The bizarre and upsetting issue plaguing Aussies who wear sunglasses: ‘Please tell us we’re not alone in this’

Hundreds have complained of feeling ‘overstimulated’, ‘confused’ and ‘disoriented’ every time they wear sunglasses – and are desperate to know why.

The strange phenomenon called ‘eye prison’ by some has led those affected to wonder why this happens.

Roxana, from Germany, shared her struggle in a now viral TikTok video, claiming she ‘can’t see’ while wearing sunglasses.

“I would love to be one of those girls who always wears sunglasses, but every time I wear them I feel like I can’t hear and I can’t see,” Roxana said in the clip.

More than 3,000 people shared their own experiences, with one woman claiming she felt ‘loose from the world’ when she wore sunglasses.

“I can’t concentrate,” one person wrote.

“It makes me feel claustrophobic,” another added.

“No one has ever understood me when I say this,” a third admitted.

‘Can someone explain? ‘Cause the same, girl,” someone else said.

“The other day I took off my sunglasses to smell my hair,” someone else added.

Australian ophthalmologist Dr. Jacqueline Beltz shared her expertise on the topic, explaining that the connection between vision and smell is “not yet fully understood,” but there is a connection.

“We do know that the brain depends on visual queuing to properly process auditory information,” Dr. Beltz told FEMAIL.

‘Research shows that test subjects find sound more difficult to process if they look away from the origin of the sound. This means that our brains have to work harder to understand what we hear when we are not looking at the sound, and this is true even in the dark.

‘Our brains like to match what we hear with what we see, which is probably why ventriloquists can fool us. That said, many people with poor vision can hear just fine, and many people with poor hearing have no visual problems at all.

‘Presumably some people may be more sensitive to changes or to overstimulation of adjacent senses than others.’

At first glance, the sunglasses issue may seem rare, but the TikTok comments indicate it may be more common.

‘There is no clear scientific explanation, but we can assume that overall dim lighting has a greater effect on some people than on others. Additionally, “sunglasses can really hinder vision under certain circumstances,” said Dr. Beltz.

She also suggests that sunglasses can hinder vision under certain conditions.

Polarized lenses in sunglasses block horizontal light rays, reducing the effect of glare from certain surfaces, such as water and roads.

‘It is normal to have difficulty seeing LCD screens such as phones or tablets when wearing polarized sunglasses, as those screens also contain some degree of polarization and having them both on at the same time can cause some sort of ‘conflict’ between the two, causing the screen to appear dark or even black,” said Dr. Beltz.

‘Sometimes in these circumstances vision can be improved by adjusting the angle of the screen or increasing the brightness, or of course by removing the polarized sunglasses.’

Research from Specsavers shows that people with lighter colored eyes are at a higher risk of serious eye conditions, including macular degeneration, cataracts and ocular melanoma, caused by increased UV sensitivity.

A visit to an optometrist for an eye assessment is highly recommended for anyone experiencing these types of problems, or anyone looking to improve their vision.

Dr. Beltz said some people may be suitable for laser vision correction or other surgeries to reduce their dependence on glasses.

“Removing the need for glasses wouldn’t necessarily solve this sunglasses problem, but it would mean that prescription sunglasses wouldn’t have to be worn, and it also removes one factor from the equation,” she said.

It is recommended that adults over the age of 40 have an annual eye exam. Anyone experiencing problems with their vision or eye comfort should seek an assessment sooner.