If you find it uncomfortable to read for any length of time, or find that words appear to move or flicker, you may suffer from Meares-Irlen syndrome.

Approximately 20% of the population suffer discomfort when looking at a page of words. This condition is known as Meares-Irlen syndrome or Visual Stress. In many cases the discomfort can be reduced by changing the background to a certain colour. This can be achieved by placing a sheet of coloured plastic over the page (overlay) or wearing tinted glasses.

The use of tinted lenses has been found to greatly improve the speed of reading and levels of concentration in some adults and children with dyslexia. At Elliott Opticians, we use our colour sensitivity screener to detect Meares-Irlen syndrome and determine which colour may help. The test usually takes about 30 minutes and is suitable for children (aged 5 upwards) and adults. 

If you find that you need the colour all the time, we can prescribe tinted contact spectacles. We can even tint your computer screen using the ReadEZ Virtual Overlay software. 

Elliott Opticians is an approved ReadEZ test centre and uses the latest ReadEZ software to diagnose and manage Visual Stress and Meares-Irlen syndrome. Call us or drop in store and our staff will be happy to advise you further.