Migraine aura

Hi paul50,

Thank you for reaching out. TV screens (and probably smart phones) can certainly trigger a migraine attack. You may want to consider wearing glasses that are specifically designed to help with light sensitivity, and/or reduce screen time.

Hopefully others will be along shortly to share their experiences with you.

Nancy

Hi Paul. I'm sorry this is happening to you.

I am very light sensitive. You are probably not as bad off as me, but I will offer some various solutions/ideas and you can take from them what you will.

TV/smart phones/computer screens are irritating to some migraine brains (especially highly light sensitive people) for two reasons--the light emitted and the fact that they flicker. Light bulbs also emit irritating light and flicker, so you need to be aware of the light bulbs in areas you spend a lot of time in.

FL-41 glasses work for some people (not for me.) They're worth a try.

Not sure what to do about your smart phone. I can't use one.

For the TV, according to my husband they make some TV's designed for gaming that flicker at a faster rate (120, I believe) rather than whatever is the standard (I know when he tried to adjust a screen at 60 and 75 it felt like stabbing knives to me.) Also, some people find LED less irritating than fluorescent, and some TV's you may be able to adjust the blue (down--blue is very irritating to light sensitive people.)

Personally, the TV was the second thing that had to go when I became light sensitive. Didn't matter what we tried. It always triggered a migraine. Another thing you could try that worked for me for a few more months (if you can tolerate regular light bulbs, just not the TV) is to get a projector, and project the TV programs onto a fuzzy, off-white blanket. My brain found this somehow less bright/irritating than the actual TV, which felt like the death star. Picture wasn't the best. Had to eventually give this up bc became too light sensitive, but you're probably not as bad as me. Four neuro-opthamologists later, and they still say they have no one else like me 😀. Sigh.

On to computer screens, because if phone and TV are bugging you, the computer probably will eventually, too. They make filters that can go over your screen. They make LED screens that rarely refresh (refresh rate gets you) and can have the blue turned off (mine is by ViewSonic--can't use it any more), and there is this AWESOME screen I use made in China by Dasung called Paperlike that is an E-ink. It emits no light and doesn't flicker at all. It's like the early model Kindles, but the size of a sheet of paper. It is the reason I can still interact with the world.

Like Nancy said, I would limit screen time. Also, check the light bulbs in your house. The least irritating kind of light bulb for light-sensitive people is an incandescent bulb. The softer the better. If you've got LED or fluorescents in there now (which lots of people do), you're probably dousing your brain in constant flicker and light it doesn't like. Incandescents because they heat up, wind up absorbing most of the flicker so your brain doesn't perceive it as much as the others.

Sorry this is happening to you.

Thank you very much for your replies everyone , some very nice peopeople out there x