Retina and Headaches

[Randomoneh]

Main cause of eye strain is being too close to display. That produces strain on the muscles ( Google convergence). Try farther viewing distance.

 

[Interstella5555]

Here is something i haven't seen really discussed. I went to an Apple Store to check out the retinas they had on display before I pulled the trigger. I was watching some 1920x1080 SMAC videos at full screen to see how the interface looked on the retinas, some smpte color bars and a few sites. All in all I was on this thing fo 20/30 minutes max. I was using both the best retina setting and the 1920x1200 setting.

I'll be damned if I haven't had a headache for the last few hours. Now it could have been a coincidence, not enough caffeine or perhaps someone with a voodoo doll of me... but it was enough to give me pause on my purchase.

Now I plan on going back sometime next week and playing around with a retina and mimicking what i did today to see if the headache returns. If not I will probably pull the trigger.

Has anyone else experienced this?

For the record, I am supposed to wear glasses and haven't since 1st grade. I work double what the normal american works, all in front of a computer screen/broadcast monitors and I never really get headaches except if i skip coffee that day (I had 2 cups today).

Thanks for any input.

EDIT: Really? A down vote?

Seriously? I smoke and I know why my lungs don't feel great at times.

 

[sireShonBohn]

Maybe you need glasses?

 

[Mojo1]

I can't relate to eyestrain on modern equipment.

If you read the thread at the link that I posted previously you will discover that quite a few people are having problems with the LED displays that Apple began using in late 2008. Portable Macs with LED displays prior to the late 2008 update don't seem to have the same problems; I owned an early 2008 MBP with an LED display and it was just fine for me.

 

[photosaurus]

If you read the thread at the link that I posted previously you will discover that quite a few people are having problems with the LED displays that Apple began using in late 2008. Portable Macs with LED displays prior to the late 2008 update don't seem to have the same problems; I owned an early 2008 MBP with an LED display and it was just fine for me.

Interesting. Apparently, I don't have superhuman flicker sensitivity. Or, to make myself feel more the hero, I have superhuman flicker immunity.

 

[Nckcard]

Yeah...I'm using retina and for some reason chrome isn't retinized. I've been web browsing for an hour or so and I have a huge headache. I do NOT want to use safari.

Either stop using an application that isn't optimized for retina until it's updated or stop whining. You're practically stabbing yourself in the arm and crying about how much it hurts.

 

[Mojo1]

Interesting. Apparently, I don't have superhuman flicker sensitivity. Or, to make myself feel more the hero, I have superhuman flicker immunity.

It's a real bummer if you are sensitive to it. Some people report suffering the symptoms of motion sickness!

I'm sticking with CCFL backlit external displays since I cannot ascertain which LED displays will cause a problem. Unfortunately, CCFL displays aren't an option when it comes to Apple products.

 

[dvdlucena]

Here is something i haven't seen really discussed. I went to an Apple Store to check out the retinas they had on display before I pulled the trigger. I was watching some 1920x1080 SMAC videos at full screen to see how the interface looked on the retinas, some smpte color bars and a few sites. All in all I was on this thing fo 20/30 minutes max. I was using both the best retina setting and the 1920x1200 setting.

I'll be damned if I haven't had a headache for the last few hours. Now it could have been a coincidence, not enough caffeine or perhaps someone with a voodoo doll of me... but it was enough to give me pause on my purchase.

Now I plan on going back sometime next week and playing around with a retina and mimicking what i did today to see if the headache returns. If not I will probably pull the trigger.

Has anyone else experienced this?

For the record, I am supposed to wear glasses and haven't since 1st grade. I work double what the normal american works, all in front of a computer screen/broadcast monitors and I never really get headaches except if i skip coffee that day (I had 2 cups today).

Thanks for any input.

EDIT: Really? A down vote?

I Am also having a lot of migraine after Im using my Retina Display.
I'm a MD and Im searching if there is some reason...
I will post here.

----------

Here and specialist opinion about the subject:

We must put the bright down and do not look to close in the display.


On my old MacBook, I typically worked at full brightness. I’ve read tons of stuff about battery life, eye strain and whatnot but I never liked the way it looked unless the brightness was cranked.

++++++

On this new screen, full brightness is absolutely too bright for most lighting scenarios. Retina screen? More like retina burning screen. This is great though, I’d much rather have a screen that’s too bright and needs to be turned down.

Interestingly enough, I’ve noticed some occasional headaches since switching. The screen is so bright and sharp, you’d think it be easier on the eyes but there might be a point where it goes too far and causes more eye strain than it saves. As long as I keep the brightness in check, I don’t think this will be a major issue long term.

The sharpness of the screen was really only an issue on day one, when I was transferring everything from the old machine to the new one. Spending half the day jumping between a retina and non-retina screen literally made me feel sea sick!

 

[SamIchi]

If you read the thread at the link that I posted previously you will discover that quite a few people are having problems with the LED displays that Apple began using in late 2008. Portable Macs with LED displays prior to the late 2008 update don't seem to have the same problems; I owned an early 2008 MBP with an LED display and it was just fine for me.

I had headaches from my 2011 HD (non-retina) MBP. I don't know if it was directly related to my newly purchased MBP or just some wierd coincidence, but it was something I never experienced before. My mind felt totally out of it. But after a couple of weeks, it went away. It was terrible timing too cause it was near the end of the semester, and I had to use my computer a lot.

I Am also having a lot of migraine after Im using my Retina Display.
I'm a MD and Im searching if there is some reason...
I will post here.

----------

Here and specialist opinion about the subject:

We must put the bright down and do not look to close in the display.


On my old MacBook, I typically worked at full brightness. I’ve read tons of stuff about battery life, eye strain and whatnot but I never liked the way it looked unless the brightness was cranked.

++++++

On this new screen, full brightness is absolutely too bright for most lighting scenarios. Retina screen? More like retina burning screen. This is great though, I’d much rather have a screen that’s too bright and needs to be turned down.

Interestingly enough, I’ve noticed some occasional headaches since switching. The screen is so bright and sharp, you’d think it be easier on the eyes but there might be a point where it goes too far and causes more eye strain than it saves......

I heard that because of the way LED screens work, that the lower the brightness, the LED "flickers" more, which could cause headaches. The way it adjusts brightness is by lowering the amount it flickers, so keeping it at full brightness might help. I don't think through all my research I've found an answer. But I guess, do whatever works for you. At the time, it didn't matter if I left it fully bright or lower. I still had killer headaches.

 

[Mojo1]

Try the app Shades to reduce the brightness. It apparently works differently than simply turning down the brightness, something akin to donning sunglasses (hence the name...)

Be aware that Shades can make it more difficult to obtain inkjet prints that match the display, so it may be necessary to disable Shades when printing images.

I've used it on my 13" MBP and it helped a lot.

 

[janels1]

I know most of these posts are old, but my migraines continue to be triggered by the 2014 MBP 15" retina screen. It is NOT a tension headache, nor eyestrain, in spite of what one non-neurologist physician commented. I get a very disabling aura, and that is definitely a full-blown migraine. It then blocks the center of my vision for as long as an hour--sometimes more. I have had this medically documented by neurologists and ophthalmologists. I keep the screen brightness quite low, and depending on the ambient light, sometimes it won't trigger. Other times, though, it triggers one as soon as I sit down at the MBP and look at the screen. My previous MBP was 2011, and I installed a matte screen cover over it, and it was slightly less toxic to my migraines. Last year (2015) I got a late 2014 MBP 15" retina, and it is devastating. I have done all the "right things", such as keeping the brightness down, the font size up, sit up straight, have the screen at the right height, and even wear migraine tinted glasses, but if the screen lighting or refreshing hits me just right, it will trigger an aura which obliterates my vision for varied amounts of time. If anyone has a real solution to these migraines with the MBP (which seem to be pervasive amongst large amounts of people), I am interested. I have just ordered a matte screen cover for this MBP, so I will see if that helps--but there is not glare on the screen.