Headaches from PC monitor

[akafearless]

Maybe you guys can help?
For several years now I have been sensitive to the flickers..they give me migraines. Could be the sun shining through the trees or my computer screen.

On the older monitors, it was no big deal just set the refresh rate to 85 and all is well.

Well with these new ones you can't do that! My PC bit the dust and DH wants to give me his an upgrade to a newer one for himself. He has a nice iMac with a big monitor...hello headache. I had been using an old monitor just because it could be set at least to 75 mgtz or whatever the abbreviation is..yes my head hurts I tried to use the PC this am with the brightness turned down..something I found when I googled..

I'm gonna ask my neuro Tuesday (just happen to have an appt) if there is anything I can do..already take topamax as a prophylactic.

Read 10% of population suffer from this...lights in some stores bother me too..

accepting any and all ideas, solutions, comments
Please and thanks
S

[Cat Mom]

Have you tried a glare protector on the screen? They come in all sizes and are reasonably priced. Good luck, please let us know if you find something that works.
Jen

[MSer102]

Maybe you guys can help?
For several years now I have been sensitive to the flickers..they give me migraines. Could be the sun shining through the trees or my computer screen.

On the older monitors, it was no big deal just set the refresh rate to 85 and all is well. ... Well with these new ones you can't do that!

By "new ones" do you mean an LCD flat panel display? If you do, the reason you can't adjust the refresh rate or control the flicker is because LCD's don't flicker when they refresh.

Way back in the old days, fluorescent lights flickered. And CRT monitors flickered. But the flicker problem with fluorescent lights was eliminated at least 20 years ago. Flicker was solved in the later model CRT's too. And LCD's don't flicker. But for some reason the flicker "myth" seems to persist.

The fact that the flicker problems have been eliminated but people STILL have trouble with certain kinds of light is the proof that their problems are not being caused by flicker.

Scientists are now thinking that the problems are built into these people's brains and there's a glitch in how their brains are processing the wavelengths of certain kinds of light. That's different than a flicker frequency. If the problem was flicker, many people would be having trouble, as they used to when the problem really was flicker. But if only 10% are having trouble now that the flicker problem has been solved, that supports that the problem is NOT flicker.

Some people find that wearing computer glasses with tinted lenses is helpful. Tints affect the wavelengths of light that get through to the eyes, and the tints that help can be different for everyone. It might be something to talk to your optometrist about - not your ophthalmologist and not your neurologist because they won't know.

If the issue is how your brain is processing wavelengths of light, a glare screen won't be of any help. And turning down the brightness might help but won't solve the problem because that doesn't affect how your brain processes wavelengths.

I have some trouble with the overhead lights in some department stores but not with the fluorescent tubes in my house. That could be because the qualities of commercial lighting are different than for residential lighting. I don't have any problems with my computer monitor.

We spend so much time on computers these days! I hope you can find some relief.

[akafearless]

From what I've read about the LCD monitors it is the LED lights that are the issue. Because 100% of light is not needed all the time there is less used, it causes a pulsating effect. I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this well, hope you can understand.
If you could use 100% brightness, no problem. Maybe I could do that with a screen?
Never thought about tinted lenses. Gonna see how many different kind of sunglasses I have around here. Need to have my eyes checked anyway, it's time for glasses, tired of having a pair in every room.
Was so happy to see some responses, thanks guys!
Can't believe the 10% number? What are these people doing about a computer? I have always thought my issue was related to my MS, because I didn't have it before, just regular migraines.