Colorimetry

Colorimetry enhances visual comfort by determining optimal colour preferences for individuals. It aids in mitigating visual stress, reducing discomfort, and improving overall visual perception.

Colorimetry at Pabari Opticians in Birmingham

Reading should be effortless. If you or your child find that words blur, jump around, or cause headaches after just a short time on the page, something is not right. You may be experiencing visual stress, and colorimetry could be the answer.

At Pabari Opticians in Birmingham, we are one of a small number of practices that offer full colorimetry assessments using the Intuitive Colorimeter, the gold-standard tool for identifying and treating visual stress with precision-tinted lenses.

What Is Colorimetry?

Colorimetry is a specialist assessment that determines whether a specific colour of tinted lens or overlay can reduce visual discomfort and improve the way you read. It goes well beyond standard colour vision testing. This is a precise, clinical process that identifies the exact wavelength of colour most beneficial for your visual system.

What Is Visual Stress?

Visual stress, sometimes called Meares-Irlen Syndrome or Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, is a condition where the visual cortex becomes overactive when processing patterns, particularly the dense rows of text found on a printed page or screen.

It is more common than most people realise, and it does not only affect those with dyslexia. Many people live with visual stress for years without ever knowing there is a name for what they are experiencing, or that it can be treated.

Common symptoms of visual stress include:

  • Letters or words that appear to move, shake, or blur on the page
  • Headaches or eye strain after reading for short periods
  • Words that seem to go in and out of focus
  • Sensitivity to glare or bright white pages
  • Losing your place frequently when reading
  • Difficulty concentrating on text
  • Rubbing eyes or increased blinking when reading
  • Using a finger to track words on a page

If any of these sound familiar, particularly in a child who is struggling at school, visual stress is worth investigating. Children often assume that this is simply how everyone sees text and will not think to mention it unless asked directly. At Pabari in Birmingham, our opticians provide colorimetry for both children and adults. Discover our full range of expert eye care services today.

How Does a Colorimetry Test Work?

Our colorimetry process is straightforward, comfortable, and usually produces results in a single appointment.

Step 1: Comprehensive eye examination - We begin with a full eye test to check your prescription and assess binocular vision. Any issues found at this stage are addressed before colorimetry begins.

Step 2: The Intuitive Colorimeter assessment - Using the Intuitive Colorimeter, we systematically work through a wide range of colour combinations to identify the precise tint that reduces your symptoms most effectively. This is far more accurate than using coloured overlays alone, which offer a limited range of colour options.

Step 3: Results and recommendations - Results are typically available the same day. If a tint is identified, we can prescribe precision-tinted lenses ground to that exact specification. If coloured overlays are more appropriate as a first step, particularly for younger children, we will guide you on that too.

The whole process is non-invasive and suitable for both adults and children.

Who Can Benefit from Colorimetry?

Our visual stress assessments at our Birmingham opticians are suitable for both adults and children. You may want to book an assessment if:

  • Your child is struggling to read at the expected level for their age
  • A teacher has raised concerns about concentration or reading stamina
  • You or your child have been diagnosed with dyslexia
  • You experience frequent headaches when reading or using a screen
  • You find bright white pages or screens uncomfortable
  • You have tried coloured overlays and noticed an improvement
  • You have been told your eyes are healthy but reading is still difficult
  • You experience visually triggered migraines

There is no minimum age. We are experienced in assessing younger children as well as adults, and our experienced opticians will adapt the process to suit whoever is sitting in the chair.

Colorimetry for Children in Birmingham

If your child is falling behind in reading or struggling to concentrate in class, it is worth ruling out visual stress before assuming the difficulty is purely educational. Visual stress is surprisingly common in school-age children and is frequently missed precisely because children do not know what normal reading feels like.

As Birmingham opticians with over 30 years of experience, we see families from across the city and surrounding areas, including Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Smethwick, and Halesowen. We are well placed to help if you are concerned about your child's reading and visual comfort.

A children's colorimetry assessment begins with our specialist children's eye test, ensuring we have a complete picture of your child's vision before we begin.

Intuitive Colorimetry for Visual Stress Relief at Pabari Opticians in Birmingham

The use of colour has proven to be highly effective in alleviating symptoms caused by visual stress. Professor Arnold Wilkins and The Medical Council conducted research using The Intuitive Colorimeter to prescribe precision-tinted lenses. EYE Opticians utilises this system in our consultations, a system validated by The British Dyslexia Association, The College of Optometrists in the UK, and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA.

Pabari Opticians is at the forefront of practices employing intuitive colorimeter technology, equipped with in-house expertise to conduct examinations identifying visual stress symptoms in both children and adults.

Book a Colorimetry Assessment at Our Birmingham Opticians

If you have been putting up with reading difficulties, headaches, or visual discomfort, it is time to find out whether colorimetry can help. Pabari Opticians has been serving the Birmingham community for over 30 years, and our team has the clinical expertise to carry out a thorough, accurate assessment for you or your child.

We are based on St. Mary's Row in Moseley and easy to reach from across Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Book your colorimetry appointment at our opticians in Birmingham, and take the first step towards more comfortable, confident reading.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is colorimetry, and who can benefit from it?

Colorimetry is a specialised test that determines how coloured overlays or lenses can improve reading and visual comfort. It’s particularly beneficial for individuals with dyslexia, visual stress, or migraines.

How does colorimetry work?

Using a colorimeter, we identify the optimal colour filter to reduce glare, eye strain, and visual discomfort. This can significantly improve reading speed and accuracy for those with visual stress.

Can colorimetry help with headaches and migraines?

Yes! Many people with migraines and light sensitivity find that colorimetry reduces symptoms by filtering out disruptive wavelengths of light.

Is Visual Stress the Same as Dyslexia?

No, though the two often overlap, and it is an important distinction. Visual stress can be a feature of dyslexia, but it also affects many people who have no dyslexic difficulties at all. Equally, many people with dyslexia do not experience visual stress.

Colourimetry can help regardless of whether dyslexia is present. What matters is whether visual stress symptoms are there, not what is causing them.

What Are The Symptoms Of Visual Stress?
  • Glare
  • Eye ache
  • Rapid tiring
What Can Help With Visual Stress?

Scientific research has shown that visual stress from reading can be reduced by colouring the page using spectral filters. These filters are either placed directly over the page (known as coloured overlays), or they are worn in Spectacles (Precision Tints).

How Can I Get Coloured Lenses?

The colour of the lenses can only be assessed by using The Intuitive Colorimeter, which uses a larger range of colour combinations than those used with the overlay assessment. This gives a more accurate colour specific to each patient.

Where Can I Get Assessed For Coloured Lenses?

All you need to do is to book in for a eye examination with us. The eye examination will check for eye muscle problems and the need for spectacles. After the eye examination we can carry out a test using the Intuitive Colorimeter. The results are normally instant. If needed, the coloured lenses can be ordered to suit.

Can You Have Perfect Eyesight And Still Experience Visual Stress?

Yes, perfect eyesight means you can read all the letters on the chart without glasses and both of your eyes work together in the way they should.

Visual stress can come from a binocular anomaly, but this will be corrected before any colour is used.

If visual stress is still occurring after all binocular problems have been fixed then the cause is likely not due to the eyes, but the visual cortex part of the brain. Colour is likely to help in these cases.

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