Anyone wear darkening lenses inside to help combat brightness?

[tiff]

We have a house full of windows and, even on non sunny days the daylight really bothers me. I was thinking of getting those transition lenses because they are slightly dark even indoors. Has anyone tried this? Is there something better without me having to wear sunglasses inside?

[jenny2008]

yep i do a lot... today was so gloomy i kept my shades on outside and inside at a dark resturaunt... dont know of anything better.. havent tried transition.. plus i use the zienna sunglasses with teh moisture seal.. plus when i do go to church-as i did today-i kept them on... i was the only one there with shades but i dont care.when i live in LA a lot of people wore shades... the celebrity thing..lol

[farmgirl]

Sometimes, if need be, I do whatever works for me at the time. Transition lenses don't work through a window though, at least not a car window. I think it is the UV light that turns them dark. I can't wear mine in the car and have never tried in the house. I have been known to even wear sunglasses on the sunglasses particularly when outside int eh bright light...F/G

[Rowanberry]

Transition lens won't work for you, something to do with the chemical reaction. Glasses with a light tint might help, years ago my optician recommended that to cut down glare. There is not nearly as much light inside as outside so a little help could be all you need.

I had photophobia before I had dry eyes and found that blu blocker glasses, especially the wrap around viper style, were very soothing to my eyes and they did not cut down on the light so I could still read a book or watch TV (even if the colours were strange)

Since getting dry eye and RCEs I sometimes need darkness so I wear dark moisture chamber glasses, or sunglasses (stylish, vanity!). If it is really bad I use my eye drops, put some onyx goggles, wrap a silk scarf round my eyes and wait till the pain lessens.

I hope you get something to help, it is horrible.

R.

[tiff]

What do you mean the chemical reaction with Transition lenses? My eye doc strongly recommended Transitions Vantage. Why won't those work? What are blu blocker glasses?

[Rowanberry]

Hi,
Blu blockers are orange so they remove the blue wavelength from white light, everything looks greenish. Blue light scatters and causes glare, that's why snow looks bluish. They are sold to cut down glare on water and snow.

The glass in transition lens has a chemical embedded which darkens in a reaction with UV light. You have to wear them in sunshine for a few times to activate them then they go black more quickly. However, as Farmgirl says, glass in a window removes most UV light so the transition doesn't work very well. Also the brightness we experience outside is not always the same as the amount of UV in the light so they do not darken consistently. They are not instantaneous either so they do not work well for going form dark to light. They are great for normal vision but not for problems.

They did not work for my photophobia because I needed less light in normal situations but they only turned when it was bright light.

However, after they have turned a few times they don't go completely clear so they will always have a slight tint which may be enough for you. Then you would have sunglasses when you go out as well It really comes down to your individual needs.

R.

[tiff]

Wouldn't eliminating ambient light and cutting down on the intensity of light help even though the Transitions Vantage don't get dark inside? My doc said that they cut down the intensity of light so they help even if you're inside. I'd love to hear what any of you think about this. Thanks!

[Rowanberry]

Cutting down the amount of light would probably help. I had lightly tinted glasses I wore all the time before I needed moisture chambers.

R.

[farmgirl]

Personally Tiff I just turn down the light or use window coverings if need be. If I find light too bright I wear fitover sunglasses like at times when the computer glare is just too much for me. I am extremely photophobic. If your glasses are not prescription it doesn't much matter, regular glasses are cheap but when you start needing progressives with coatings and good lenses to boot unless you have deep pockets you need to be fussy about where you put your cash and how many pairs of glasses you want lying around. I have chosen to spend my $$$ on good Wiley sunglasses for outdoors which for the most part make both sun and wind tolerable. As I write this I have a pair of transition Wiley's on to see the computer without interference of fan's and trust me they are not the least bit dark. I got them because I thought that they would be a handy inside/outside type compromise but like Rowanberry said "They did not work for my photophobia because I needed less light in normal situations but they only turned when it was bright light." Transitions are not dark enough for photophobia...lesson learned.....F/G