Migraine Awareness Month #8: Let There Be Light

Most Migraineurs have issues with light sensitivity. What do you do to cope with it?

Light is like a Migraineur’s Kryptonite.  It severely cripples you and causes immense pain.  For me, the pain I feel from any kind of light source during a Migraine isn’t curbed by closing my eyes.  The light filters through my eyelids, piercing into my retinas and sending shock waves of pain through my eyes.  The light from my alarm clock or my printer feels like someone is shining a flashlight in my face.  So what do I do to cope with it?  For one, I must turn off all lights, including the television.  I drape towels over my windows to block out as much sunlight as possible because I don’t only get Migraines at night, and the moon can be just as bright and just as much of a problem like the sun.  If it is nighttime, I cover my alarm clock and printer up with cloths or towels so that the light from them won’t bother me.  I usually use a pillow to cover my face because I also use it to counter pressure the throbbing of my head.  Sometimes I use my scarf that I sleep with but the smell of the fabric softener is too strong sometimes and makes the Migraine worse.  I may use a sleep mask but I often deter from using one because the strap feels like a vice grip most of the time.  If I must use my cell phone I have the brightness turned completely down so as to not be as bothered by it.  My husband doesn’t understand why I play games on my phone during a Migraine if I’m in pain but it serves as a distraction from it, as long as I can tolerate the light.  Many times, after removing as much light from my room as possible, it still feels like it still isn’t dark enough.  It’s almost as if the darkness has it’s own light source that I can’t figure out how to turn off.  That is very frustrating.  Light sensitivity is one of the worse symptoms of Migraine and sometimes hard to avoid because so many things give off light.  Yet, I try my best to create as much darkness as possible so that my road to recovery might be a shorter one.

National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger's Challenge is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.