Saturday, June 9, 2012

Migraine Awareness Month #8: Let there be light

Migraine Awareness Month #8: "Let there be light." Most Migraineurs have issues with light sensitivity. What do you do to cope with it?


Yes, you could say I have issues with light and have had many people joke about my “cave” at work. I really don’t mind as I tease along with them and know I couldn’t survive at work without my workplace accommodations. Besides, my desk is cave like; just the way I like it!

I have done a few different things to try to cope with the lights. Many of the things I have tried, I have gotten bizarre reactions from people, but I really didn’t care because it was really a huge help for me.

Here are some of the things I have done to help or try to help me:

* Tinted my car windows.   Laws do vary by state so I did need to get a medical exemption from my state.
* I have light accommodations at work where they put these marvelous light sleeves on the fluorescent lights over my desk.
* I can wear hats at work as an accommodation.  This might not sound like much, but my company has a policy against wearing hats. Hats have been my savior in many situations.
* I have called hotels to see if they could switch their CFL light bulbs to the incandescent bulbs. I have also brought incandescent bulbs with me in my car and even took them with me on an airplane!
* The brightness on my computer screens are set as low as I can manage it, all of my backgrounds have been changed to be an off white color and I have a filter on my monitor.
* I have a small rolled up towel that I put behind the rearview mirror in my car. This blocks the sun from coming directly through between the two visors of the front windshield into me.
* I use a knee pad at the end of the driver’s side visor when I have it against the driver’s side window. This blocks the light at the end of a short visor.
* I’ve gone church hopping to try to find the right church I could sit in. I actually ended up back at my church in a ‘votive’ room wearing a hat in mass every week.

Oh boy, I hadn’t realized how many alterations I have made because of lighting and I’m sure I’ve tried more that I didn’t even mention here.  I'm always willing to try more!  Anyway, this is the way I have coped with the lights.


National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by National Headache Foundation. The Blogger's Challenge is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

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