Why This Gamer Kept Seeing Purple (and What It Means for Your Eyes)

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

As a passionate gamer and content creator, I was alarmed when I started noticing unexpected purple hues in my field of vision.

One minute I‘d be grinding XP in my favorite RPG, the next I‘d glance away from the screen and see blotches of purple everywhere. Strange, glowing violet spots also appeared when I closed my eyes to sleep.

What was going on? Should I book an optometrist appointment or upgrade to a fancier monitor?

When Screens Make You See Purple: Cone Cell Fatigue

After asking around, I learned these visual purple glitches are common among gamers, streamers, designers – anyone who stares at a digital screen for hours on end.

The culprit? Fatigue of your eye‘s cone cells.

Cone cells are the parts of your retina responsible for color vision. There are three types tuned to red, green, and blue light. Together, signals from these cones allow you to see the whole rainbow.

But cone cells get tired if you blast them with too much colored light. Stare at a vibrant yellow explosion in Call of Duty for ages, and the green and red cones fatigue while the blue cones are overactive.

When you look away, the blue cones keep firing as the others recover. Your brain interprets this imbalance of signals as the enemy blue color‘s opposite – purple!

This afterimage effect explains why purple is a common phantom color. The good news is these visual hiccups are harmless for most people. The purple spots and halos should vanish in minutes as your tired cones recharge.

But if you‘re seeing large splotches of purple daily, it could signal bigger issues…

Purple Flags: When Vision Glitches Indicate Eye Disorders

While brief purple flare-ups are normal, pay attention if your phantom hues:

  • Last longer than 30 minutes
  • Appear without using screens
  • Come with other vision problems like blurry sight or light sensitivity

These flags can indicate:

Digital Eye Strain: Nearly 65% of American adults have this condition caused by excessive device use. Symptoms include headaches, dry eyes, light sensitivity, and visual snow like purple static.

Migraines: 12% of people with migraines experience visual auras beforehand – shapes, flashing lights, and shimmering hues of purple, green, or blue. These signal changes in neural activity caused by migraine episodes.

Medication Side Effects: Erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra sometimes cause cyanopsia – a temporary blue-tinted color vision issue. Purple can appear as cyanopsia‘s opposite color.

Stroke: Very rarely, strokes and other neurological issues can damage visual processing areas of the brain. This can lead to full-blown color blindness or just seeing extra purple hues.

If your purple vision is accompanied by other eye or health symptoms, make an optometry or doctor‘s appointment ASAP to pinpoint the cause. Catching issues early is crucial to prevent permanent damage.

Play And Gaze Your Way to Purple-Free Vision

Unless an underlying condition is causing your violet visions, you can banish phantom purple yourself by giving your eyes a break.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule while gaming or watching streams:

Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break to gaze at something 20 feet away.

This lets your cone cells relax so they don‘t get overwhelmed and fatigued by colored pixels. Slowly move your eyes up, down, left and right during the break to loosen tense ocular muscles too.

You can also optimize your setup to prevent digital eye strain and its purple side effects:

  • Game with the lights on to minimize pupil dilation and eye darting. Over-dilated pupils are linked to more migraines and visual snow.

  • Position your monitor 20 to 28 inches from your face and top of screen at eye level. This reduces glare and effort focusing.

  • Ensure sharp text by matching screen resolution and apps‘ default font sizes

  • Try blue light blocking glasses to see if they improve comfort

With awareness of the purple phenomenon plus smart gaming habits for eye health, phantom violet visions needn‘t disrupt our play. Just be sure to consult an eye doc if those purple flashes persist despite preventive precautions.

Now if you‘ll excuse me, I have some urgent XP to grind and loot to find! What are your worst screen-induced visual glitches? Have you discovered tricks to stop colors from invading your sight? Let me know in the comments below!

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

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