sunglasses

7 June 2021

Only Two Weeks Away – Get Your Shades Ready!

That’s right, this year’s #shadesformigraine challenge is only two weeks away! So pull out your sunglasses and get ready to post to your blog or social media or wherever!

What’s this all about? Well, Shades for Migraine was started only four years ago (yes, here I am in 2017!) by the Association of Migraine Disorders to promote awareness about migraine and migraine sufferers. The social media campaign uses the hashtag – you guessed it – #ShadesForMigraine!

There are actually several easy ways to help. First, and most obvious – snap a picture of yourself wearing sunglasses, post it to social media, and use the hashtag.

But here are some other things you can do:

Challenge your family and friends to join you!
Wear unusual sunglasses, or wear sunglasses in an unusual place. When people ask you about it, tell them what it’s for and share a quick fact about migraine!
Post a meme ahead of time – there’s a nice selection right here.
Tag a celebrity with migraine – try to get them to join the campaign! – again, there’s a link to a current list here, or you may know someone else to tag.
Donate to Shades for Migraine and get some official shades or other items!
Become a Community Leader (details here)!
For more ideas, including materials in other languages, just click the graphic below.

14 December 2012

Why TheraSpecs are not “Just Sunglasses”

James Resources 0

Thanks to all who have already entered the “Looking on the Bright Side” TheraSpecs giveaway! Since we’re on the topic, I thought I’d swing by to clear up some confusion about what TheraSpecs actually are.

TheraSpecs are specifically designed for migraine patients. As you know, the winner will actually get two pairs – an indoor and an outdoor pair. So you’re actually getting very “customized” treatment.

Our eye doctors often warn us about wearing sunglasses indoors. As Dr. Kathleen B. Digre writes in Shedding Light on Photophobia:

In ophthalmology clinics, patients are routinely urged not to wear sunglasses indoors. Sunglasses cause a dark adaptationâ€”so that when one goes into the sunlight, the light is experienced more intensely. That would indicate that staying in the dark would make going into the light that much more painful.

As a matter of fact, there are concerns that regularly wearing sunglasses indoors could increase your sensitivity to light overall.

So how are TheraSpecs different?

First of all, indoor TheraSpecs are generally not as dark as sunglasses. But there’s more.

TheraSpecs are specifically designed to filter out frequencies of light that are most likely to cause problems for a migraineur.

For example, if you’re under fluorescent lights, or in front of a computer screen, TheraSpecs won’t block all the light, or all frequencies, but certain wavelengths that are most likely to bother you.

What you want are lenses that will allow you to see clearly, with a good range of colour, encouraging your eyes to function naturally (blinking, pupil activity, etc). These lenses are designed to do that.

Even the frames are specifically designed for migraineurs. They are “wrap around”, so that the painful light won’t sneak in around the edges.

The frames are also very light and flexible. They’re built to last, and yet they won’t weigh down on you causing extra pain.

So these are not “just sunglasses” – in fact, not only may they be safer for you than regular sunglasses, they’re also specifically customized to fight migraine.

So why not enter for a free pair now?

7 May 2012

Precision Tinted – Especially to Fight Migraine

James Resources 5

There has been an increasing interest in tinted glasses for migraine patients. Although tinted glasses are nothing new, research is beginning to bring us some decent science behind using tinted glasses to fight migraine symptoms (see for example this from USA Today: Special tinted glasses may stymie migraines).

There are a number of different approaches. Of course, quality sunglasses have helped a lot of people. There are also custom made precision tinted glasses, where a patient is tested and given a tint that seems to help them the most.

But even custom made precision tinting is an imprecise science, as we continue to learn more about how migraine impacts the brain. And such a service may not be readily available where you are, or within your price range.

However, there is another option. There is increasing interest in precision tinted non-prescription glasses that can be produced at a lower cost in higher quantities. This can be done because certain tints seem to help migraineurs in general, and so lenses can be produced for migraine patients in general instead of being custom made.

Now Available: A New Lens Designed to Fight Migraine

(These are all the same pair of TheraSpecs – it’s the pictures that are tinted differently!)

There’s a new precision tinted therapeutic lens – and the good news is, it wasn’t developed by some engineer in a office building who doesn’t know anything about migraine. These glasses were developed by Hart Shafer and his wife Kerrie Smyres. Many of you will know Kerrie from her blog, The Daily Headache.

This means that the glasses were tried and tested over time by someone dealing with real migraine attacks. (I’ve followed and communicated with Kerrie for many years – I know she’s the real deal)

For example, here’s Hart explaining how they had found some lenses that worked well, but…

But they were far from perfect. When she wore them she also always put on a baseball cap and often held her hands up beside her eyes to block light from the sides and reflections behind. The glasses simply let in too much light from around the lenses, especially from above. That’s when we started talking about the ideal glasses for people who suffer like she does.

Once Hart and Kerrie had come up with a design they liked, they sent them out to various other migraineurs, myself includes. The reports that came back were good.

I’m still experimenting with the ones I have – Indoor TheraSpecs – but I did know right away that I liked them. Here are some of the reasons why:

They are light weight. What migraineur wants something heavy pulling on their face?
They have a wrap-around design. That means that they block out light from the sides, while still giving you a good field of vision.
They’re flexible and strong. They’re not going to break easily – they’re built to last, as an investment in your health.

There’s more. There are indoor and outdoor versions, meaning that the indoor ones are lighter (great for under flourescent lights you can’t escape or in front of a computer screen) and the outdoor ones are polarized, which cuts down glare (seriously, if you’ve never tried polarized sunglasses, you’ll be amazed at the difference).

If you have migraine, and especially if you’ve found that fluorescent lights or computer screens bother you (either when you have a migraine attack or when you don’t), this is an excellent option to consider. Many people have been very surprised at the different that can be made with precision tinted glasses such as the TheraSpecs.

I won’t go into any more detail, because the TheraSpecs have an excellent website of their own with lots of information. If it helps, though, I will say that I am not being paid or given a commission to promote these glasses. I have seen the product, and I’ve been watching the research over the past few years, and I believe that the evidence is there. Take a look and see what you think.

If you’ve tried the TheraSpecs, leave a comment and let us know what you thought!

20 June 2011

The Secret of Precision Tinted Glasses

James Discoveries & Stats, Treatments 3

A new study is helping us understand why precision tinted lenses help some fight migraine attacks.

It’s an attractive idea – a drug-free way to fight migraine symptoms. But although studies are somewhat promising, and some migraine patients have found relief, researchers have been wondering why tinted lenses offer relief.

First, a little background. One clue into migraine disease is that the brains of migraineurs tend to be hypersensitive. They can especially react to certain stimuli, leading to, for example, headaches.

Certain patterns, or alternating patters, are an example of something that can trigger migraine attacks (the same patterns that will make most people uncomfortable – and can trigger seizures in some with epilepsy).

This research, published this month by the journal Cephalalgia and coming out of Michigan State University, used these patterns to test precision tints.

The subjects viewed patterns with no lenses, with grey or control coloured glasses, and then with precision ophthalmic tints (POTs).

The POTs were specifically prescribed to each person using the Intuitive Colorimeter, which basically assigns a tint based on maximum comfort and reduced distortion.

Wearing the POTs resulted in 70% discomfort reduction. Why? The researchers discovered that the lenses supressed activation in certain parts of the brain.

Not only are migraine attacks triggered by visual stimuli, many migraineurs experience significantly increased discomfort all the time, not just during a migraine attack.

Could precision tinted glasses reduce migraine attacks, and promote more comfort and improved vision in general? The answer seems to be yes for many with migraine.

But the research won’t just help us with glasses. It may give another clue into the chain-reaction of migraine, and why some treatments work well for some patients and not for others.

See the study at fMRI evidence that precision ophthalmic tints reduce cortical hyperactivation in migraine

8 Things I Find Helpful (related to Migraine)

James Tips 5

I wasn’t exactly sure what to title this post, but I decided to sit down and think of 8 of the most useful things I have used either to prevent an attack or to survive an attack (migraine, that is).

I don’t usually post personal things like this – partly because I’m aware that everyone is so different. I especially hesitate to promote medications or supplements based on my experience – I’d rather have scientific data to draw from.

However, these 8 things may have wider appeal.

I’m not listing life style things or schedule changes or those kinds of tips – only specific items I’ve used a lot. I’m sure you have items that have helped you – leave a comment and let’s make the list bigger!

Flax seed silk eye pillow: It blocks out the light, blocks out unpleasant smells, and cools my face around my eyes. I use one like this eye pillow from Celestial Dreams, though mine has a strap (which I don’t think I’ve ever used). More on eye pillows here.
Buckwheat Pillow: Yes, I sleep with one every night. Similar to the benefits of the eye pillow, but it also helps support my neck and doesn’t feel like it’s "smothering" me. More about buckwheat pillows here.
Oatmeal: I was always told oatmeal will "stick to your ribs". The truth is, oatmeal provides great long lasting slow-release energy. A bowl at night may help you feel better in the morning, and a bowl in the morning will help you last longer throughout the day.
Klean Kanteen: Pure, cool water always available, to keep me hydrated or to take medication with on time. Read more about why I love mine here.
MP3 Player: I still have the old iriver clix, which is a beauty but hard to find. However, many of you already have an MP3 player built into a cell phone or you have an iPod or many of the other players. It’s always handy and I can listen to it when I really can’t do anything else. Here are some more thoughts.
Dehydrator: This is still a fairly new one for me, but I really have appreciated the dried fruit and fruit leather that is so easy to make, and then so easy to carry with you. Travelling, it’s fantastic to have a quick healthy snack always on hand. After a fair amount of research I settled on this one.
Sunglasses: I wrote this post before actually getting my new pair of sunglasses. Now that I’ve had the new pair for a while, I wonder why I waited so long. They are amazing. I settled on a pair of Smith Optics polarized sunglasses. The difference is truly amazing, and has saved me a lot of discomfort.
Migraine/Headache Diary: Having a record of what medication I’ve taken when, and what my symptoms have been, has been invaluable. For a diary to download and print, and instructions on how to use it, see this migraine diary article.

What about you? What odd or ordinary things have you found helpful?