Light Sensitivity

[Ojibajo]

I know that sensitivity to heat is a symptom with MS (and I do have it, although not to the extent of some others). I try to keep cool with those neck cooling packs and I am hoping to get a cooling vest. Is light sensitivity a symptom (even a lesser symptom) of MS?

My eyes have always been sensitive to the light, but the sensitivity seems to be increasing. This is with the heat sensitivity is really disappointing since I really do love summer.  I have so much work to do in the yard but I seem to try to get it done very early in the morning or later in the evening when it is almost dark. It is getting harder and harder to be outside in bright sunlight and even certain types of indoor lights are starting to bother me. It just used to be that the florescent lights bothered me but even the CFL lights seem to bother me.

I do wear sunglasses all of the time when outside and sometimes inside. Does anyone have any other suggestions to combat this?

[supermum_ms]

I've had this escalating issue for years, long before i started seeing double. I too was told to wear a hat lol have to admit it does help to some degree because it stops the light coming in from the top of your glasses. I also wear sunnies all the time, even in winter.

I wanted to point out that the quality of the lenses and style of the sunnies make a huge difference. I have to wear bigger style frames, which sort of hug my eyes from the eyebrow, more wrap around too. They minimise the light getting in from both the top and the sides, which the smaller styles do so they are no good for me.

They cost a fortune but its worth it, i only get them from optomatrists, so they are polarised, with glare sheild etc might be an idea to talk to your optomatrist and see what they recommend for you. oh and the issue with inside lights, i was adviced to try a blue coloured lense to see if that helped, it didn't for me.

I have to wear my sunnies instead of my normal glasses which causes a few other hickups, um like having to guess what the hyroglyphics i'm seeing mean but its better than wanting to rip your eyeballs out lol You can get sunnies that go on over the top of your glasses but you cant get them for my little head lol so double vision it is.

Cheers............JJ    

[yorkieville]

I hae developed extreme light sensitivity. I have to wear sunglasses in my home, when I first get up in the morning, and when I use my Laptop.

And I get horrible headaches when I go out when it is sunny-even though I am wearing sunglasses.

I empathize with you.

Sheila

[jensequitur]

Quite possibly - the area of your brain that receives visual information.  

[Ojibajo]

Before I was diagnosed I remember asking the eye doctor about it and he said it was more of a brain thing than an eye thing and had something to do with the way that my brain was processing stimuli. When I had my VEP everything looked good and I had no damage to my optic nerve. All of my lesions are in my brain.

[saramaeray]

this was my result also, my eyes were fine.

[jensequitur]

I had a really hard time as my eyes were really sensitive to light for a while.  Flickering light, like the sunlight through the trees, or lights in the Walmart, were just awful.  My old neuro told me to get a hat!  Useless piece of **** ***** ****.

Anyway, I think all this is due to optic nerve damage.  Part of the problem is that your eyes are sending signals to the brain at different rates, so that there's a slight time discrepancy.  This will make you feel disoriented and out of sorts.

[Wobbly]

you know this morning, I had to close the blinds on the windows as my eyes were so sensitive and I started to have a headache from it?  

but I'm feeling better with my eyes now.  I use sunglasses alot when my eyes give me a difficult time.  Summer coming and hope we are all ready.

take care
wobbly