Migraine

i am in a microbiology class. i don't know if anyone has had this experience with jobs or research but, there is a lot of microscope work. for example today, we had to look at bacteria for three hours under the microscope. i have found that the microscope is a big trigger for my migraines. i am lucky if i can make it the first hour and have a sound head.... i cannot figure out what specifically about microscope work is so horrible. but any thoughts on how to get through a lab session?

best.

Hi there Kate,
I had a similar problem when I was at uni, we did a lot of petrology microscope work for hours at a time, over a few years.

The main thing for me was making sure my eyes had recently been tested and my glasses prescription was up to date, and wearing my glasses when using the microscope (although that was a real pain in the backside), contacts made it a lot easier. Have you had your eyes checked recently? I also found Id bet migraines working on microscopes at night when I was tired more than in the morning.

Another thing to look at is the type of lightbulb they are using. With our lab I could hunt around and find which microscopes had the best light that didnt feel "bad", and I used to turn the light down form the max brightness so I could still see clearly but it wasnt uncomfortable. Have a play around with the different settings, and if there is someone who's job it is to look after the microscopes, have a chat to them about different types of lightbulbs. They might be willing to get a few different ones so you can try them out.

Another thing it to give yourself a time limit. Spend 30 minutes at the microscope, then go outside and look around in natural light at things in the far distance to give your eyes a bit of a break, then get back to it. If you dont have that option, make sure you look up at the clock/window etc often, sit up and stetch your neck and back so you arent getting cramped.

I hope that gives you some ideas to try! There were a couple of us that used to get these problems, and it was a case of trying different things until we figured out what was the specific problem for each of us.
Good luck :]

It could be something with positioning, too, like if the table is a smidge too high or two low. I know that when I'm writing something, and the table is too high or too low, I don't last long and I get a lot of tension. You might see if you can adjust it, some. Definitely stretching and moving as much as you can so you're not stuck in one position for long stretches should help some.