Ever find yourself squinting at text, skipping lines when reading, or feeling unusually sensitive to light when working on a screen? You might be experiencing visual stress. In this post, we’ll explore what visual stress is, how it’s distinct from dyslexia, and what avenues of support are available for those experiencing visual stress in the workplace.
Visual stress is a perceptual processing issue that’s thought to affect up to 20% of the general population. It occurs when the brain overreacts to certain patterns (e.g. lines of black text on a white background) and causes symptoms like headaches, eye strain, blurring, distortion, and difficulty maintaining focus.
Although it affects how people see things, visual stress isn’t an eye condition. This means that it can be experienced by those with perfectly healthy eyes and has nothing to do with someone’s eye prescription.
In the UK, we tend to treat visual stress and Irlen Syndrome/Meares-Irlen Syndrome as the same thing. Originally, the term “Irlen Syndrome” (or “Meares-Irlen Syndrome”) was used to describe specific pattern-related visual difficulties first identified by educational researchers Helen Irlen and Olive Meares.
However, as our understanding has grown, the term “visual stress” has become the preferred option because it encompasses a wider range of visual discomfort and reading difficulties, not just those described by the researchers.
Nowadays, the term “visual stress” is used as a descriptor for all types of visual perceptual difficulties associated with reading, making it a more inclusive term.
If you have dyslexia and relate to the challenges associated with visual stress, you may be wondering: is there a link between visual stress and dyslexia?
And the answer’s yes – there does appear to be a link. But not everyone with dyslexia will experience visual stress, and vice versa. Although researchers recognise that visual stress is more common among people with dyslexia than in the general population, it’s important to remember that dyslexia is a language-based neurodevelopmental condition, while visual stress is a perceptual processing issue.
This means that different parts of the brain are affected in each condition; dyslexia is linked to the left hemisphere of the brain (where language processing takes place), and visual stress is related to the visual cortex (where visual processing happens).
It’s also useful to note that, unlike dyslexia, visual stress isn’t considered to be a learning difficulty, even though it can sometimes make learning more difficult.
In both adults and children, visual stress tends to be easier to pick up on when someone is interacting with physical or digital text. Common difficulties include:
Some children may find it hard to articulate these experiences. They might simply avoid reading or appear distracted when presented with text. For this reason, it’s important that educators understand the signs of visual stress so they can intervene when necessary.
While visual stress isn’t treated with medication, some people find it beneficial to use tools like coloured overlays or tinted lenses. Studies suggest that any colour tint can be helpful, and that it’s not necessarily more effective to use a specially selected colour for visual stress.
If you think you may be experiencing visual stress, you may also want to try tweaking your computer’s display settings to reduce glare and contrast. On a Mac, this is normally found by heading to System Preferences > Displays. On a Windows PC, head to Settings > System > Display. Most modern computers offer night modes, too. These aim to bring down the brightness of the screen to prevent eye strain before bed. However, these settings can also be useful for reducing visual strain.
And don’t forget to take regular breaks. When working with text, you can use techniques like the 20-20-20 rule (looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes) to give your eyes a breather. If looking away from the screen helps to reduce headaches or other physical symptoms, consider which types of text are available – or can be converted – into audio. For example, you might choose to listen to podcasts, use a screen reader for emails, or try a dictation software to take notes.
Since visual stress normally builds up gradually throughout the day, even just changing one or two things can make a real difference.
For people experiencing both visual stress and dyslexia, workplace support is vital. Fortunately, employers are increasingly aware that creating a dyslexia-friendly (and by extension, visually supportive) workplace can boost both productivity and staff morale.
Both visual stress and dyslexia can be considered disabilities under the Equality Act 2010 if they have a substantial and long-term effect on someone’s ability to carry out everyday tasks. This means that, beyond the clear benefits of supporting staff to achieve their best, employers also have a legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments for anyone affected.
From coloured overlays to accessible formats such as audiobooks and screen readers, simple accommodations can make a big difference. Even changes as straightforward as using off-white paper for printed materials or allowing extra time for breaks can help ease the impact of visual stress.
Making these changes isn’t just about compliance. By recognising and supporting those with visual stress and dyslexia, employers can unlock greater potential within their teams, create a culture of inclusion, and help every individual to shine.
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