Migraine Glasses for Light Sensitivity Relief

Blue light glasses are designed to block blue-violet light, which may help ease the discomfort of overexposure. However, the wavelengths of light that typically trigger migraines are blue-green, not blue-violet. So while blue-blocking glasses can reduce eye strain, they don’t block the specific type of light that has been shown to aggravate and trigger migraine attacks. 

The truth is, blue-blocking glasses just don’t block the right wavelength of light to be effective for those with photophobia and migraines. If you have photophobia, Axon Optics’ precision-tinted lenses can block the specific type of light that has been shown to aggravate and trigger migraine attacks. They come with a 30-day guarantee. Try them and see how they can help you live with fewer migraines.

If you want to wear Axon Eyewear indoors and outdoors, tinting can be applied to separate pairs of glasses so that you can have a dark pair for outdoor wear and a lighter pair for indoor wear. This is the most comfortable way to wear our tint, as most people would not want to wear a sunglass frame in the office, or an office eyeglass frame in the sun. Some customers wear the “indoor” tint at all times, but use our outdoor tint or regular sunglasses for outdoor use. You can also consider our tinted transitions lenses, which can be used both indoors and outdoors.  Our outdoor tint is the most therapeutic but would be too dark for most people to use indoors.

Visual snow is a condition that is considered to be relatively rare, but obtaining exact statistics is not easy because many patients don’t realize they have it or don’t realize that it is not normal. Over the years patients have faced many challenges. It was not regarded as a “real” condition by many doctors. Visual snow patients were often treated similar to those with chronic pain and conditions like fibromyalgia. Many times they were told that it was “all in their head” or the result of past or present illicit drug use. The clinical term for visual snow is aeropsia but it may also be referred to as “visual static” or “positive persistent visual disturbance.” Some of the more common treatments include vision therapy, medication, diet, and precision tinted glasses. Axon Optics migraine glasses block the light that has been implicated in triggering reactions and can worsen the condition. Our frames have a 60-day return policy should you find them ineffective. 

In order to fully understand the function of migraine glasses, it is important to first understand the nature of migraines. Make no mistake, a migraine is much more than a headache. Migraines themselves are incredibly painful, but these attacks often come with other symptoms — such as light sensitivity — that can make them excruciating.

Treatment can be a challenge too, because everyone experiences their migraines in unique ways. The symptoms and triggers are as varied as the people who get them. However, there are a handful of triggers that are pretty consistent with the majority of migraineurs, and light sensitivity tops the list.

Since light sensitivity is reported as both a common symptom and a common trigger (especially when it comes to glare), it’s no surprise that a controlled study found that bright lights caused headaches in 29% of those surveyed, and aggravated headaches in 73% (along with other factors like skipping meals and stress).

To some extent, everyone is sensitive to light. For example, looking directly into the sun would be painful for anyone. But most people with migraine disease are hypersensitive to light. A sunny day that delights most of us can be excruciating for them, but even indoor lighting can hurt. It’s this degree of light sensitivity that sets them apart. In fact, more than 90% of people with migraine disease are sensitive to light (Source: Evans et al). And as you saw with Steven’s story above, ugly fluorescent lights can be particularly bothersome.

So, the natural conclusion here would be to block the light, right? Well, that’s easier said than done. For decades, migraineurs would retreat to darkened rooms or slip on dark sunglasses in order to ease their symptoms or keep migraines at bay. While these efforts seemed to work a little, they did not prove to be long term solutions.

And the research began.

The good news is that research shows only certain wavelengths of light are likely to aggravate migraines (Source Katz B). So, it logically follows that finding a way to block those particular wavelengths should provide relief and even protection from light-triggered migraines.

Migraine glasses filter the light that has been implicated in triggering and aggravating migraine attacks. They use a special coating on the lenses that is specifically designed to keep the “bad” light out and let the good light in. No substantially altered vision, no dark-adapted eyes, just light protection. Axon Optics migraine glasses have been shown to reduce the number of days with headache by 24%. An incredible 90% of those who tried them experienced a decrease in migraine attacks.

If you are eager to learn more about migraine glasses, check out our guide here.

Every migraineur is different. You are unique. Your situation, environment, and the way you react are all uniquely yours. With that said, you need to find our own comfort level and what works best for you.

Some people wear their Axon Optics migraine glasses all the time. Others wear them only in situations where they feel light sensitivity — such as under fluorescent lights at work or going into a store. There are as many user variances as there are users.

Our research shows that 35% of users wear their glasses all the time, and more than 60% wear them most of the time.

Migraine glasses have a special lens that blocks the wavelengths that are known to trigger light sensitivity symptoms but allow other types of light to filter through. This reduces the wearer’s exposure to those wavelengths that are most likely to cause light-triggered symptoms while allowing them to see clearly.

On the visible spectrum of light, the human eye responds to wavelengths that are from 380 to 740 nanometers. This is also where the pure colors (a single wavelength) reside. Certain colors that are unsaturated (purple, pink, etc.) don’t appear, because multiple wavelengths are required to create them.

The seven pure spectral colors are listed below. What has been determined through research is that the wavelengths around 480 and 590 tend to be the most problematic for people with photophobia.

• Violet – 380-450 nm
• Blue – 450-485 nm
• Cyan – 485-500 nm
• Green – 500-565 nm
• Yellow – 565-590 nm
• Orange – 590-625 nm
• Red – 625-740 nm

Our migraine sunglasses are a great way to find migraine and light sensitivity relief. Migraine sunglasses have the same migraine relief filter as our regular glasses, but they have a slightly darker tint to combat the bright outdoor lights. Axon Optics also offers transition lenses so that you don't have to worry about purchasing multiple frames.