Trouble watching TV

[dave3528]

I have recently been experiencing dry eyes and am doing many things suggested on this board. However TV watching is difficult even when I adjust the lights in the room along with reducing brightness on the TV. I experience a lot of eye strain which makes it difficult. I have tried blue light blocking glasses to no avail. Any suggestions or tips for those who have experienced this?

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi there,

So is it more about eye strain or more about dryness? Or light sensitivity issues?

Generally my suggestions would be FL-41 glasses if light sensitivity is the issue, moisture chambers and drops if dry eye is the issue. But some of us get kind of more nearsighted towards the end of the day as our eyes get drier and that can contribute to eye strain trying to watch/read at a distance.

[dave3528]

Thanks, Rebecca. I am unsure what is causing this because I tend to think it is due to dry eyes which has recently cropped up. It was quite uncomfortable using the computer when this started but I did adjust a few things as suggested by another member here e.g. changing to dark mode and limiting my time, resting the eyes as well. So I am thinking it is the TV that is causing the strain even though I have substantially reduced the screen brightness. I am hoping someone who has gone through this would come up with suggestions and if the FL-41/chamber glasses helped.

[Hokucat]

Hi. When my eyes were severely dry years ago, I could not watch TV, use the computer, or even look across the table to talk to someone for even a short period of time. So totally understand if your issue is dry eyes. One thing that helped me was when I used my iPad or iPhone while it was laid flat on the table or on the stand at a very low slant when doing anything online or watching a show. I think this was because this caused me to look downward, so my top eyelid covered more of my eyes, so was less exposed to the air. At the same time I also had to be using Genteal Severe Dry Eye Gel, which stays on the eyeball longer than any liquid drops and provided at a little comfort since I had almost no tear film…at least for me the Genteal provided some immediate relief so I could function a bit better, even if just a short while. But even with doing this, it’s not like I could work online or watch a show for hours.

Scleral lenses have also been used increasingly to provide comfort for dry eye patients. These are nickel-sized hard contacts shaped like a dome where the edges lay on your sclera (white part of your eye), which enables the lenses to be filled with saline to bathe and protect your eyes. Not everyone can tolerate wearing sclerals, but if you can, it could provide some immediate relief.

Hope this helps some, and you find things to help your condition soon.

[dave3528]

Hokucat,
Thank you so very much for the info you provided. I will try your suggestions and get the eye gel today. Thank you again!