Light sensitivity and dizziness

[danelle]

Hi, I have a big problem with light, especially sunlight. It's not that it gives me a headache ALL the time but the fact that it makes me extremely dizzy. Of course heat makes me dizzy but I am just talking about sunlight and lights in general just making me feel sooooo dizzy even if it is cool outside (or inside). I was just wondering if anyone else experiences this. It can be depressing because I can't even go outside if the sun is shining on a cool day without feeling like I'm going to tip over or pass out

If anyone else has this, do you know what mechanism of POTS causes it?

Thanks,

Danelle

[DLD]

I was told that many POTS patients experience this and that you tend to be sensitive to any sensory stimulation (meaning noise and light etc.). I know some people wear sunglasses when outside and I have heard wide brim hats help some too. When my daughter first got sick this was a huge problem for us but over time it has improved dramatically.

[VJWeaver]

I have always been sensitive to light inside and out. I wear sunglasses year around while outside.

I also do have a problem with some stores I go into. I get a migrane really fast. Sometimes when this starts I put on sunglasses inside the store. It does make it hard to see things but it helps with not getting the headache. There is a lot of people staring at me but what the heck...

Vickie

[michiganjan]

Danelle,

You might type in the word photophobia on a search engine and read about it. While the word sounds like it is a psychological condition, it is not. It is an actual failure of the eye to adjust to light. I have no idea if this is your problem, but you might like to at least read about it.

Michigan Jan

[calypso]

I don't have light sensitivity but do have noise sensitivity. For the first three months of POTS I could not stand to hear my daughter cry or I would go crazy from it.

I have days where I feel like I am drunk but haven't been drinking. It lasts for a few hours then goes away after lying down. Sometimes I wonder if I should just have a few drinks, then at least I would have good reason to feel this way!

[geneva]

I have light and noise sensitivity. For me, if the outdoor lighting is dusk-like I cannot be outside. My brain just cannot seem to make the adjustment to neither light nor darkness. This occurs on rainy days as well. I have gotten better over time but it is still an issue.

Also, each spring when we start having bright sunny days, I have occasions when I am driving that I get tingling sensations on my left cheek area. It is always the same time of year and always the same location on my face. My neuro thought seizures but test were negative. It is very STRANGE but I have learned to expect it every spring!

I also had terrible noise sensitivity in the first months of POTS. We could't run the dishwasher, TV, radio etc. Even the refrigerator running drove me nuts. When I asked at Mayo, the neuro said, "gee, I don't know" why that would happen!! I still have hyper-stimulation but not like before.

[Michelle Sawicki]

Ditto what the others here have said. I was sensitive to noise, light and strong smells/chemicals when I was first ill. Since the ANS is involved in processing incoming stimuli, my theory is that since the sympathetic system is running in overdrive we might be "hyper-responding" to our environment. Again, that is only a theory....hopefully a doctor will publish some information on this in the future.

Michelle

[ethansmom]

I definitely have the light sensitivity problem. While it's bad enough on sunny days, it tends to be even worse when it's overcast. I just wear sunglasses as needed and it helps a lot. I even wear them sometimes in stores like Wal-Mart where the flourescent lighting just about kills me. This was one of my main problems when I first got sick- I used to sit at home with all the shades drawn AND my sunglasses on, but it has also improved for me over time.

I only have mild noise sensitivity- like going to a concert would exacerbate symptoms if i were exposed to the noise for a prolonged time period. But everyday noises don't bother me too much.

Sounds like we all have this stuff in common