Migraine

I FINALLY bought some clip-ons for my regular glasses. WOW!

The difference polarizing lenses has made in my ability to see without stress on glare-filled days is amazing! The sunglasses even helped reduce the severity of my storm-induced migraine attack Wednesday evening.

I strongly reccomend polarizing lenses, and not just in sunglasses, for all migraineurs. They're a good investment!

Rebecca

Apparently, there are some contacts that have a polarizing film over the iris-covering part of the contact. How well they work, I don't know, because I googled and saw one optometrist suggest that polarizing contacts would be difficult, because they'd have to be weighted for the eye, because they slip and slide around.

As for what they do, polarizing is done in a striped pattern, like a venetian blind. And apparently, that's how they work, by only letting in the light between the polarization, just like your window blinds block some of the suns rays. This makes the comment about the weighting above make more sense. If the contact were to slide and turn, then you'd have horizontal slats, which would let in more light.

See the things I learn when someone makes me curious and I have google at my disposal?

Droolie you and Google are awsoome. My eye doctor is always very up on the latest and greatest and I will have to ask him about this during my annual summer visit. Though I also wear multi-focal (that's right, basically bi-focal)lenses. Wonder if they do both.....

I have always had to wear sunglasses year round no matter where I lived. I'm very fair and the glare, even on a rainy day is bad. Light sensitiviy is very bad for me when I've had a migraine. It takes the longest to go away after an attack.

Keep those sunglasses on ladies. Not only do they help keep us more comfortable due to light issues surrounding migraines, but they help keep those little lines from forming around our eyes!!

Cindy

Hmmm,I always wear sunglasses too. I have blue eyes, fair skin, freckles, etc. So very light sensitive! Though the sun doesn't give me a migraine. But more on that later. I've worn contacts since I was 13 and my eye doc back then (almost 30 years ago!) emphasized the importance of glare protection and gave me these dark blue contacts to wear outside and light blue to wear inside. My eyes were crazy bright blue! Fortunately, I had a great experience with LASIK a few years ago (though my MIL thinks it triggered my severe and daily HA since they coincidentally started around the same time). So now I'm coke bottle glasses free every spring from the evil pollen/contacts disagreements! WAHOO!

But lots of info on sun and cataracts. So wearing sun glasses is always good. So anyways, after seeing this in my email last night, I was able to do a little experiment today.

I wonder if it's the sun or the SQUINTING that makes HA so much worse (unless of course there is true photophobia and all lights make HA worse). I've had a nagging 3 days HA that just won't go away. And it's centered in between my eyes and Left temple so any squinting will make it worse. But driving home in the late afternoon sun today, I tried taking off the sunglasses and while it didn't make my HA explode, it did make it twinge up a notch. Put them back on, and sigh, a bit of relief. It also helped to keep adjusting the visor from front to side and back again.... The sun in my left peripheral vision was also quite annoying.

At any rate, a lovely chat with a neighbor and a nice evening walk with the dog (I overslept today since the rest of the family is out of town on spring break and missed my morning walk) was the best help. The nag is still there just down another notch. Tomorrow I'll do my civic duty and give blood/platelets then go for a nice massage to relax these tense neck muscles. Ahhhhh!

Diane

I bought a pair of polarizing sunglasses several months ago and they make a HUGE difference for me. My eyes are especially sensitive to light, so they help a lot.

Diane: WOW... I can't believe that someone has mentioned the correlation between Lasik surgery and headaches. I had Lasik done about 10 years ago, and I think that's when my migrianes began to get worse. My husband has wondered if that might have triggered a problem, probably because my migraines always end up causing the most pain behind my eyes... mostly my right eye. I don't know how Lasik, even though it changes the eye, could contribute to migraine, but you just never know. Over the years, I've become slightly far sighted AND am beginning to have some near sightedness (from an astigmatism, I think), so I got glasses about 2 years ago. I never wore them much until my husband nagged me to no end to wear them, when my migraines got worse. I go to church with an eye doctor and she recommended I come to see her for an eye exam (since I was due for one anyway). She did some test that I've never had done before (I believe it was a visual field test), which turned out fine, but when she looked at my dialated pupils, she saw that the optic nerve in my right eye is bigger than the one in my left eye. She also told me that I have the beginning stages of cataracts in the right eye. She said we'll just have to watch it. Now I will wonder, even more, if my migraines have any connection with these problems with my right eye. I understand that I'm now also a candidate for glaucoma, because of the optic nerve problem.

Storm system coming in today (like most days, it seems). I've lived in Tennesse for 2 1/2 years now, and the weather seems to change constantly. It has definetly caused havoc with my migraines.

Blessings,

Sandi

Well, for me, I had also started a new BCP the same month I had the LASIK done though when I stopped it for several months, it didn't stop the HA at all. Ironically, I changed it and that didn't stop them either. Now a couple years after they've started, I've stopped my BCP again in Feb and that in combination with accupuncture I started back in Dec (which *I* thought initially made my migraine much more frequent, longer lasting and worse) seems to have helped tremendously. So I don't care if the planets are aligned differently or what, as long as I don't have those awful headaches, I'm happier!

You know, it's funny that I was in Target trying on the polarized sunglasses (looking out the big plate glass windows that happen to face West) vs. the regular ones and I couldn't tell any difference. Amazingly, I haven't lost my current pair since last summer and I have 2 backup pair (since I am prone to breaking/losing them) but maybe I'll have to get a pair of polarizing ones to wear while driving and sitting outside at lunch just to see.

I have enough squint lines! Anything to help keep the youthful look is worth $15 at Target! LOL!

Diane, vanity at Target prices, thank you

I mentioned this in another thread, but Nike makes contact lenses that are basically sunglasses in contact lens form. They're not polarized but they do block UV rays. They have two tints available, amber and grey-green.

I have an appt with my eye doc scheduled for next Wednesday to see about getting these contacts for everyday wear, to help with my general photophobia, especially with fluorescent lighting.

Thought I would also post it here since the question had come up about polarizing contact lenses.

I should also mention that it seems these contacts have been discontinued, but they're still available on the internet and my eye doc seems to still have them.

I actually got polarized sunglasses a few months ago on clearance at nofear.com for around $25 and think they have been working well for me. I actually got them around the same time I switched treatment plans as well so it's hard to say which one has had an effect, but I definitely notice less stain when I'm outside for long periods at a time. The sun has always been one of my biggest triggers!

Hope they work for others as well!

Sarah