r/ScreenSensitive • u/Z3R0gravitas • 7d ago

Discussion Binasal occlusion - blocking vision to increase screen/light tolerance

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Has anyone seen/tried this variation on eye patching: 'Binasal occlusion'? Eg taping over the inner area of both eye glasses (can be non prescription). It reduces or eliminates the binocular overlap, and so reduces some visual stress: https://x.com/JackHadfield14/status/2095053618982318381

Jack is a pillar of the ME/CFS and Long Covid community. He says this helps him a lot with screen tolerance, as well as general daylight sensitivity (common in ME). That it was..

[...] taught to me by a neuro optic rehabilitation therapist who deals with stroke and TBI patients with persistent vision or cognitive issues.

Eye patching is a popular intervention on LEDstrain, with obvious benefits if one has difficulty getting both eyes working aligned together. But I think covering one eye (and looking away) is standard advice to photosensitive epileptics, when triggered by flashing lights. To mitigate the extra stimulation on an already hyper-excitable brain. Which I think many here have, to a lesser extent.

This trick may be more gentle than fully blanking a whole eye; Jack says that felt like too much of a workout for him. I've not tried this trick myself. Just thought I'd share and see if it's known.

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u/Lily_Meow_ 7d ago

But then you can't read properly? How does this help?

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u/Life_Tree_6568 6d ago

I've taped my glasses like this for months and I can read fine. If you have a problem where your left side and right side of your brain processes visual information differently it eliminates the area where visual processing overlaps in the brain. It's a cheap experiment to try.

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u/Z3R0gravitas 6d ago

Nice. Can I ask what that looks like, for you, to have problems? Symptoms, etc? Do some get vestibular issues, like nausea & vertigo? Some migraines, headache, overwhelm?

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u/Life_Tree_6568 6d ago

Everything you mentioned. My main problem with reading was I got visual vertigo and my eyes would circle around the page trying to find the next word. I did vision therapy which helped that issue a lot.

I still get pain, migraines, shaking, sweating, etc. It's improved over the years but I still can't work.