Canadians Are Frequently Bothered by Light, But Rarely Discuss With ECPs

Wednesday, March 25 2015 | 00 h 00 min | Latest News

Transitions Optical research shows Canadians are frequently bothered by light, but don’t talk about it with their eye care professional (ECP). Outdoor light and glare remain chief complaints.

The  “Light and Glare” online survey was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Transitions Optical, among 1,000 Canadian adults, ages 18-69 between February 20th and March 6th, 2015.

Almost all Canadians (95 percent) questioned said they are bothered by light; and three fourths of those bothered say these problems frequently impact their ability to do or enjoy a task at hand, according to a new “Light and Glare” survey from Transitions Optical.  Despite the high frequency and impact of being bothered by light, less than 40 percent of Canadians discuss this issue with their eye care professional.

“Being bothered by light can easily be viewed as more of a nuisance than an eye health issue, but this research shows that it’s serious, potentially interfering with daily tasks, which can have consequences for work productivity and overall quality of life,” said Isabelle Tremblay-Dawson, senior marketing manager, Canada. “We hope sharing this research encourages more eye care professionals to bring up this topic with their patients, opening the door for them to educate patients on the range of lens solutions available to minimize glare and reflections, and help with sensitivity to light.”

Types of Bothersome Light

According to the survey, Canadians who say they are bothered by light most commonly cite “bright, glaring light” as the culprit.  When diving deeper into whether they are bothered by light due to reflections, 68 percent say they are bothered by light reflected off surfaces when outdoors, 35 percent cite light from a computer screen and 33 percent cite light from personal devices (smart phones, tablets, etc.).

“Our research shows that 70 percent of Canadians are spending more time on electronic devices than five years ago, so we were not surprised by the number of people saying they were bothered by light from computer and personal device screens,” said Tremblay-Dawson.  “It was interesting that outdoor light was the larger culprit, though, bothering people at more than twice the rate.”

All of the products found within the Transitions^® family of brands help reduce glare, especially when paired with an anti-reflective treatment. More specifically, Transitions^® XTRActive^® lenses provide unique benefits that can help eye care professionals satisfy the needs of patients who are bothered by light indoors, outdoors and even in the car. Transitions XTRAcitve lenses are uniquely designed for extra light protection even in the brightest sun and hottest conditions. Indoors, a hint of tint helps protect eyes from harsh indoor lighting, helping to reduce eye strain and fatigue. Plus, Transitions XTRActive lenses achieve up to category 2 darkness behind the windshield to protect eyes from sunlight while driving.

For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, visit TransitionsCanadaPRO.ca.