Tips for dealing with light/sound sensitivity

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I've yet to meet a fellow Lyme patient who doesn't experience light and/or sound sensitivity to some degree. Sometimes these sensitivities are so severe they interfere greatly with everyday life; sometimes they're just annoying enough to make us squint our eyes or cover our ears with our hands for a moment or two to recalibrate and calm our minds. The spectrum of outside stimuli that can trigger a negative reaction vary, as well. There are obvious triggers like sudden bursts of sound (e.g. fireworks, sudden volume increases on the TV, police sirens) or light (e.g. overhead fluorescent lighting, sunlight reflecting off of snow or coming through a car window, action movies with lots of flashy scenes), and there less obvious triggers that seem harmless enough to an average, healthy person, but can send a person with light/sound sensitivity into a downward tailspin (e.g. the sound of a clock ticking, soft background music, the screen of a cell phone).

Most often, as with all Lyme-related symptoms, the severity of these sensitivities can wax and wane--meaning, they could be so intense on one day that all you want to do is hide in your bedroom, completely hidden under your comforter, and the next day they could be tolerable enough you're able to go out into the "real world" with minimal difficulty (as far as the light and sound sensitivities go). For some people, though, myself included, these symptoms stay at a very intense level for a long time, and persist until treatment is well under way or has been completed. Which makes complete sense, because we know the attack of the Lyme spirochetes is non-discriminatory--they make their way into every single tissue in our body, including all the muscles/organs/nerves, etc. associated with our eyes and ears--and only by treating Lyme and any co-infections (the underlying causes) will we get long-lasting relief from the symptoms.

In the meantime, though, I wanted to share some of the things I do to manage/cope with light and sound sensitivity, in hopes that some of you may also find them helpful.

1. Dark sunglasses

Even Lucy InTheSkyWithDiamondsMae understands how helpful sunglasses can be.

This one probably seems like a no-brainer, because many of us already have a trusty pair of sunglasses we can pull out at a moment's notice if the light around us starts to bother us, but I wanted to mention a couple specific things that have helped me get the most effective help with sunglasses.

If you wear prescription glasses, but don't have prescription sunglasses, I recommend looking into purchasing a pair if you're in the market for one. I know at traditional doctors and eyewear stores, even if you use insurance, an extra pair of glasses is never cheap, so if you're on a smaller budget (which, lets face it, money's an issue for nearly all of us with Lyme & Co due to treatment/doctors visits/supplements, etc), you could take your current prescription and check out sites like Coastal or Zenni Optical for great prices on glasses and lenses.

If you don't wear prescription glasses, or if you always wear contacts/dont have to wear glasses all the time, I recommend purchasing a pair or two of non-prescription sunglasses from whatever store you prefer. One thing I would definitely recommend, though, is that even if you're buying non-prescription sunglasses, find sunglasses that have polarized lenses. It's easy to skip over the polarized lenses if they're On display near non-polarized sunglasses, because the polarized lenses will add a little on to the price, but I've seen some really good non-rx polarized glasses on sale for $10-15, and I'm telling you, your eyes (and brain) will thank you immensely for the extra protection. You also tend to see a clearer picture through polarized lenses, even with the stronger protection. I also recommend getting glasses that comfortably cover your entire visual field (so no matter where you look, your eyes are shielded). I personally prefer having my "movie star" sized sunglasses to wear most of the time, and my $10 wayfarer-style sunglasses to wear if I'm having to lie down/wear a right hat (the huge lenses of the movie star sizes glasses make both of those things impossible to do, so I made sure I invested in a backup pair.

2. Ear plugs

Another commonplace thing that, for some reason, I didn't think about using in every day life until last December. Sure, we all can plan ahead and take earplugs with us if we know we're going somewhere noisy--like our trip to NYC to see a doctor last September--but how often do you get annoyed at a little (or big) noise in your day-to-day activities and try to telepathically (or audibly, if you talk aloud to inanimate objects like I do) will the sound to disappear, without even thinking about earplugs being able to help? I know that was the case for me until about 8 months ago. I don't remember what the catalyst for purchasing a box of earplugs was at that time, but it was one of the best decisions I've made. I now wear the earplugs every night as I'm in bed, which has not only significantly improved my ability to sleep, but has helped my mind not get distracted by outside noises (Roger breathing, Lucy scratching or snoring, cars driving down out street, etc.), which then means I'm able to relax/decompress more easily as I try to drift into dreamland. But ear plugs aren't just for use at bedtime. I never leave the house without having my ear plugs with me (they came with a case, but you could put them in a baggie or anywhere else convenient), because it's impossible to predict exactly what, when, or where sound sensitive-reactions will occur. Since I carry them around with me, anytime I find myself in a position where I'm overwhelmingly sensitive to the sounds/noises around me, I put then in ASAP. I personally have a brand of foam earplugs that are contoured to expand with the shape of your ear for maximum sound reduction (you can find these at any major retailer), but there are all kinds of options out there. Experiment to see what works for you and I promise it will be worth it!

3. Headphones

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We all know about the basic function headphones serve--to allow us to listen to any type of audio without either disturbing those around us or without being disturbed by outside noise--but have you ever thought about what an asset headphones can be to your arsenal in the fight against light and sound sensitivity?  Let me give you an example:

On the 4th of July (and for about a week on either side of the holiday), our neighbors set off fireworks.  LOTS of fireworks.  And fireworks, with their unpredictable blasts, have an uncanny ability to send those of us with sound sensitivity into a major state of anxiety and skipped-heartbeats.  On the first night of fireworks, as soon as I heard the first explosion (and screamed and mentally jumped out of my seat), I immediately put in my trusty earplugs.  Imagine my surprise when the earplugs gave me little to no protection against the barrage of explosions outside my house.  After being reduced to tears and ending up in the fetal position with my hands pressed hard against my ears/earplugs, I had an idea: I got out my headphones (I got a pair of Beats headpones for Christmas last year, but any over-the-ear headphones that fit well should work) and put them on over top of my earplugs.  The degree to which this combination lessened the intensity of the firework burts was unbelievabe to me.  On the actual 4th of July, there were more fireworks and louder explosions than the other nights, so that night I actually played music through my headphones while I wore them over top of my ear plugs, and that helped a lot, as well--with the music I knew what was going on, so even though it was still sound, it wasn't at all like the unpredictable, anxiety-provoking blasts of the fireworks.

Headphones could also be used by themselves if there's just one particular noise that's causing you trouble.  And they're possible the most customizable item on this list because it's completely up to you to decide what (if anything) you want to play through your headphones to help you deal with sound sensitivity issues, whether you go with classical music, nature sounds, guided relaxation exercises, pop music, throwback jams, or any number of other options (including not playing anything and just letting the silence calm your mind).  Just because something is a common, every day item doesn't mean it can't be used in various ways to help us cope with issues we face while fighting a chronic illness.

4. Blackout curtains

I don't think a day goes by where I'm not glad we made this investment. And just because that was a double negative, to clarify: this was such an excellent investment! Many of us who are fighting Lyme & Co's know what it's like to be bedridden, whether it's for one full day, one week, one month, or several months and/or years. I joke with my family that my bed is truly my BFF. I mean, I probably spend more time in the company of my bed than I do with any other being/inanimate object on this earth. That's just my reality right now as I continue to travel this journey of treatment, supplements, healing, and trial and error, so I've learned to be okay with it.  But regardless of how comfy my bed is, there were other steps we had to take to make our bedroom a place where I can sleep/get away from light and sound whenever the need arises. Often, this is in the middle of the day, because as any Lymie will tell you, we all suffer from "Lymesomnia" to some degree (many of us can't even remember what the phrase "a good night's sleep" means), which leaves us awake throughout the night but desperately needing to sleep during daylight hours the following day, which is hard enough for a "regular" (aka healthy) person, and near-impossible for someone who deals with light sensitivity.

Enter blackout curtains!

Blackout curtains have been a major help for me in those situations, blocking out all light coming through my bedroom windows at any time of day. Even if it's a day where I did sleep at night, if I'm having a light-sensitive day I'll still keep the curtains pulled to help reduce my headache, eye pain, anxiety, and sensory overload and help me just take time to breathe and relax. It's easy to put off purchasing blackout curtains because they sound like they could be expensive, but Roger picked ours up at WalMart (they have a few different options and they were very reasonably priced, meaning, not expensive at all), and they've been such a big help to me without draining our bank account. And before I forget, I want to give a quick shout-out to Christina over at Lady of Lyme for mentioning blackout curtains to me over a year ago--I don't know what I'd do without them now!  There are even several tutorials on Pinterest about making your own blackout curtains, so if you're more of the DIY-type, or if you're looking for a project to do on days when all you have is time to spare, check them out HERE.

5. HoodiePillow

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Before I even elaborate on this point, just take a minute to consider the two components of the object presented:

1. Hoodie

2. Pillow

With those components, there's no viable argument that can be formed against this product. I mean, hoodie + pillow = comfort to the max. It's that simple.  In all seriousness, though, the HoodiePillow is one of my favorite products in existence when it comes to dealing with light/sound sensitivity.  The HoodiePillow is a pillow case with the following modifiers: it's made of sweatshirt/hoodie material, it has a drawstring hood that comforably fits over your head when your head is on the pillow, it has a hole specifically for cords of any kind (headphones, phone chargers, etc.), and it has a little pocket to hold any electronic device you're using (up to the size of an ipod/smartphone).  There is also a Travel HoodiePillow (one of those U-shaped neck pillows), which doesn't have the hole for electronic cords or the pocket to hold them, but the hood is promoted as being plenty big enough for headphones to fit underneath if you wanted to use them.  It also includes the travel pillow itself, which is inflatable, making it easy to compress and stow away when you don't need it--and saving space is always good!  Both of the pillows come in 5 colors: Black, Heather Gray, Ocean Blue, Fire Red and Lipstick Pink.

The Hoodie Pillow was hands-down one of my most useful/favorite gifts I was fortunate to receive for Christmas last year.  On days when my light sensitivity is acting up, I lie on my bed with my Hoodie Pillow covering my pillow, I pull the hood down far enough that it covers my eyes/ears and I pull on the drawstrings so it closes as tightly as is comfortable, blocking out as much light as possible (this works doubly well if I combine it with my blackout curtains).  The Hoodie Pillow also helps with sound sensitivity to a degree.  Obviously, since it's just sweatshirt material, it's not soundproof, but the combination of shutting out light and having it cover your eyes and ears still helps take the edge off of a mild sound sensitivity episode.  If you combine the Hoodie Pillow with ear plugs, I think you'll be pleased at the reduced level/intensity of external stimuli.  The Hoodie Pillow is also great to use after a night of insomnia, making it easier for you to catch up on sleep during the day, due to its ability to shut out light.

6. Sleep mask

"Mom, this is significantly less fun than chasing a laser. Stop making me model stuff just so you can show me off on your website."

Another "common sense" measure I didn't think about taking until about 7 months ago.  I grew up thinking that sleep masks were only for people who were so worried about their appearance they always stressed about getting plenty of "beauty sleep," which was an inaccurate assumption, yes, but a logical conclusion for a kid/teenager who had access to TV, movies, and books, becuase that's how sleep mask wearers are portrayed in popular culture.

Several months ago, I was trying to come up with a list of every possible product in existence that was both convenient to use and could help block light from my eyes.  Okay, maybe "every single product in existence" was an exaggeration, but only because one of the first products that came to mind, and one of the first products I tried, helped quite a bit--a good, old-fashioned, sleep mask.  Of course, there was a hot pink option in the store (I actually got this one at Whole Foods), and of course I had to buy it, because if pink is an option, it is the only option in my book.  The mask has a kind of satin-y feel to it, and is fairly cushiony with an adjustable elastic band to go around the back of my head.  The band is actually dual-purpose--since I can adjust the pressure, I'm able to make it fit snugly enough to help with daily headaches (not light/sound related, but an added bonus), but the mask itself blocks out light to such a degree that if I keep my eyes closed and the mask on, I wouldn't be able to tell you if it were night or day outside.  The mask I have actually has a little extra padding in the under-eye area, which helps make the light-proof seal even better.  I also use this mask in combination with ear plugs if it's a night where Roger needs the TV on in the bedroom (TV helps him fall asleep, but it keeps me wide awake and makes headaches and eye pain worse).  He can have the TV on and the volume turned up enough to hear it clearly, and once I put on my mask and put in my earplugs, I'm typically able to tune it out pretty well (the exception being a night where my headache/eye pain/light and sound sensitivity is severe, in which case he doesn't turn the TV on, anyway).

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So there you have it, my list of go-to solutions when my light and sound sensitivities are a problem.  If I'm being completely honest, at this point in time, I have to use at least one of these methods every day, but instead of being discouraged that these particular symptoms have yet to improve for me, I'm thankful God has given me the resources to discover these helpful remedies.  If you struggle with light and sound sensitivities and are looking for ways to get relief from, or function as normally as possible despite, those sensitivities, give one of these methods a try!  I'd love to hear from any of you who try these (hopefully with success!) or who have your own go-to solutions for dealing with these issues!

God bless,

Becca