Theraspecs

I have started a new job and something is causing increased migraines. It may be the monitor or the lighting. My new employer has purchased a new monitor for me but it hasn't really helped. I've been thinking about buying some Theraspecs theraspecs.com. Has anyone tried these? Did they help?

[monster05]

Hello there,

Fluorescent light and computer screens are huge triggers for my migraines and, of course, this causes all sorts of difficulties at work. Like you, I looked at theraspecs on the net and thought about getting a pair but after a bit of digging around, I found that you can have a tint applied to your ordinary glasses and it is exactly the same tint as that used by theraspecs. You can get it done at a high street optician - I had mine done through VisionExpress - it cost £35 and took about two weeks. The tint is called FL-41 and the optician will have to send your glasses away to get it done - they probably use Theraspecs or Axonoptics for this anyway. have found the tint really helps - particularly when looking at a computer screen. Of course, they do not prevent migraine attacks entirely but they certainly ease the situation and triggering of migraine. Unless you were to wear goggles (not very pretty), you do have to accept that some light is still going to be able to reach your eyes through the side of the glasses. I suffer from chronic migraine and I have found that these have helped at work but I still avoid fluorescent light whenever I can.

I hope this is useful to you. It took me a fair bit of legwork to find out about it. It's fair to say that most high street opticians won't have a clue what you're talking about at first but as long as you have a helpful assistant and you can supply the name of the tint, they should be able to help you with this. It works out cheaper than buying the theraspecs if you have existing glasses. If you do have to buy glasses to get tinted then at least you can try them on and make sure that they fit you properly.

I'd definitely recommend the tint - it eases the triggering of migraine if you're sensitive to lighting : )

[amateurwriter in reply to monster05]

Hi, Just seen your reply when I looked at the forum, I don't wear glasses but I do get worse migraines when I'm around bright light's or staring at a screen, I don't wear glasses, had my eyes checked last year, but could you get the tint for sunglasses? or for some glasses that just have plain glass in them? Hope that makes sense, I wear sunglasses when I'm out and about but they don't help that much, they do a little bit, but then I get funny looks from people who work in shops like I'm going to steal.

Just want a job and to go about my normal days not getting looked at like I'm a thief.

Or would I be better asking at an opticians?

[lighteyesj in reply to amateurwriter]

after about a yr 1/2 of nearly daily migraines, my doctors & I finally realized it's because, of the lighting in the office we moved to. Recently I tried Gunnars computer glasses with an amber tint ($80). My eyes felt immediate relief. I just don't like that they have a slight magnification so if I try to use them away from the computer or electronices, everything looks slightly blurry. I've also just received my Axon Optics migrain relief glasses, I bought them with transition lenses ($339). I think they are way better. My eyes don't feel strained I can use them outside & everything looks clear. I bought my son a pair of Gamma Ray computer glasses from amazon, he says his eyes feel relieved/less strained. I tried them & I like that they have the slight amber tint without the magnification & they were only about $12.

[bluedriftergirl]

Thank you, I shall go and look for this. new lighting at my last place of work triggered my chronic migraines but they wouldn't admit it was the fault of the lights and so even after a graduated return to work after 6 months I couldn't continue there. Now I am coming of my medication and have been migraine free for a while I am worried about similar lights triggering another attack, as a supply teacher it's a permanent hazard.

[Gambit62 in reply to bluedriftergirl]

Really sorry to read about this - you might be interested to know that there been a case where the effect of flourescent lights on migraines was used in a case for unfair dismissal (or could have been using Disability Discrimination Act) - the complainant had raised concerns with the employer when they were planning to instal flourescent lighting but they went ahead. Sorry - I can't remember the exact details but it was in the last few years.

If you are a union member then I'm sure that your union would be aware of it.

[monster05 in reply to bluedriftergirl]

An employer is obliged by law to make 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate your condition in the workplace although this does depend, of course, on how frequent and debilitating your migraines are. The onus is on you though to prove that the migraines are triggered by the fluorescent lights/computer screens. I have constant battles about this in my workplace too - funnily enough, also a teaching environment.

[bluedriftergirl]

I had to leave as I couldn't prove the lights were at fault and they weren't willing to admit they might be as the county had put them in, it wasn't even a school decision. How do you prove it?

[Hidden]

Thanks for all your replies and info. I managed to get a pair of TheraSpecs from eBay, much reduced price as no one else was bidding for them. It's not really a good look at work but it's made for a few jokes! I'm not bothered they seem to be having an effect.

For further information do a Google search for pulse wave modulation (PWM) this is how brightness is controlled on monitors. It produces an invisible flicker that the eye can pick up on and can cause problems. People with migraine are more prone to this problem.

The NHS dept I worked in previously felt they had made all "reasonable adjustments" but I didn't know about PWM at the time and didn't know it was the new monitors that were the problem!

My new employers were good about getting a monitor without PWM