Chronic migraine can be hard to deal with, and most patients have light sensitivity. In fact, light can trigger frequent migraine headaches. Light sensitivity is also known as photophobia, and this can affect daily life of a patient, including the activities they need to do to survive and earn a livelihood. Certain types of light, however, are not massive triggers.
The basics
Photophobia is considered to be one of the more common symptoms or side effects of migraine, and almost 80% of patients have some form of light sensitivity or the other. The impact of light sensitivity is directly on the pain, which is also a reason why many patients prefer to wear dark glasses for relief.
Knowing lighting
For the uninitiated, lighting can impact our emotional and physical health. The warmth or coolness of the light source is measured in Kelvins. You will come across bulbs that produce warm white light, while others produce cool white light. Studies reveal that soft and warm light in the range of 2,700 Kelvin are best for migraine patients. There are daylight bulbs with measure of 6,500 Kelvins, which are worst for headaches. There is also some research on green light for migraines.
Adjusting your home
If you suffer from migraine, you may want to get the lighting of your home adjusted to suit your condition. It is best to go for warm white lights and bulbs that are soft and easy on the eyes. These are less likely to trigger a headache. For certain areas of the house, such as the kitchen, you may need bright lights, but do check the lumen levels. For your personal space, you can add accent lamps instead of regular reading lamps, which tend to be brighter. Stick to the 2700 Kelvin rating at all times, which typically have a yellow/orange hue. Simply put, check the lumen rating and go for lights that don’t produce or create blue light.
Other solutions
Wearing sunglasses is always a wise solution for reducing the amount of light reaching your eyes. You may want to consult a headache specialist to know more on the kind of sunglasses that can be used, and if you wear glasses, you can simply add the FL-41 filter. Sometimes, eye issues can also trigger headaches, so make sure that you check with your eye doctor, to find more on possible power changes.
Migraine headaches are not hard to manage- Just try your best to be in a controlled lighting environment.
