When it comes to living with vestibular migraine it always seems best to have as many 'tools' in my migraine toolkit as possible. Some work as preventatives, others help abort or manage attacks once they are under way. Migraine glasses such as those by Axon Optics are now firmly in my migraine toolkit and have been so helpful in managing symptoms.
This is a sponsored post with Axon Optics, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
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Day to day life with vestibular migraine
Like many who come to be diagnosed with vestibular migraine, I hadn't ever heard of the condition before. I didn't know I even had a vestibular system, truth be told. And migraine? Well wasn't that just head pain? It definitely isn't, and I didn't actually experience head pain at all for about a year. Instead, I had other symptoms ranging from dizziness and balance issues through to full-blown vertigo attacks where I clutched at the nearest wall and wondered why the world was spinning, and I was spinning, and everything was topsy-turvy in this weird Alice in Wonderland world.
My worst ever attack took place on a street in Brussels the night before a BIG job interview. Stress, travelling on the Eurostar and being tired all came into a perfect storm and I inched along the street back to my hotel looking as though I had been on the wine, when not a sip had been drunk. I look back on those moments and wish I had been a bit more clued-up about ways to manage migraine beyond medication. It always feels strange to me that doctors don't put more emphasis on products such as migraine glasses, as well as ice hats, nausea relief bands and supplements.
Screen time and an 'overworked' brain
These days I am fortunate not to experience full vertigo attacks, but I do have a sense of dizziness or motion 24/7. Head pain is always present, and goes up and down in severity over the day. Now I wish I could spend my days relaxing and having bubble baths and listening to podcasts, but the reality for many of us with migraine is the necessity to work. And for me that means a lot of screen time . . .
Research has shown that more than 90% of people with migraine are sensitive to light, and for me personally artificial light is the most problematic. And that definitely includes screens, which let's face it most of us are on a great deal during the day.
I'm on the computer for maybe eight hours a day. Between my 'regular' job and blogging, I am usually to be found at my desk (or on the sofa, truth be told!) tapping away on my laptop. Emails need a reply, posts and articles are written, photos edited, recipes written out and of course I am not adverse to a few YouTube breaks during the day.
All this computer work makes my eyes feel tired, and my brain a bit 'overworked' with a heavy tired feeling. That's not the best description I know, but it's tricky to put into words. That 'overworked' feeling can easily lead to increased vestibular migraine symptoms for me, and I notice that the sense of movement gets stronger and it becomes more difficult to focus on the screen. Sometimes it can evolve into more of an attack where the dizziness is too profound to carry on working.
Axon Optics migraine glasses review
Axon Optics are migraine glasses which have FL-41 lenses. They block wavelengths that are known to trigger light sensitivity symptoms, but allow other types of light to filter through (Axon Optics).
I was kindly gifted a pair of Axon Optics glasses last year and have been testing them out ever since. I am definitely impressed by the quality of the glasses. As well as being lightweight, which is really important for me as pressure on my face can aggravate head pain, they are so helpful for working to help 'calm' my head down. A big plus point is that they work as a preventative for me. So instead of using them after symptoms have started to escalate, I wear them most of the time to help prevent that situation from taking place.
I've noticed this calming effect in two different scenarios. The first is when working on a computer. The glasses help block light from my laptop and so I find I get less eye and 'brain strain' from it. I was shocked by just how much the light changes when putting them on, and truly hadn't realised just how much blue light is coming from my screens. It's a little disconcerting to know to be honest! Thankfully the migraine glasses help block this, and reduce symptoms at the same time.
The other situation I find the Axon Optics to be helpful is in the evening. Here in the UK the sun can set at 4pm and so we have dark skies really early. So of course, lights and lamps go on, and screens too . . . That combination of evening skies and lots of artificial lights has always been tricky for me to manage, and is often when my migraine symptoms are at their worst. Using the Axon Optics glasses has the same calming affect for me, and makes the glare from lights decrease a great deal.
Part of my migraine toolkit
Alongside other products, the Axon Optics glasses are now firmly part of my migraine toolkit. There is a real reassurance about having items that can help prevent symptoms and so lead to a better quality of life for those with migraine. I only wish I had known about them years ago when at a workplace with artificial lights and a lot of screen time being part of my day. They likely would have reduced the number and severity of my migraine attacks at the time.
If you live with migraine then I highly recommend checking out Axon Optics migraine glasses to help you manage symptoms.
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Living with a vestibular disorder
Please follow the advice of your doctor as to all medical treatments, supplements and dietary choices, as set out in my disclaimer. I am not a medical professional, and this post, as well as all other posts on this blog, are for informational purposes only.
Sheryl Chan says
Whilst i dont have migraines, I wrote a review for them too after doing some serious research into them. Great project for migraineurs!
Chronic Mom says
I loved my original Axon Optics glasses. When mine broke my sister gave me hers, which aren't nearly as nice. No idea why.
throughthefibrofog says
Oh that's a shame! If you want to buy a new pair there is a limited offer for 15% off with the code throughthefibro 🙂
Katie Clark says
I'm glad they are helping you with migraine. I don't suffer from migraine, but certainly can get eye strain from all the computer work. I have to say, your glasses are nice looking compared to some I've seen:)
throughthefibrofog says
They're great aren't they! I wonder if it is the blue light from screens that is causing the eye strain for you?
Katie Clark says
I do have blue light protection in my glasses (I have prescription bifocals). My eye strain seems to be due to dry eye , mostly.