulty, thought to result from over-excitement of the visual cortex in the brain. Visual stress frequently occurs alongside dyslexia or dyspraxia, but may also occur on its own.

  • You are likely to experience eye strain and frequent headaches.
  • Reading makes you feel tired and it is hard to read for more than a few minutes.
  • You might lose your place frequently when reading and re-read the same line several times.
  • Text is uncomfortable to read – it may appear to blur, merge, drift, shimmer or vibrate. (Sometimes people with visual stress avoid reading altogether because it is so uncomfortable – almost painful).
  • White space between words and lines between text may appear as moving rivers.
  • Visual stress may reduce your reading and handwriting speed, making it difficult to perform well in timed conditions such as exams. It may also affect your ability to copy and spell words accurately.
  • Proof reading is likely to be an arduous task, and you may find it hard to identify mistakes in written work.
  • Tenacity and problem solving abilities are often strengths among people with visual stress. Often, by the time students reach higher education, they have developed their own strategies and have found their own unique way of doing things.
  • Using coloured overlays or tinted lenses whilst reading tends to dramatically reduce discomfort and noticeably improve reading speed.
  • Some students prefer to print handouts on coloured paper and may find it easier to write with a particular colour.
  • When using overlays / tinted lenses, it may be more effective to write with pen rather than pencil. Bolder marks may be easier to read.
  • Work in short bursts with regular breaks.
  • Try to work in natural light as much as possible – electric strip lights and energy saving bulbs tend to strobe, and may make headaches and eye strain worse.
  • Certain fonts and font sizes may alleviate symptoms. For example, many people prefer sans serif fonts such as Arial or Tahoma and find that larger font sizes are more comfortable to read. It may also be beneficial to increase the spacing. Crowded information is almost always harder to read.
  • Scan & Translate app will allow you to photograph text using your phone, and will read it aloud.
  • Adjust the background colour on your PC, and experiment with brightness and contrast settings to reduce eye strain.
  • The University may be able to provide reasonable adjustments for exams such as extra time, modified papers (e.g. enlarged font), a separate room and in some cases, use of a PC.