Problem reading black print on white paper, eye problem?!
Question: I have problems reading black print on white paper. I wear glasses, my prescription isn't strong and I have astigmatism.
I find the white makes it difficult to read the black print and I get distracted by the white, losing my place on the page.
I've googled and found it to be a problem with Dyslexia which I don't think I have as I'm 21, can read just fine and am just finishing up a Bachelor of Engineering with good grades.
Could this be a problem with my eyesight?
Answers: I have problems reading black print on white paper. I wear glasses, my prescription isn't strong and I have astigmatism.
I find the white makes it difficult to read the black print and I get distracted by the white, losing my place on the page.
I've googled and found it to be a problem with Dyslexia which I don't think I have as I'm 21, can read just fine and am just finishing up a Bachelor of Engineering with good grades.
Could this be a problem with my eyesight?
Hi Anna;
This could be a problem that has less to do with the prescription of your eyeglasses, and nothing to do with the learning disability dyslexia. No one but an ophthalmologist could say for certain, and even then only after a thorough eye exam using the visual acuity chart (it hangs on the wall with the largest letter on top and gradually smaller letters on each line going down) and the slit lamp, the really brightly lit magnifying gizmo the doctotr uses to look at your eyes. Having said that, though, I'd like to suggest anoher possibility.
How long has this problem been going on? Is it a recent change, or is just a bit worse but has been going on a while? Our vision is much more than simply the way the image picked up by our eyes gets to the optic nerve. There are issues with the cornea that can make us see what appears to be a "reverse polarity" image overlapping what we are trying to read. A scar on the cornea, or an abrasion, or scratch (or anything else, practically) on the cornea can make it particularly tough to read black text on a white background (whether it is being viewed on the computer or on paper). I happen to have a couple of scars on my corneas, and I know that for me it causes me to see the words I try to read almost double, but one set of the words looks faint grey and the other is still black. The two sets of words almost overlap, making it terribly difficult to make out what I'm trying to read. You mentioned black text on white paper in your question, which is why I immediately thought about scars or scratches on your cornea. Another thing that might suggest a scar on the cornea would be seeing a "halo" effect around a light source. If you are out after dark and see a halo around the headlights of approaching cars, it could mean there is a scar on your cornea.
The really good news is that the cornea is one of the fastest healing tissues in the human body. Most of us have minor abrasions or scratches in our eyes during our lifetime. When this happens our eyes water a lot and are often sensitive to light. Most of us do not realize we have scratched our eyes because the scratch will heal in 24 hours or so, unless they become infected
Since you are studying engineering, you obviously will need good vision for the rest of your studies, not to mention when you move on to graduate school or the work force. I would recommend that you make an appointment with an ophthalmologist as soon as you can. Most defects on the cornea are visible under the slit lamp with the really bright light. If the doctor does not see anything using just the slit lamp, he or she can apply fluoresceine stain to your eyes and look at how the stain is picked up by any defects (it turns the defects yellow). If that doesn't turn up anything obvious, the doctor can turn on a cobalt blue light, which makes the stain glow green. If there are any scratches or defects on your corneas, they will be visible using one of these methods.
It is important to see someone about this problem, especially if it is relatively new. Some eye conditions and diseases are best treated early on. Others may require adaptive technologies to help you overcome them. Either way, do yourself a favor and get this seen to soon. I don't quite understand what you mean by being able to read just fine, yet you say you cannot read black text on white paper. My answer stems from my own experience, and since I cannot picture exactly what you mean I can only offer the best answer as it appears to me. Good luck, and congratulations on doing well in your engineering studies!
One last thought: When you do see an eye specialist, be sure to tell him/her not just whether you can see something they ask you to look at, but how it appears to you as well. What you are able to see is equally as important as whether or not you can see it. I used to get terribly annoyed when I was asked to "guess" what letters were on the eye chart. It happens to be very important in helping the doctor figure out what is going on.
Maybe. You won't know unless you get an eye exam by someone who is trained. I do know that black type on white paper is the most readable, because of the contrast. White type on black is harder to read. Black on any other color is harder to read. Italics, bolding, underline and other devices add about 15% difficulty, as does all caps.
Does it help to follow along with your finger, to keep your place? I think some speed reading recommends that anyway.
i would go back to the eye doctor and see if your script is messed up....
I have a similar problem. It's probably due to your astigmatism. You should go back the the optometrist and see if your prescription should be adjusted. I doubt that you have dyslexia, though.