In addition to finding the right prescription and magnification for someone with low vision, tints can also be important, mainly because they can help with comfort from glare and improved color contrast, and therefore improve their visual function. Despite their tint, glasses with tints can still look great.
Who is a good candidate for tints?
A variety of tints may be prescribed for a patient based on their disease, but also based on how they feel about it, since it is a very subjective process for each individual. Some of the common conditions where patients report a major benefit from tints include the following ocular diseases and conditions:
These eye conditions may cause patients to have difficulty with bright lights, driving at night, being outdoors in bright sunlight, reading a newspaper or using a computer or phone.
What are the different benefits of tints for low vision patients?
There are several tint options available. Several of these tints can be used indoors, some can be used outdoors, and some can be used both indoors and outdoors. It really depends on the task at hand, or the area that tends to have a lot of demand for it, and where they require a little more clarity. They increase contrast and limit the amount of light that comes in.
Orange or amber are common colors of tints that can be used for people with diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. These patients need more help with contrast since their side vision is affected more, and it can overwhelm their system.
With tints, you can read in greater detail, especially when reading newspapers, since newsprint is really gray on gray, we think it's black and white, but it's recycled paper instead. Due to the printer running so fast, the print is not super dark, and bleed will occur on the back as well. This can improve contrast and make newsprint easier to read.
Any smartphone or computer user, or even someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, is susceptible to overexposure to blue light, which can be harmful over time and even cause vision loss as we age. In addition to blocking blue light completely, yellow-tinted lenses or yellow sunglasses can distort other colors if worn continuously.
Other tints can also be used to see comfortably and clearly outdoors besides brown and gray tints. People who suffer from headaches, which may or may not be related to their vision, may find pink or plum tints more comfortable.
Just as patients may feel more comfortable with different lighting at home, they may also feel better with these tints. It is one of those things that you don't know until you try it and that gives you the opportunity to do so during the exam.
