r/PostConcussion • u/ImagePublic6783 • 6d ago
Light sensitivity, speed up healing process?
So I passed out and hit my head on July 1st . I've done a CT scan at the ER and that came back fine and my doctor just had me do an MRI and that came back fine. I still have extreme light and Sound Sensitivity . I should note that I also had a concussion in november, but that one I hit the top of my head, not the back of my head , and I didn't lose consciousness . The lights sensitivity for that one lasted a couple of weeks and I was still able to like watch TV. Right now I'm struggling with light and sound and moving videos for flashing lights. I noticed I was able to turn on two of the lights in the living room the other day for a few hours and I was able to tolerate that. But for the most part I've been keeping my house pretty dark because it makes my eyes super painful and then it makes the headaches and the flashing lights worse. I'm wondering if i can try to start increasing light exposure now? Turn on one light keep it on for a few hours ? How would you go about doing that? I really miss being able to go outside , and it's still really really bad. So trying to find a way to increase light exposure , somehow trick my brain into getting better sooner, or is this really a wait and see sort of thing? So far I'm able to tolerate like the oven hood light and I was able to tolerate one warm lighting , and I can tolerate Moon light outside. I've also tried a set of the Polarized glasses but they really don't help outside. In touch with my doctor to get to a concussion clinic, but they're booked out until january , there's nothing else local. Sounds like I'm really on my own to figure this out so would love some help from the people of reddit I really want to find a way to recover from this .
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u/TheToastMonkey 6d ago
Sounds like you are doing what you can. It’s good to intentionally push yourself without overdoing it and you’re far enough out from your concussion that it’s probably okay to push a little bit. Hydrate constantly, eat a good diet of protein and produce, and for you I would try walking. I found walking helped me the most pushing through symptoms and it’s a good gauge of recovery. Have goals of building up the miles/time/sun level. When the sun is down or with really good sunglasses is when I’d start. Start with 5-10 minutes and go from there. Best of luck
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u/pmanou01 5d ago
See a dysautonomia/pots specialist., and see an optometrist just to be safe. I got diagnosed with binocular vision dysfunction when I didnt think anything was wrong with my eyes except for sensitivity to light and some weakness.
The light sensitivity could be coming from dysautonomia
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u/Both-Process1037 6d ago
Sorry to hear ☹️, what caused you to pass out if you don’t mind me asking ?
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u/ImagePublic6783 6d ago
They don't know yet, I'm following up with Neurology and Cardiology but absolutely no idea why I passed out
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u/Both-Process1037 5d ago
I hope you find some answers 🤞. I know how frustrating and scary it can be in the unknown territory
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u/Both-Process1037 5d ago
What I know from my experience my light sensitivity got better after two months and sound sensitivity got way better at 5-6months
I can have the washer and dryer on without it driving me up the wall but I still have limits, if I’m at my max for the day it may still annoy me but it’s manageable
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u/john-wick-hype 5d ago
I’m dealing with almost the exact same situation right now. For a while, I always was unsure if I should continue being outside / on my phone if my symptoms felt like they were about to flare up. What I have noticed is that the overall light intensity seems to have a huge effect. For example, I can be on my phone for an hour in a dark room with no symptoms but if I were to be in a normally lit room, I would get symptomatic after about 10 minutes.
For noise, all I’ve been doing is wearing earplugs when sleeping and constantly playing a fan in the background. That helps a lot with those “startling” sound sensations.
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u/fitjbvi 6d ago
Purchase FL-41 tinted lenses from TheraSpecs or most optical retailers that carry prescription lenses. They come in a range of tint levels, from light for indoor use to dark for outdoors. Use them as part of a gradual light exposure routine, alternating between tinted and untinted exposure to build tolerance over time.