Sponsored Content Managing Glare for Comfort and Function 8/24/2020 | By Seniors Guide Staff What Is Glare? Glare is defined as too much light entering your eyes. It becomes difficult to manage, decreases your ability to see clearly, or causes discomfort. Glare is also when light enters your eye and, instead of focusing, it scatters and spreads. When light scatters, it makes things appear hazy or more difficult see clearly. No matter how glare affects you, just remember: it all boils down to light not focusing in your eye, but spreading in your eye. Magnified Life is here to offer you and your loved ones with recommendations to help manage glare sensitivity! How Do I Manage Glare? Now that you know what glare is, we need to understand what causes it and how to prevent or manage it the best you can. Positioning While there are several sources and causes of glare, the first step you can take is to make sure all task lighting such as lamps and flashlights are kept below your eye level. Light above your eye level is always going to shine directly into your eyes. Do yourself a favor and position light below your eye level when possible. Think about how “under-cabinet” lights and gooseneck lamps are more comfortable because they are down low and the light is pointing down, away from your eye versus into your eyes. Window Treatments If you have large windows with direct sunlight or reflective surfaces inside or outside your home, consider blinds or curtains to help diffuse and soften lighting coming in or special window film or tint. These can be applied and removed just like a sticker. Sunglasses Dark glasses can reduce how much light enters the eye. Blue light blocking filters or sunglasses can do so much more! What’s the deal with blue light, you ask? Well, it happens to be a shorter wavelength of light making it high energy. Anything high-energy wants to bounce and scatter! If you find the new headlights on vehicles to be more bothersome or more glaring than older vehicles, guess what?! Those headlights are not only brighter, they are bluer, causing more light to scatter in your eyes. You might see starbursts, halos, or spokes of light. Popular brands of blue light blocking filters include Cocoons, Solar Shields, Solar Comfort, and Havens. Screen Glare If you are sensitive to the bright white light of your computer, tablet, or phone screen, you are experiencing screen glare. To help reduce and manage glare, consider turning down the brightness level of your device. See if it has a low blue light mode called NightShift or try inverted/reverse contrast settings. Instead of black letters on a white background, there will be white letters on a black background. This reduces the amount of light entering your eyes. Want more tips for living independently with vision loss, visit Magnified Life: www.MagnifiedLife.us Want more tips for living independently with vision loss, visit Magnified Life: www.MagnifiedLife.us 919.444.2775 ext.703 Read More Seniors Guide Staff Seniors Guide has been addressing traditional topics and upcoming trends in the senior living industry since 1999. We strive to educate seniors and their loved ones in an approachable manner, and aim to provide them with the right information to make the best decisions possible.