Does Light Bother Anyone Else?

[Tammy]

Sometimes when I go outside, I get almost disorientated/kind of dizzy... at other time the sun/light gives me a painful sensation - kind of like a migraine feeling. Anyone else have this? I don't really understand why it happens either? Thanks for any info

- Tammy

[Ernie]

Hi,

I get migraines with light (and sound).

[masumeh]

Me too....it gives me a headache kind of feeling, makes me irritable, and generally more symptomatic. It especially bothers me if in contrast to darkness, or on bad days. So night car rides are heck because it's a lot of passing flashes of lights from other cars, street lights, etc. The mechanism explained to me is that the tachy makes the body produce extra adenaline, which primes the nerves and makes them more sensitive (to light, sound, touch, etc). It's definately a POTS thing....I sometimes feel so much overstimulation, I just have to take some time out to hand upside down (blood to head) in a dark, quiet room. Bat-style

[roxie]

yes,yes,yes i have this problem!! I wear sunglasses out of the house and have to keep the drapes closed in the afternoon b/c we get the afternoon sun.

Madeline

[JenniferInOhio]

Yes, I wear sunglasses whenever I am out. If I am outdoors for an afternoon, even with sunglasses, I will end up getting a headache.

[Mrs. Burschman]

Normally, not really, but bright lights have triggered migraines in me in the past. My mom's the same way.

[P SUDIK]

Bright lights really make me symptomatic,can't go anywhere without sunglasses,like Madeline I have to keep my drapes closed from the afternoon sun.

Pat

[ellen]

Yes when I was really syptomatic, I would feel faint just walking in the sunlight, or sitting outside. Now I still feel uncomfortable without sunglasses, and notice that my eyes do not adjust to changes in light as they should: shine a light in them and the pupil shrinks, then opens again and fluctuates.

[stampingamy]

Me too. If I don't have to directly see the light I do fine. But sunglasses don't always help when there is a bad glare in the car. It is always so refreshing when you learn other people have the same symptoms.

Thanks for the post!

Amy

[doctorguest]

Sensitivity to light in autonomic disorders can be caused by several mechanisms: pupillary dysfunction, whereas the pupils do not constrict correctly in response to light; migrainous phenomenon, where bright/flashing lights activate pathways to induce migraine in headache-prone people, and central overstimulation causes - meaning that parts of the brain that interpret light and visual stimuli are "hypersensitive". While we have direct evidence (studies) for the first two mechanisms, the last one is more of a hypothesis, at least for now .

[morgan617]

I can barely tolerate bright lights, whether outside, or flourescent. On the other hand, I become very disoriented and dizzy in darkness. It's a fine line for me. I have to have a night light on or I will inevitably kill myself falling or crashing into stuff. morgan

[Maxine]

My ANS symptoms act up more if I'm in an area with bright lights. Sam's or Walmart are the worst, and I avoid going in to either place. I know this is true, because if I go into Kohl's where the lighting is more recessed into the cealing I'm not as symptomatic and I last a little longer. My OI will be there no matter what, but bad lighting will bring it on almost instantly.

I'll also get overstimulated and shaky, then my balance is affected. My gait gets weird, and I'll get a feeling like there are magnets on the bottom of my feet, and the floor is also magnetic and I can't make contact with the floor. It's a really bizaree feeling, and I have had this sensation for quite a long time.

Sunlight also makes me very symptomatic, and if it's over 75 degrees I'll deteriorate quickly-----minutes--

Maxine :0)

[ajw4790]

Light bothers me ALL the time! I should probably get and use sunglasses. Artificial flourescent lighting is probably the worse. I especially have issues with glares and mirrors making me dizzy. I think that it is all the light bouncing around that makes me dizzy.

[SunsetParadise49]

Most defiantly. . . Especially if the lights are really bright, flickering/flashing! When lights bother me, I get really out of it and just kind of stare into space. I also usually do not hear people talking to me.

[thejohnsongang]

I try to stay indoors during the day as much as possible. When I do have to go out I have to wear sunglasses or I get horrible headaches. Also the heat/sunlight makes my symptoms much worse and I feel horrible after about an hour outside.