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Reply
| | | From: juds (Original Message) | Sent: 3/9/2008 3:17 AM |
"Before the effect, one believes in different causes than one does after the effect." Friedrich Nietzsche "She had to lean away. She dared not stir a foot, lest movement should provoke the demon of pursuit that slumbers in a brute." Robert Frost Here is a place to share the things, circumstances or situations that trigger or stimulate your symptoms. I'm sure that you can think of more examples. Weather
Indoor or outdoor lighting issues
Strobing
Night driving
Seasonal changes
Sinus and/or upper respiratory conditions
Colds, flu
Insufficient sleep
Emotional conditions or situations
Work issues, like computers or other focused tasks/jobs
Chemical agents, i.e. cleaning products
Stress
Any other environmental or situational issues |
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| | | From: juds | Sent: 3/11/2008 5:30 AM |
Sadly, I am a triggerless and causational failure. I have been called worse things, but not often. Weather Nope
Indoor or outdoor lighting issues
Not really, except for my antiquated theory about the whole seasonal rotaional aspects of the planet and the seasons. Sigh, what a macaroon I am. Still, it's a badge that I wear with honor.
Strobing Nope
Night driving
Not really, but night driving wasn't any more fun than daytime driving on occasion.
Seasonal changes That brings us back to the old, reliable earth rotation/tilt theory.
Sinus and/or upper respiratory conditions
Nope
Colds, flu
Nope Insufficient sleep
Nope Emotional conditions or situations
Nope, but I have sufficient emotional difficulties to fill an encyclopedia Work issues, like computers or other focused tasks/jobs Nope
Chemical agents, i.e. cleaning products
Nope
Stress
Nope Any other environmental or situational issues Nope, but I sure would love some, any issues that would give me something with which to work. Final thoughts are that I would have loved, desired and given anything on which to blame my symptoms. Denied that, it is clear to me that I am totally bereft of the comfort of triggers. What a shame. |
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Triggers: Annie When you don't really have symptom-free days, it's hard to figure out if these are actual "triggers" or just things that are made more difficult because of SOM. Weather: Yes. Temperature extremes, especially cold, and low pressure made symptoms more noticable--may have been real triggers in the beginning of the journey. Indoor or outdoor lighting issues: This is a definite yes. Bright sunlight and indoor flourescent light. Lower, incandescent light was and is much preferable. I had the flourescent lights removed from my office and bought three incandescent lamps. Strobing: No Night Driving: Change to "any driving". Didn't trigger symptoms but immediately and often dramatically worsened them. Seasonal Change: Reliably caused more pressure and pain. Will be interested, after surgery, to see if the pressure is still noticable. Sinus and/or upper respiratory conditions: Sinus is a yes. Probably a trigger at first, and later more of an exacerbation . Same for bad allergy days. Colds/flu: No Insufficient sleep: No Emotional conditions or situations: Sudden unpleasant events. The kinds of things that jolt you would also jolt the eye. Work issues like computers or other focused tasks/jobs: It became very difficult to take notes, facilitate meetings, or to function well under flourescent light. Sometimes I would quitely have to ask a colleague to take over. Computers--got used to working with one eye shut. Some days, art work, reading, sewing--just seemed to make SOM worse or more frustrating. Were they actual triggers? I don't really know. Chemical agents, i.e. cleaning products: No Stress: No Any other environmental or situational issues: Having people stand too close when talking to me. Being in brightly lit situations with lots of motion (I call it the "WalMart Syndrome"). Watching TV with a compulsive channel-changer. Movies and stage productions. Being rushed or pressured. Being in social situations (parties, etc.) where I am expected to maintain eye contact. Note: Most of these situations are things you can't change, and you can't just sit home under an incandescent light, doing nothing. The positive thing is that when I'd escape from a particularly annoying setting, I'd know that there would be at least a little relief. Defining triggers can help with planning coping strategies in advance, when you can. If you reach a point of not really having remissions, then triggers and exacerbations are really difficult to distinguish, and the difference isn't very important. |
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Triggers: Kel Weather The only thing the weather may trigger on me is a headache...usually a sinus headache.
Indoor or outdoor lighting issues Bright sunlight sometimes triggers migraines...which theoretically may trigger some som symptoms. Still trying to figure that one out. Strobing You mean, like at the disco? lol
Night driving I have not been able to see well to drive at night for quite a few years...usually ok in town, definitely have trouble in the country or on the highway or in unfamiliar territory...does it trigger the som? I don't think so.
Seasonal changes Well, believe it or not...I seem to have more trouble in the summer/early fall. Although I don't know why.
Sinus and/or upper respiratory conditions I do have sinus and allergy problems...again, does it trigger my som? I don't know if it triggers it, but occasionally, they do occur simulaneously.
Colds, flu No correlation there.
Insufficient sleep Definitely a factor...if I get less than 6 hours of sleep, I can feel the eye quivering.
Emotional conditions or situations Absolutely...I had a big flare up after my dad died.
Work issues, like computers or other focused tasks/jobs Well, working in the pharmacy, I had plenty trouble gazing downward...however, I believe some of that had to do with his weird patterned carpeting on the floor. Yes, I think that was a trigger.
Chemical agents, i.e. cleaning products Doesn't appear to be any connection for me....of course, if I actually used cleaning products...(just kidding!)
Stress Oh, boy and how.
Any other environmental or situational issues I too have a certain amount of trouble if people stand to my left or stand too close to me....As I said earlier, sometimes glancing downward triggers, or if my neck is stiff that will trigger it as well. |
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Honestly, I am just beginning to really start watching things to see if there are triggers. Previously I just ignored the eye condition entirely. BUT! The SOM appears to corelates to my level of TMJ which corelates to my level of stress and anxiety and depression. I've always suspected this, and mentioned it to the SOM diagnosing neuro-opthamoligst. His first answer what a quick and resounding NO, no relationship between SOM and TMJ. But when I questioned him further about this, he went back and did some quick research and said that yes, it very well could be related. I have not been successful finding in my research any documented cases that TMJ triggers SOM. I'll comment on the following as they apply. Weather
Indoor or outdoor lighting issues I have needed a lot of light for quite some time now. I have attributed it to advancing age and not to SOM, but who knows?
Strobing This bothers me. Like in the car, or biking in the woods with the sunlight peaking through the trees.
Night driving I have always had problems with seeing in the dark when driving. Incidentally, I also have always had to wear sunglasses while driving (unless it's dark or very cloudy), so I have a sensitivity to too much light as well, at least when driving.
Seasonal changes
Sinus and/or upper respiratory conditions
Colds, flu
Insufficient sleep I feel the eye problems are more pronounced when I don't get adequate sleep.
Emotional conditions or situations Same answer as stress, it causes more TMJ which I think causes more SOM.
Work issues, like computers or other focused tasks/jobs I have one of the most eye tasking jobs you can have, I am a contracts compliance auditor. I look at (oftentimes) really bad or small copies of timesheets and expense receipts, key this data into the computer and comparing what the contract says they could charge against what they actually charged. I am on the computer pretty much for 9 hours consecutively during the day. I do feel that this causes eye strain which exasporates the SOM.
Chemical agents, i.e. cleaning products
Stress See above.
Any other environmental or situational issues |
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