These days, patients are largely in-the-know about the advantages of blue-light-blockers for insomnia and digital eye strain, but they may not be aware of how precision-tinted therapeutic lenses can enhance visual clarity and mitigate discomfort. People with sensory disorders, for example, have reported relief from visual overload when wearing tinted lenses.
Here’s a handy primer on a variety of colored lenses you might suggest, depending on the health conditions and needs of a patient.
A scattershot of notes before we dive in:
- The effects of tinted lenses are a perpetual subject of study. Sample sizes can vary dramatically, so study findings must be evaluated accordingly.
- The idea that tinted lenses can treat visual processing disorders like Irlen syndrome or reading issues like dyslexia is somewhat controversial and not currently supported by scientific evidence. (Read more: Update on Irlen Lenses)
- The ultimate effect of any lens tint will be patient specific. Relatedly, the tint type and darkness should be tailored to individual patient needs and personal preferences.
Rose/Pink Lenses
A rose-colored lens — FL-41 tint, specifically — enhances contrast, reduces glare, and can soothe eye strain and light sensitivity by blocking out a wide range of blue and green light. These can be worn indoors or outdoors, although indoor wear seems to be more effective.
Recommended for:
- Migraines
- Photophobia (including for patients with DED)
- Post-concussion recovery
- Blepharospasm
- TBI or concussion symptoms
- Visual snow syndrome
- Reducing visual noise for people with sensory processing disorders
Read more:
Dry Eye and Photophobia: The Outlook May Be Rosy
Yellow/Orange Lenses
Yellow lenses improve contrast sensitivity and depth perception, making them ideal in foggy, low-light, or overcast conditions. These have long been favored for both indoor and outdoor sports due to the enhancement of rapid reactions and contrast perception. Studies have also shown that yellow helps people stay focused when completing challenging tasks.
Recommended for:
- AMD, as yellow tint enhances contrast
- Glaucoma, as it helps reduce glare and eye strain
- People with bipolar disorder, as it has been found to minimize blue-light-triggered manic fluctuations
- People working at a screen all day (as an alternative to typical blue-light blockers)
- Activities like hunting that require improved visual acuity
- Indoor sports like basketball and racquetball
- Gamers
Note: The use of yellow/amber lenses for night driving, once posited as beneficial against the glare of modern headlights, is not backed by data:
In reality, when driving at night or dusk in already limited lighting conditions, ANY tint further reduces the amount of light transmitted to the eye and further impairs vision. The problem is compounded as the yellow tint gives the wearer the impression they are seeing better, when in fact the reverse is true. (Source: The Dangers of Yellow Night Driving Glasses)
For current info on night driving, check out: Overnight Glasses Addresses Nighttime Driving Difficulties With Tips for Improving Night Vision.
Gray Lenses
We have to include gray, but you already know the deal: A gray tint preserves true color perception, reducing overall brightness without altering colors. It works well outdoors on cloudy or sunny days and reduces glare, especially on the water. There’s a reason this is the most popular sunglass lens tint.
Recommended for:
- General light sensitivity
- Those working or playing in bright outdoor environments
Green Lenses
Green tint reduces glare, enhances contrast in shadowy areas, and can reduce stress on the eyes. Studies have shown green to be calming and relaxing and to have positive effects on creativity. Green light therapy has gained traction as a way to decrease the intensity and duration of migraines, and this is also reflected in lens technology (i.e., Avulux lenses).
Recommended for:
- Migraine sufferers triggered by light
- Outdoor sports regardless of light conditions
- Golf, baseball, and tennis in particular
- Fibromyalgia
Read more: Green Eyeglasses Reduce Pain-Related Anxiety in Fibromyalgia Patients, Study Shows
One OD has had success with gray-green tinted contact lenses for concussions or migraines, noting:
This is a great opportunity for dual prescribing in a primary eye care practice. For a patient who struggles with chronic migraine — and I guarantee that every practice has patients like this — you can offer a regular lens and a performance-tinted lens, so the patient can start wearing the tinted ones as soon as he or she feels a migraine beginning.
I recommend adding questions about migraine and light sensitivity to your patient history questionnaire. When appropriate, you can prescribe the performance-tinted lenses. This becomes a nice niche for the practice that builds revenue and word-of-mouth referrals — and it also solves a major problem for your patients. (Source: Performance-Tinted Contact Lenses Can Help Control Light Sensitivity)
Purple/Blue Lenses
These are good for enhancing contours while reducing reflective glare, and they work well in foggy or misty weather. Take what we know about blue light — that subjects are better able to concentrate at night when exposed to blue light, compared to white or red light — and consider recommending blue tints, which have been shown to have an activating effect on concentration.
Recommended for:
- Photosensitive epilepsy
- Golfers and tennis players needing sharper contrast on greens
- Snowy day sports and activities
One OD speaks to successful experimentation with therapeutic blue tints for Parkinson’s and autism: Some Lens Tints Have Been Shown to Help Sufferers of Certain Health Disorders
Read more: Opticians Who Use Tinted Lenses for People With Autism
Brown/Amber Lenses
These lenses increase depth perception and block blue light. Brown lenses heighten contrast against green landscapes and blue skies, making it a good sunglass lens tint.
Recommended for:
- People working outdoors (e.g., construction)
- Skiers, pilots, and drivers for better clarity in high-glare environments
- Golf and baseball (for seeing details at a distance)
What’s the big takeaway here? With the exception of migraine study results, the benefits of tinted lenses are fairly hard to pin down with data. But that doesn’t mean there’s no benefits. I like this summation:
Some companies are producing sporting glasses intended to improve an athlete’s abilities by filtering out certain wavelengths of light specific to their sport. For example, a mountain biker might use glasses which allow in more reds and yellows, enhancing their ability to see tree roots and loose soil. It is based on “optic science” and is all about balancing the colors of your environment to your advantage. Some believe that an application of this science can help people suffering from learning problems, dyslexia, ADD, autism, and migraines, among other problems. The idea is to use color-based technology to filter out offensive light waves so that the brain can process visual information more efficiently. This concept is somewhat controversial in that studies have produced varying results, and it seems that one filter color is not best for all people with the same diagnosis. This should not be considered a cure but could be a non-invasive way to offer help to some. (Source: Rose-Colored Glasses)
Additional resources and studies:
An Index of BPI Therapeutic Lenses and Tints
Therapeutic Effects of Tinting a Lens (Contact or Spectacle)
