How do you deal with florescent lighting?

[Penny Niebauer]

  I am finding that when I am in florescent lighting it really bothers me. When I am in large public buildings (like a store or library) the lights really bother me, and most times trigger a seizure.  Is there anything I can do to make this better? 

[jennifer key]

My husband wears sunglasses most of the time. Going to stores is very hard for him as is work. At work they try to accommodate him ...... Natural light affects him too as well as noises. I'm excited to learn what everyone else does to help. Usually 10 to 15 minutes and that is it, seizures start, low cognition, disorientation, the whole bit. He ordered Maui Jim brand sunglasses, our eye dr. Said they are the best, quality wise for polarized lenses...anything to help! I'll let you know when we find other things that help.

[gale sluss]

flouresent lighting does'nt bother me but flashing lights,  fire works or the light you get from a computer or didgital camaras bother me. If I look a them to long a have a seizure.  having seizures while I'm sleeping is the worst

[jennifer key]

Brad has them at night often, makes for a tough next day......for all of us. Found out storms are NO FUN at all, lightening and thunder! He huddles under covers with ear plugs, noise canceling headphones, and sunglasses. We do what we can....we do laugh a lot about many things we try..... Why not! Have to have fun and see a lighter side as much as we can.

[Terrance Lee Fields]

Have your eye glasses tinted that makes a big differents if you can, when i go in a brite room my glasses go dark'ed right away, and ajust their selfs  check it out

Terry

[Brandy]

The lights bother me too if a bulb is going out but not out.....   i just get in and out quickly and try not to lose myself to it like a bug to a zapper. :)

[bryan farley]

lights, patterns, flashing, reflections, checkerboards... I try to avoid them. 

If I can stay away from the lights, I do. If possible, I turn lights out and open windows. I also have more trouble when I am tired. I find that people assist me if I have trouble. When it is unavoidable, I look away. It took me years to understand that lights were a trigger.

[Carlton Zeigler]

Strobe effect epilepsy troubles many people.  Florescent lighting is an often hidden example.  These lights do not appear to be flashing because the flash rate is higher than conscious perception.  The brain is quite able to perceive the flashing on a sub-conscious level. 

I am not light sensitive myself, but I have done some research on the issue because one of my students was such.  In many cases, the flash rate is not the only variable triggering the seizures.  Light wavelength (color), and proximity to source also have an effect.  If one is indoors, wearing an eye patch over one eye MAY diffuse the trigger.  This happens because the brain is not receiving the visual signal that it was built to get.  In my class room, I used a blue light on top of the normal lighting, to alter the color of the rooms light.  I did not do any clinical testing to measure the result (nor am I qualified to conduct such test).

Be seizure free

Carlton

[Tammi Zavardino]

Lighting is a big problem for many with seizure activity especially florescent or flashing lights I have trouble with the sun so wear sunglasses outdoors but now am having trouble with a medicine and my eyesight so had to get glasses and had transition lenses put on which was expensive but helps when I go in and out of stores with bright lights ect... You can try things like this or talk to your doctor about what happens and see what they suggest. Good luck to you

[Jessica Solodar]

There are deep blue cross-polarized lenses developed by Zeiss with Italian epilepsy researchers, specifically to protect against visually induced seizures. They are very helpful for my daughter for preventing immediate seizures, but prolonged exposure to, say, TV, even with the glasses seems to cause more seizures in the day or two following. She says they work better than sunglasses. The lenses are manufactured in Germany and are hard to find; I got them most recently from Rome, and I understand there is an optical practice in Sherman Oaks, CA that also carries them. This post contains links to studies about the lenses and in the comments there is contact info for the optician in Rome and optometrist in CA:

http://videogameseizures.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/not-a-pretty-pict...

The lenses used to be called Z1 but now they have another really catchy name: F133.

[Denise Spencer]

I was just recently, on Friday, diagnosed with epilepsy. I also have found that lighting is a trigger for me and I worry about this for when I go back to work after being on medical leave. I work in two different public schools and the lighting is awful. I have tried wearing sunglasses before for migraine but it did not really help and made it difficult to work.

[Terrance Lee Fields]

I used to work in a factory where its bright the lights were 12 feet above me. I went to the eye Doctor and he written a new prescription and got the progressie lens'es that have the automatic ajustment built into the glasses,for if its to bright the glasses ajust automatic so it wont be bright,on your eyes.thats just like when I come from a dark room to a bright room they get tinted right away then ajust them selfs to light that they are ajust for. I also got my glasses tinted to,so you know I had three things done to one pair of glass'es . Had them tinted, had they progressive len'es and had the automactic ajusted built in them, the only thing you pay more, but you only have one set of eyes,so take care of them,hope this helps

Terry

[Brianna]

Hi. Fluorescent lights can bother me but they don't cause seizures. I have difficulty driving at night

due to the glare from the other cars. I recently got antiglare glasses from my optometrist. He told me to wear them driving but I can also wear them in dim lighting as well. I hope this helps.

Brianna