Migraine and TheraSpecs on “The Doctors” (video)
Recently “The Doctors” discussed migraine – and even mentioned TheraSpecs, the migraine-fighting lenses that we’ve discussed here before.
Recently “The Doctors” discussed migraine – and even mentioned TheraSpecs, the migraine-fighting lenses that we’ve discussed here before.
I’ve written before about TheraSpecs, an excellent tool to have in your "fight migraine" toolbox.
Well, great news! I just heard from Kerrie Smyres, one of the minds behind the precision-tinted migraine specs, and here’s what she said:
TheraSpecs shipping will be free in the US and international shipping will be half off through Friday, June 15.
So now is the time to grab a deal! More and more people have been using these types of tinted glasses for migraine over the past few months. Thanks to Kerrie and her husband Hart for making them more accessible to migraineurs.
Visit the TheraSpecs website here for more information.
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.
(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:
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!
After yesterday’s post on precision tinted lenses I thought I’d share with you an email I received earlier this year from Shauna in the USA. She had read a post here on precision tinted lenses and decided to investigate further. Here’s what she wrote:
Thanks for your article where you mentioned precision tinted lenses. Because of researching info in that article I found a solution to my MOST frustrating migrine trigger, 24/7 light sensitivity! I have Scoptic Sentitivity! In the US the source for precision tinted lenses is the Irlen Inst. Founded by Helen Irlen. I took the light sensitivity and headache self tests on www.irlen.com and answered every question yes! The tinted lenses that I now have (contacts!) are life altering!! Even my balance and depth perception have been corrected! My migraine specialist had never heard of it and was at a loss to explain my chronic eye pain, etc. Thanks so much!
Glad you’ve found some relief, Shauna! Hopefully your comments will help someone else. 🙂
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
More on sunglasses and tinted lenses.
Science Daily: Precision-Tinted Lenses Offer Real Migraine Relief, Reveals New Study