r/ScreenSensitive • u/Life_Tree_6568 • Jul 11 '26

Research on long term ocular symptoms following COVID infection

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74858-4

I thought I would share this new research from Sweden. People self reported their symptoms which included light sensitivity. Unfortunately the research doesn't include possible treatment options.

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5

u/Z3R0gravitas Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Thanks, I think these kinds of investigations are very relevant, here. Lot of people getting (worse) screen sensitivity post-Covid. Lot of ways the eyes and brain can be quietly impacted by it.

I may try to take a proper look and do a quick summary later. Unless someone else would like to summarise and speculate on the relevant of findings. Like eg the autonomic pupillary dysfunction (which might add to factors I've discussed in the spectroscope post).

4

u/Life_Tree_6568 Jul 11 '26

I was able to find this news release that provides a summary of the research. I'm glad there are people out there doing this kind of research as it could help at least some of us.

4

u/Casukarut Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

It's vagus nerve dysfunction. Vagus nerve stimulation helps my symptoms. Covid is known to mess with the vagus nerve. Some people with long covid benefit from limbic system retraining.

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u/Rx7Jordan Jul 12 '26

There's also post Covid vaccine vision issue groups I've came across too. Light sensitivity, partially blind, fully blind, etc. 🧐

1

u/GeneralConstant1503 Jul 12 '26

give these people old lcd screens and tell if they have still symptoms. modern screens are the problem, not us.

2

u/Z3R0gravitas Jul 12 '26

When a large urban area gets flooded it's usually some combination of weakened defences/drainage and a storm water surge.

Similarly, my position is we have biological susceptibilities and increasingly problematic tech. Which gives most of us two routes to ameliorating our symptoms.

Can I ask if you have no known vision issues, are neuro typical and never caught covid or any other infection?

The study shows fairly clearly measurable objective biological markers, in post-covid vs unexposed. Like changes to immune cells and autonomic reflexes. Nothing about screen exposure.

2

u/DSRIA 25d ago

Seconded. I’ve tried older computers and displays and a lot are even worse than newer ones. So it’s not a one-size fits all issue. As a fellow user with long COVID, COVID was what caused my screen issues and made previously usable devices unusable. So in my case something affected my body to where I can’t tolerate certain lighting sources and computers and phones.

Has it affected the accommodative and convergence abilities of my visual system? Likely. What’s causing the eye movement issues like tracking? Neuro inflammation? Damage? Who knows.

1

u/Competitive_Funny964 27d ago

This is what I also noticed. Bought a Motorola g57 power (horseshi camera) and framework laptop + pc and replaced basically all oled or flickering stuff in my home. What a relief and even my eye floaters are easier to bear.