Help with eye problem / sunglasses / monitor

Tech Talk
#1

I could really use the community’s help on this.

I have eye floaters and they have really been bothering me recently to the point I need to wear sunglasses to mask the floaters when working on a computer. This helps a lot when I am using my computer at home BUT when I wear sunglasses while using my computer at work, the screen appears almost completely black. It’s like the sunglasses are canceling out the light completely from the computer. I also noticed this with some sidewalk advertisements that use a screen… the content almost “disappears”.

Is this because my sunglasses are polarized? I just find it odd I have no problem seeing the screen at home with these sunglasses but I can’t with my screen at work.

Any insights?
L

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#2

Does your work monitor have more of a non glare finish compared to the one at home? Have you tried to turn up the contrast and brightness?

Is your home computer a laptop or one with touch? Most laptops no longer have that none glare finish on the screen.

I had to wear polarized sunglasses for a while earlier this year - and I wore them at work. I was able to see my screens perfectly fine - and, I have a non glare type of LCD monitor at work.

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#3

They are both stand alone monitors. As far as glare is concerned, they both seem to be non glare. I turned up the brightness on the work monitor to the max but not much help.

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#4

I just found this article. It I turn the screen 90 degrees I can see it! That won’t work though for the type of work I do. :frowning:

https://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-g4/540985-cant-see-screen-polarized-lenses.html

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#5

Yes, absolutely because they are polarised. LCD screens are polarised and if your sunglasses and monitor polarisation are not parallel, there will be significant dimming and totally black if perpendicular. Upshot is, either get a pair of non-polarised sunglasses. You can get lightly tinted glasses for working with computer displays. I don’t know if these will be enough to block out the floaters.

I can sympathise - I have some minor floaters from a rugby injury when I was thirteen years old. However, mine are kind of translucent and not dead centre in my vision. Also, I kind of got used to them after thirty years.

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#6

Thanks. The trouble is the selection of clip on sunglasses that are not polarized are less but I was able to find one.

So my iMac and the monitor I use at home (show below) is what kind of monitor? And what is the benefit of polarization?

HP 27q Pavilion 27" QHD Monitor Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SV7P3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LxB1Db069ZZ51

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#7

That would be an LCD screen. Polarisation is inherent in the design of LCDs. It is how the display blocks light (coming from the backlight) to produce colours. An emmisive display technology such as OLED displays produce light directly and do not need a polarising layer.

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#8

Just to add, the vast majority of computer displays are LCD. OLED displays are a lot pricier.

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#9

Sorry, maybe I’m misunderstanding. Are you saying the display I listed from Amazon is an LCD and uses polarization? If so, interesting since I can see that screen with polarized sunglasses.

#10

Well, again, I can see my IMac with my polarized sunglasses on.

#11

Yes, it has polarisation, but oriented differently. If you twist your sunglasses your display will go black.

#12

Wow, so I got luck with the iMac and my other screen at home. Okay. Thanks.

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#13

I have an older Acer 17" monitor at home, and the same Acer monitor at work. I had no issues seeing the screen with sunglasses.

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#14

Yep, I don’t know if there is a standard or not for the polarisation direction of computer displays.

I think most polarised sunglasses are vertically polarised. Reflected light is polarised parallel to the plane of the reflection, thus light reflecting off the sea, or windscreen on a car etc. is horizontally polarised and your vertically polarised sunglasses greatly reduces the glare from reflected light.

#15

To throw a spanner in the works, som panels are polarised at 45 degrees, so you will always see some light through your polarised glasses. However all LCD panels have polarisers - twist your polarised glasses and you will se at some point you will see no light passing through.

#16

So how long did it take you to get used to the floaters? Mine are somewhat transparent but they move a lot.

#17

I cannot remember honestly as the original injury was such a long time ago. They have faded compared to how they used to be. I did remember them annoying me for a while. They’re not central in my vision so it is as if I suddenly catch something out of the corner of my eye at times.

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#18

In a word, yes. The monitor technology may determine which monitors are affected more than others, I’ve never tried sunglasses with a monitor. I have polarized Oakleys and when I leave the house with them on I can’t see the screen on my alarm system as I set it, and the LCD display in the car is also partially affected.

Simple test: Take the glasses off, and hold them in front of you and slowly rotate them. If the amount of light passing through changes as you rotate, than you can be sure it’s the polarization at “fault”.

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